ACADIAN-CAJUN Genealogy & History: Isle Royale

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Isle Royale
[Cape Breton Island]


Though Denys had posts on Ile Royale in the 1600s, the major settlement on the island didn't come about until the 1700s. Fishermen had been frequently the island since the 1500s and had called the place Cape Breton (after Breton in Europe). Once Acadia was given to England in 1713, Ile Royale and Ile St. Jean became the French colonial territory in focus. An effort was made to establish a fort at Louisbourg. Over $30 million was spent on the fort. [Richard, 1, p. 17] Ile St. Jean was viewed as a prospective source for produce. The Acadians were urged to move to Ile Royale after 1713. But when they sent a delegation to the island, they found poor soil (compared to their reclaimed marshland) and not enough pasture land. Few Acadians moved there. Louisbourg in 1742 by Claude Joseph Verrier Ile Royale remained French until the 1740s. During the war which lasted from 1744 to 1748, Ile Royale was conquered by the English. It was returned to France in 1748. When the English started applying pressure, and ultimately started the deportations, a few hundred Acadians moved to the island. But most (except for about 200) moved back to Acadia or to Ile St. Jean. Louisbourg (and thus Ile Royale and Ile St. Jean) fell to the English for the final time in 1758. The French and Acadians were exiled to France. In 1782, some Acadians made it back to the area and settled at Cheticamp in Inverness County (and nearby villages). First settled by the Acadian "Fourteen Elders", Acadian surnames in the area include: Aucoin, Boudreau, Bourgeois, Camus, Chiasson, Cormier, Delaney, Deveau, Doucet, Fiset, Gallant, Gaudet, Haché, Harris, Larade, LaPierre, LeBlanc, LeFort, LeLièvre, LeVert, Maillet, Muise, Poirier, Roach, and Romard. When in the area, be sure to check out the Acadian Museum.

	The fortress of Louisbourg has been recreated and now stands as one of Canada's National Historic Sites.

LINKS: • Fortress of Louisbourg - A variety of info on the 18th century fort. - The Acadians of Cape Breton • Fortress of Louisburg {archived version} • Cape Breton Island • Destination: Cape Breton • Cape Breton Museums - The Acadian Museum (Cheticamp) • Cheticamp • Cape Breton Counties Genealogy (Genweb)
Google Map - Cape Breton

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