Napoleon Voyer (1850 - 1881)
Since Napoleon Voyer and Francois Parent were more or less contemporaries you would think that there would be strong similarities between their lives, nothing would be further from the truth,
It is true that Francois parent was born in 1842 and Napoleon Voyer was born eight years later on November 27, 1850. Herein the difference lies. Francois was born in Sutton, Ontario, essentially a first generation Ontario Francophone born into a farming family. Napoleon was born in Sainte - Marie (Beauce), Quebec. Sainte Marie (Beauce) which is about 40 kilometers south of Quebec City. His parents were Francois Voyer (1801 - 1882) and Marie Delphine Faucher Chateauvert (1806 - 1887). In 1850, Sainte - Marie de Beauce was still officially a seigneury belonging to the Taschereau family.
The first mention that I have of Napoleon Voyer is in the 1861 Canadian Census. he is listed with his father, mother and siblings. In the census he is listed as being eleven years old. There is not a lot of information about him in the 1861 census other than he was male, a member of the Voyer family and that he was attending school as of 1861.
The next mention of Napoleon Voyer that I could find was in 1870 when he was 20 years old. That was much more interesting. What I found was a copy of the Nominal Rolls and Paylists for the Volunteer Militia of the Provisional Battalion of Beauce for the year ending June 30,1870. Napoleon Voyer is on the list along with his signature acknowledging that he received the sum of $8.00 for the eight days that he performed drill in 1870. Based on inflation calculations, $1.00 Canadian in 1870 would be worth $19.40 Canadian in 2018. Napoleon would have received a total amount of $155.20 Canadian for his eight days of militia drills. It was more of a nominal recognitions than anything substantial. There is also an entry in the 1871 Canadian census where Napoleon Voyer is listed as 'militaire' but it seems as an afterthought that the entry has a line drawn through it. I am not quite sure what this means.
On February 26, 1872 Napoleon signed a notarial record to his father, Francois Voyer, a Declaration which is a statement acknowledging and act that has taken place in the past. This is interesting because Napoleon was not quite twenty - two years old at the time, I have to ask, "What kind of 'act' would he be acknowledging?" In just over a year later, Napoleon married Marie Anne Bonin on April 14, 1873 in Ontonagon, Michigan. When I first saw the reference to Ontonagon I thought it was a mistake. Why would Napoleon be in Ontonagon, Michigan? Ontonagon is as far north and as far west in Michigan as you can be without being in Wisconsin. Today, Ontonagon is a small, unexceptional community, but in the 1800s it was anything but unexceptional.
There was a giant mass of copper at Ontonagon (now at the Smithsonian) that attracted many explorers but they were unable to move the rock. A report in 1842 by the state geologist, Julius Eldred, started the 'copper rush'. What may have attracted Napoleon to Ontonagon was the fact that the copper mines were more or less depleted by 1870. Mining operations were abandoned and the mine was opened to tributers. Tributers generally work in gangs that are allocated a portion of the mine called a tribute pitch, thus the name. They receive a portion of ore or the are paid a fixed price per pound. Napoleon may have been part of a tribute group in Ontonagon during the period of 1872 to no later than 1876 because he appears again in the militia payrolls of the Provisional Battalion of Beauce for 1877. In the interim, Napoleon married Marie Anne Bonin on April 14, 1873 in Ontonagon.
The paragraph above places Napoleon in Ontonagon, Michigan in 1873. I will assume that he was there before April 14, 173 which means that he was in Ontonagon in 1872, possibly 1872. He might have left Sainte Marie de Beauce right after he signed the Declaration with his father on February 26, 1872.
At any rate, Napoleon was back in Quebec by 1877 - 1878 because there is a document of nominal roll and paylists for the volunteer militia for 1887 - 1888. The captain is G.O. Taschereau, of the seigneurial Taschereau family. Immediately Taschereau is Napoleon. He is listed as colonel Sergeant. I am not exactly sure what this rank signifies but it is a promotion for Napoleon to a senior officer position. I don't know what he did to deserve this promotion.
Napoleon and Mary Ann (Marie Anne) had four children together in Saint Joseph de Beauce; Francois Voyer (abot 1874), Marie Delphine Voyer (1876 - 1953), Joseph Hercule (1877 - ), Marie Amanda Josephine (1879 - 1957). Marie Bonin passed away on July 18, 1881 at the age of 28.
We will stop here and pick up the rest of Napoleon's story in the next post.
I
It is true that Francois parent was born in 1842 and Napoleon Voyer was born eight years later on November 27, 1850. Herein the difference lies. Francois was born in Sutton, Ontario, essentially a first generation Ontario Francophone born into a farming family. Napoleon was born in Sainte - Marie (Beauce), Quebec. Sainte Marie (Beauce) which is about 40 kilometers south of Quebec City. His parents were Francois Voyer (1801 - 1882) and Marie Delphine Faucher Chateauvert (1806 - 1887). In 1850, Sainte - Marie de Beauce was still officially a seigneury belonging to the Taschereau family.
The first mention that I have of Napoleon Voyer is in the 1861 Canadian Census. he is listed with his father, mother and siblings. In the census he is listed as being eleven years old. There is not a lot of information about him in the 1861 census other than he was male, a member of the Voyer family and that he was attending school as of 1861.
The next mention of Napoleon Voyer that I could find was in 1870 when he was 20 years old. That was much more interesting. What I found was a copy of the Nominal Rolls and Paylists for the Volunteer Militia of the Provisional Battalion of Beauce for the year ending June 30,1870. Napoleon Voyer is on the list along with his signature acknowledging that he received the sum of $8.00 for the eight days that he performed drill in 1870. Based on inflation calculations, $1.00 Canadian in 1870 would be worth $19.40 Canadian in 2018. Napoleon would have received a total amount of $155.20 Canadian for his eight days of militia drills. It was more of a nominal recognitions than anything substantial. There is also an entry in the 1871 Canadian census where Napoleon Voyer is listed as 'militaire' but it seems as an afterthought that the entry has a line drawn through it. I am not quite sure what this means.
On February 26, 1872 Napoleon signed a notarial record to his father, Francois Voyer, a Declaration which is a statement acknowledging and act that has taken place in the past. This is interesting because Napoleon was not quite twenty - two years old at the time, I have to ask, "What kind of 'act' would he be acknowledging?" In just over a year later, Napoleon married Marie Anne Bonin on April 14, 1873 in Ontonagon, Michigan. When I first saw the reference to Ontonagon I thought it was a mistake. Why would Napoleon be in Ontonagon, Michigan? Ontonagon is as far north and as far west in Michigan as you can be without being in Wisconsin. Today, Ontonagon is a small, unexceptional community, but in the 1800s it was anything but unexceptional.
There was a giant mass of copper at Ontonagon (now at the Smithsonian) that attracted many explorers but they were unable to move the rock. A report in 1842 by the state geologist, Julius Eldred, started the 'copper rush'. What may have attracted Napoleon to Ontonagon was the fact that the copper mines were more or less depleted by 1870. Mining operations were abandoned and the mine was opened to tributers. Tributers generally work in gangs that are allocated a portion of the mine called a tribute pitch, thus the name. They receive a portion of ore or the are paid a fixed price per pound. Napoleon may have been part of a tribute group in Ontonagon during the period of 1872 to no later than 1876 because he appears again in the militia payrolls of the Provisional Battalion of Beauce for 1877. In the interim, Napoleon married Marie Anne Bonin on April 14, 1873 in Ontonagon.
The paragraph above places Napoleon in Ontonagon, Michigan in 1873. I will assume that he was there before April 14, 173 which means that he was in Ontonagon in 1872, possibly 1872. He might have left Sainte Marie de Beauce right after he signed the Declaration with his father on February 26, 1872.
At any rate, Napoleon was back in Quebec by 1877 - 1878 because there is a document of nominal roll and paylists for the volunteer militia for 1887 - 1888. The captain is G.O. Taschereau, of the seigneurial Taschereau family. Immediately Taschereau is Napoleon. He is listed as colonel Sergeant. I am not exactly sure what this rank signifies but it is a promotion for Napoleon to a senior officer position. I don't know what he did to deserve this promotion.
Napoleon and Mary Ann (Marie Anne) had four children together in Saint Joseph de Beauce; Francois Voyer (abot 1874), Marie Delphine Voyer (1876 - 1953), Joseph Hercule (1877 - ), Marie Amanda Josephine (1879 - 1957). Marie Bonin passed away on July 18, 1881 at the age of 28.
We will stop here and pick up the rest of Napoleon's story in the next post.
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