A nocturnal view of La Malbaie by Bertrand Lemeunier from here.
I have a Family History Puzzle I haven’t been able to solve. Maybe you can help me.
The person who is puzzling me is Ebee or Ebes Duval.
What I have:
- I have this baptism record which can also be viewed here {bottom right image on the page}. The record is for the baptism of Ebee {possibly Ebes} Duval in October of 1829 in St Etienne Parish, La Malbaie, Charlevoix, Quebec. The parents and Godparents are listed. I have ‘read’ through this record over and over again and can’t find a gender word. I am not a French speaker. I have developed a French Family History vocabulary but the words I know and usually find are not in this record.
- I have this burial record which can also be viewed here {middle of the left page}. The record is for the burial of Ebes Duval in November of 1847 in Ste Luce Parish, Rimouski, Matane, Quebec. The parents are listed. I believe this person is a male. I see the word ‘fils’. I believe this person was 18 at the time of death, I think I see the phrase ‘dix-huit ans’.
What I know for sure:
- Both records are for children of Francois Duval & Marie Gauthier – my 4th great grandparents.
- That’s it – short list.
What I am trying to figure out:
- What is the gender of the child in the baptism record?
- Is the name in the baptism record Ebee or Ebes?
- Am I reading the age and gender correctly in the burial record?
- Do these two records belong to the same person? If I am reading the age correctly in the burial record, then the dates work for these records to be about the same person.
Great idea getting it “out there.” Maybe someone will stumble across it through a search and contact you – how exciting!
Thank you, I hope so!
I have seen names spelled differently on baptisms and burials. I have to say the first name does look like Ebeé on the baptism and as Ebes on the burial. But I would say they were one and the same person. Certainly not a name I have ever come across, but then I don’t have any Quebecois ancestry! It would be interesting to see if any other families in the area used that name. I couldn’t really think of an anglicised version of it! Hope someone will see this who could help more!
I also feel like it is the same person, I just really want to tie it up! I have been heavily researching in Quebec this past year and this is the first time I have seen this name – nothing even similar to this in the past. I googled the name looking for variants and got almost nothing and certainly nothing helpful. Thank you for your vote of confidence that they are for the same person, it’s always nice to get another opinion.
It’s been a while since you posted this, so perhaps you’ve already solved your mystery.
The names Ebee or Ebes are not ones I’ve ever come across and I’ve done a lot of research in Quebec.
Birth record
The child born is definitely a boy as the masculine form of né is used, not the feminine née)
Approximate translation of record:
The 21st October 1829, we the undersigned baptised Ebée, born today of the legitimate marriage of François Duval, farmer, and Marie Gauthier. The godfather was Alexandre Leclerc and the godmother Ursule ____ who failed to sign for the absent father.
The burial record was harder to read and it only took a few minutes to scan it before I was getting a headache 🙂
The 8th November 1847, ___ we the undersigned ___of this parish buried in the cemetery Ebee Duval, who died the day before yesterday, ___ ___ ___ ____ _____ aged about eighteen years, son of the legitimate marriage of François Duval, farmer, and Marie Gauthier ___ ____ ___ of this parish
**and a few closing lines I can’t make out.
I also located (on Ancestry) the 1821 marriage of Francois and Marie in Baie St-Paul (a village in Charlevois)
I scoured this for any mention of a relative with a name similar to Ebée or a variaton, but no luck.
Sorry I couldn’t be of more help
Nicole
Hi Nicole! Thank you so much!!
I hadn’t solved this yet. Like you, I have done lots of research with French records from Quebec and have never seen this name before.
You said of the birth record, “The child born is definitely a boy as the masculine form of né is used, not the feminine née.” What is the word you are referring to? I can see it, but I don’t know what it says. I tried some variations in different translators and never got the right one. This is a word I haven’t come across in the records I have found previously or since. I normally see fils or fille.
I have several records regarding this family and have never seen this name. I struggle with the spelling if it is Ebée or Ebés. I see you listed Ebée both times.
Thank you again. I really appreciate your help!
Hi,
The phrase I was referring to was “Ebée né aujourd’hui” which translates as Ebée born today.
The word I was referring to is “né” and it means “born”. If the child had been a girl it would have said “Ebée née auhourd’hui”. Verbs in French often have differences in spelling depending on the gender of the noun (person)
I’m surprised you’ve never seen this word, as it would be in every birth/baptism record.
I can’t tell if it is Ebée or Ebés either. I just used the one usage for simplicity.
Sorry I can’t be of more help
Nicole
Honestly I may have seen it many, many times but there is usually a sentence that refers to the person being a son/daughter of the legitimate marriage of —. I look for the words fils or fille. The other phrase has not been one I have relied on. I have a friend and a brother who speak French but not genealogy so they have been my French coaches. 🙂 Thank you for this quick lesson though, very helpful. And again, thank you for taking the time to translate these for me. I really appreciate it!