Elise GAGNON was born about 1860 (based on her age in the censuses of 1871 and 1881).  I have not yet located a baptismal record for her.  She does not show up in the Trois Rivières records, where her sister Anne was baptized in Oct 1857; nor in the Montréal records, where her brother Charles was baptized in Dec 1863.

She was married to Joseph Henri ARCAND (son of Pierre ARCAND and Julie LÉGER, [who themselves were married on 19 Feb 1849 at St-Timothée, Beauharnois [1849, p.7]) on 23 May 1881 at Sacre Coeur church, Montréal, Québec.  For some reason in the marriage record, Elise, whose name is given as "Elisabeth", is described as the daughter of "Thomas Gagnon and Julie Pouliot." [source: Sacre Coeur register, 1881, M43, p.59]  (As noted on her parents' page, Thomas's wife Marcelline Morin was consistently referred to by the last name Pouliot in records after their move back to Quebec around 1855.)  In the baptismal record of their son Edouard, Joseph Henri ARCAND is described as "charretier," or a carter.

They had the following children:

i. Édouard Solomon ARCAND was born on 14 Apr 1883 in Montréal.  He was baptized on 16 Apr at Sacre Coeur church. His godparents were Édouard Arcand, "cordonnier" (shoemaker; Edouard was Joseph's brother [see Edouard's marriage record to Odile Monette, Sacré Coeur de Jésus, Montréal, 1881, p.133]), and Marie Marcelline Gagnon ("daughter of Thomas Gagnon, aunt of the child"). [source: Sacre Coeur register, 1883, B227, p.45verso]

Joseph Henri ARCAND either died or abandoned Elise before the 1891 census (taken on April 9), when Elise and Edouard are living in Elise's parents' household.  Elise is not listed as a widow in this census, which could be a mistake, or else could indicate she'd been abandoned.

Elise and and her son Édouard appeared in the 1891 census of Quebec, as Elise Gagnon, age 28, and Edward Arcand, age 9, living in the household of Elise's parents Thomas and Marcelline in St.Mary's ward, Montréal.

I've been unable to find any other traces of Elise, Edouard or Joseph after this.

There is an Edouard Arcand, age 28,who shows up on the 1911 census in Montréal, Maisonneuve.  He is listed as born in February 1882, and described as a "cousin" of the head of household, who is Alphonse Caty, born in March 1871 in the US; came to Quebec in 1892, and listed as a "menuisier" or carpenter, which is also listed as Edouard's occupation.

Interestingly, Alphonse is married to Arthemise Gauthier, and they have a daughter Alice, born in March 1899.  This was however Alphonse's second marriage.  His first was to Julia Beauregard; while I can't find their marriage record, Julia died and was buried at Basilique Notre Dame in Montréal in May 1894, at the age of 20.  In the 1891 census, Julia Beauregard is listed as living in St Marie's Ward, Montréal, as a boarder in the household of Catherine Morin, a "candy merchant," the widow of Olivier Morin, who had died in Jan 1890 at the age of 64 (in the 1881 census his age is given as 53, so he was born abt 1826-28).  Olivier and Catherine (maiden name Saint Hilaire) were married about 1857 or so.

This Morin connection seems intriguing; given that Edouard's grandmother's maiden name was Morin (that is, Marcelline Morin, wife of Thomas Gagnon), I am wondering if this is the connection that leads Edouard to be listed as a "cousin" to Alphonse Caty in the 1911 census.  I am following up on this to see if there is a connection.

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Last revised 19 Feb 2011