Joseph Rowe / Ménard dit Bellerose and Lois Daniels


(116.) 12. Joseph ROWE was born on 13 Aug 1781 in Chambly, Québec as Joseph MÉNARD dit BELLEROSE (For information on the French-Canadian phenomenon of "dit names" go to the FrancoGene page on Dit Names). He was baptized on 14 Aug 1781 in Chambly. At about the age of 15 he changed his name to Rowe and moved to Vermont; family legend has it that he had been working for a man named Rowe and took his name. At that time the commercial and trade ties between the Montreal area of Québec (then part of British Canada) and western Vermont were very close; in fact, during the American revolution that region of Vermont was strongly against independence for that very reason. In addition, prejudice against French Canadians was very strong among Anglos in northern New England, so there was a good reason for Joseph to change his name to an English-sounding one if he wanted to be successful in Vermont society.

Joseph moved in 1810 from Poultney, Rutland Co., Vermont to Wells, in the same county. (Sources: "History of Wells, Vermont," Rutland, 1869, p.10; "A History of the Town of Wells, Vermont," Grace Pember Wood, 1955). He died on 27 May 1836 in Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. He was married to Louise Daniels FOREST on 3 Dec 1803.

(117.) 13. Lois DANIELS. Lois was the widow of George FOREST. Children were:

child(58.) 6 i. David ROWE.
child
ii. Hannah ROWE. Hannah Rowe married Nathan B. Spencer, and had a son, William L. Spencer. She subsequently married Cyrus Burnham, brother of her own brother David's wife Eliza. [Thanks to Conny Green for this information.]

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Last revised 7/10/2012