Mourier Family of Ottawa ON

The Mourier Family of Ottawa ON was a mystery until I chanced upon a reference to Maurice-Calixte Mourier in Les Français au Québec 1765-1865: un mouvement migratoire méconnu, Marcel Fournier was the author. Item #1357 on page 318 lists the following:

Mourier, Maurice-Calixte, oblat de Marie-Immaculee, ne le 16 aout 1835 a Romans sur Isere (Drome), de l'union de Jean-Calixte Mourier et de Melanie Monestier. Ordonne le 17 decembre 1859 a Ajaccio, il arive au Canada le 28 mars 1863. Il oeuvre a Ottawa, a la baie d'Hudson, a Hull, a Betsiamites, au lac Temiscamingue et a Pointe-Bleue. Il décède à Lachine le 5 aout 1912.


Fournier, Marcel, 1946-. Les Français au Québec, 1765-1865 : un mouvement migratoire méconnu / Marcel Fournier ; préface de Claude Galarneau -- Sillery, Québec : Éditions du Septentrion, 1995. -- 386 p. : ill., cartes, fac-sim., portr. ; 23 cm. -- ISBN 2894480253 -- AMICUS No. 13888218

I had finally solved the puzzle of why Marius-Joseph Mourier (born 16 Aug 1845 at Romans sur Isere (Drome)) the son of Jean-Calixte Mourier and Marie-Melanie Monestier had emigrated to Canada in 1873 (from the 1901 census). Possibly chain migration as his brother had preceded him in Canada arriving in 1863. His brother was a priest in Ottawa.

Marius Mourier married Antoinette Bertrand in 1877 in Hull Quebec. I have not yet located the marriage registration for this couple. Antoinette was the daughter of Julien Vital Bertrand and Antoinette Séguin according to published reports. The 1881 Census (East Ottawa Ward) we find Marius Mourier, aged 38 and Antoinette Mourier aged 23 with Marius born in France and Antoinette born in Quebec. The 1891 Census Morris Murier aged 45, born in France, parents both born in France and their children Adele, Gabrielle, Leon, and twins Honore and Anna with all born in Ontario except Leon who was born in France (but registered in Ontario). The 1901 Census all ten years older, place of birth for Leon left blank and the twins are missing, new daughter Marie Louise. The 1911 Census all ten years older and only Marie Louise is living with them. All other details the same. There is a new person (possibly a sister in law - difficult to read) from France. She is 65 years old.

I sorted into generations and this time Marius is generation one, coming down to Gabrielle is generation two and then following to the third generation which married into the Bédard family. Online I did find parents for Jean-Calixte Mourier (father of Marius) named Pierre Joseph Mourier and Marie Adélaide Virginie. I shall follow my usual process looking at NosOrigines, World Connect and Ancestry for further information.

Nosorigines ou GenealogieQuebec is my source for the information and they list Jean-Calixte as being born 29 March 1800 at Romans, département de la Drome, France and that he died 25 Apr 1886 at the age of 86 in Romans, France.  Only three children are listed and two of them came to Canada. The third and eldest was their daughter who did not marry. No further information is available at this website. I did not find any information on World Connect. Ancestry family trees are all personal and no further information was found. Interesting that Jean Calixte died in 1886 as that is the year the son Leon was said to have been born in France.

There is more information online now for French records and I shall pursue that the next time that I am researching Mourier.