Volume One; France & Acadie: A Description by William Gerrior

France and Acadie (Vol 1) book originally sold for $24.95 (this book is completely sold out but it is available now via print on Demand (POD) process at $ (29.95) (512pp).  This book compliments each of the other four books after DEPORTATION for a complete history of the Girouards for that region. This book is of interest to all Acadians because of the Acadian History content throughout the book applicable to all Acadians especially the Acadien section in the France chapter of which few books present.

Part I Presents a section on La Line, and Belle Isle En Mer, two areas where many of the Acadians sent back to France established. It has a section of the sworn statements taken from Acadians at Belle Isle En Mer, including a map of this Island showing Acadian surnames and where they were settled on this Island.

It traces some of the Girouard, and Giroir … families in France who are found as far back as the year 1030 in feudal records where the name name “Giroir of Loudun” is also referred to as “Knight of Loudun”, He would have been certainly a highly esteemed and rich Nobel of the period.

Part II of this book describes Francois Girouard and Jeanne Aucoin and all of their descendants in |Acadie before and during the Deportation years from 1755-1783 at Port Royal and other parts of Acadie.  The descriptions in the section of the book  include details of house building, faming, dykebuilding, census records, number of cattle etc, government (both French and English reign and Acadian consequent neutrality position), English Council Meeting minutes in which a number of  Girouards are found,    and approximately 100 years of relatively peaceful living in Acadie.  Girouardville as displayed on one of the maps in the book dated 1733 is discussed.  The Loyalists, Ingles family still actively farm this land which continues to produce rich products

Part II continues, after this relatively peaceful establishment of |Acadians in Acadie, to describe the “Horrific Deportation Experience” , during the cold months of  November, December, January to various New England towns,  along the eastern  Atlantic seaboard ;  the separation of many families;  the sickness,  vermin,  loss of life in the overcrowded cold hulls of ships; the many Acadians who escaped deportation by hiding in the woods but many starving,  and dying of exhaustion and weather related exposure in mid winter; the constant chase of Acadians by the English soldiers and the trek of some Acadians including the  Girouards   northward towards New Brunswick and Quebec where many re-established. Also their trek inland and southward which, in some cases.   ended up in Louisiana and in other cases ended up turning around and migrating back to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Quebec and still for others, the trek back across the ocean in |English ships. Some of this later group were transported to France, others to England as prisoners of war, then from there, a few years later, back to France.  Thirty (30) years later another migration from France consisting of 7 ships taking willing Acadians to seek a new new home to join some of their cousins in Louisiana with the help of Spanish government. This last group finally establishing in Louisiana where they became known as Cajuns.  (See Louisiana book for more details)