Hilarion Thériault, at the age of 71, decided to create a will, a rare occurrence among Acadians in the 19th century due to the loss of land and homes post the Acadian deportation. Many Acadians struggled to obtain land titles despite living and working on the land they occupied. Thériault, however, wanted to be prepared for his passing.
Colby Gaudet, a post-doctoral fellow at Dalhousie University, examined Thériault’s will and 23 others from the small Acadian community of Clare, N.S., to explore how families dealt with legal and religious practices during times of grief and death. Gaudet described the act of creating wills as a blend of resistance and conformity to existing Anglophone property norms while emphasizing their Roman Catholic beliefs.
Thériault’s will included provisions for debt repayment, reparations for any wrongdoings, and ensuring peace for his family. Maurice Basque, a historian at l’Institut d’études acadiennes at Université de Moncton, highlighted the social ostracism faced by Acadians during the writing of these wills.
The wills shed light on the historical context of the Acadian deportation by Lt.-Gov. Charles Lawrence in 1755, where Acadians were expelled for not supporting the British Crown. Acadian lands were confiscated and redistributed to settlers from New England as part of a British strategy to replace the Acadian population.
Gaudet noted that the language barrier faced by Acadians, who had to write wills in a foreign language, was compounded by the fact that all county judges overseeing the wills were Anglo-Protestant. The wills were written by Father Jean-Mandé Sigogne, who acted as an intermediary between the Acadian families and the judiciary system.
The wills studied by Gaudet were predominantly left by community leaders like Thériault, who held significant roles within the parish. Despite societal disapproval, these wills reflected the deep Catholic faith of the individuals, incorporating specific Catholic details and references to saints.
Furthermore, the wills provided insights into the relationships between Black individuals and Acadians. Gaudet’s research began with the will of Amable Doucet, who bequeathed a Black slave named Jerome to his wife alongside his property. Another will mentioned a Black man, Anselm Hatfield, who had been an indentured servant and later became a free member of the community.
These historical wills not only document personal legacies and religious practices but also offer valuable insights into the complex social dynamics and challenges faced by Acadians during that period.
