Hilarion Thériault, aged 71, departed with a will, a rare gesture among Acadians in the 19th century due to their limited property ownership following the Acadian deportation and restrictions on Roman Catholics owning property until the 1780s in the province. Thériault’s will, deemed an act of both resistance and adherence, emphasized his Roman Catholic beliefs and sought to settle his debts, seek reparations, and ensure peace for his family.
Colby Gaudet, a post-doctoral fellow at Dalhousie University, examined Thériault’s will and 23 others from the Clare, N.S. Acadian community to explore how families navigated legal and religious practices surrounding death. These wills shed light on the challenges faced by Acadians in a society that marginalized them, especially after the 1755 deportation ordered by Lt.-Gov. Charles Lawrence, leading to the loss of Acadian land to the Crown and the imposition of oath tests to prevent them from holding positions of power.
The wills, typically left by community leaders like Thériault, reflected the deep integration of the church and Catholicism in their lives, incorporating distinct Catholic elements such as references to saints and the Virgin Mary, despite societal stigmatization. Gaudet’s research also revealed insights into the relationships between Acadians and Black individuals, uncovering instances where Black individuals were mentioned in wills, highlighting the complex dynamics within the community.
The wills, written by the priest Jean-Mandé Sigogne, acted as a bridge between the Francophone Acadian families and the predominantly Anglo-Protestant judiciary system, posing language barriers for Acadians unfamiliar with English. These historical documents offer a glimpse into the religious, social, and racial dynamics of the Acadian community in Clare during a period of significant upheaval and discrimination.
