Our Canadian Roots

The roots of the Patrie and Phaneuf families in North America can be traced back to early seventeenth century emigrants to both New England and New France.

These ancestors include Filles du Roi, Filles à Marier, and members of the Carignan-Salières regiment. There were surgeons, royal representatives, indentured servants and entrepreneurs. Some were Huguenots who converted to Catholicism after arriving in Quebec. Some were kidnapped or killed by Indian raiding parties.

The one thing they all had in common was their willingness to leave home and face the "Howling Wilderness", an ocean away, in hopes of making a fortune, or finding a better life. They were brave and sturdy pioneering stock.

The original research into our family history was carried out in the 1980s by my Aunt Bernie Bordeau-Patrie and her son Joseph. They did it the hard way, without the benefit of the internet. They are both owed special thanks!

We need your help as well. Please send in your family stories and photos so we can put some life and color back into your fading black and white memories.

I will summarize the dead end branches in the family tree in the "MOST WANTED" section of this website. We hope you can help solve those riddles!