Notarial Records of Québec

Although I finally found answers to the questions of when and where my Québécois fourth great-grandfather George Jarvis passed away, I was left with a peculiar name discrepancy that I couldn't explain.

George Felix Gervais (Anglicized to Jarvis) was named in his Vermont obituary as George Philip Jarvis.

The obituary included evidence (namely his surviving children) that helped me confirm that George Philip was indeed my ancestor George Felix, but I was stumped by the name swap.

After reading about my discovery, Diane Tourville, a Québec-based blogger at Genealogy on my Mind, tweeted a possible answer:

"I confirm that men called Félix often anglicized their first name to Philip after migrating to the US."

The phonetic similarity between the two names seemed like an appropriate explanation. I was grateful for Diane's input. But she wasn't done just yet.

With more than 25 years of research experience and an interest in French-Canadians who migrated to the United States, Diane messaged that she found notarial records for George Jarvis.

What are notarial records? 

While I know what a notary public is, I wasn't familiar with the notarial records of Québec. I haven't had much opportunity to properly research my French-Canadian ancestry (too many ancestors, too little time!).

I was intrigued by what the collection may hold for my ancestor and reveal about his life, but I had to brush up on the purpose and significance of the documents for family history.

Billed by Ancestry as "some of the most valuable documents you'll come across in genealogy," Québec's notarial records span nearly 300 years (1637-1935) and have been digitized and made available online at Ancestry.

The Library and Archives of Canada explains that, "A notarial record is a private agreement written by a notary in the form of a contract."

FamilySearch adds that the collection includes, "deeds, wills, marriage contracts, and other records that are important in family history research."

The notary would make two copies of each contract. The original was given to the party involved, and the notary kept the duplicate, which are called minutes. These duplicates are what make up today's archived collections.

Notarial record outlines family relationships

Diane kindly pointed me to the collection and a couple documents that featured George. These records were deeds of sale, which suggested George was a man of sufficient means to purchase property.

I soon landed on a two-page document dating to the autumn of 1907 that underscored the value of the notarial records for family history research.

Henri Girard, the notary, had atrocious penmanship that made deciphering the document a herculean feat. However, I've transcribed enough to determine that George's children were relinquishing inheritance rights following the May 1899 death of their mother - George's wife - Adeline Parmelia (Judd) Jarvis.

George Jarvis Québec notarial record (page 1), recorded October 9, 1907

Page one's transcription (with the fantastic help of Lee Anne, a volunteer with the Facebook group Deciphering Genealogy Script):

9 Oct 1907
No. 1763

Cession
par
Ed. Jarvis & al
à
George. Jarvis

On this twenty ninth day of September nineteen hundred and seven

Before Henri Girard the undersigned notary public for the Provence of Quebec, residing and practicing at Danville, District of St. Francis.

Comes and appeared:

Mr. George Jarvis of Kingsey Falls farmer,

1st Mr. Alfred U. Lebel of Danville, student acting as the attorney of Edward Jarvis and Catherine Jarvis of Bridgewater Vermont, and Ruth Elize Jarvis wife of Alexander Peoples, and Adda E. Jarvis wife of Edward Moore of Taftsville, Vermont in virtue of a power of attorney dated the twenty first of October last part 1907 and deposited with the undersigned notary on the twenty sixth day of September 1907 registered at Drummondville B52 No: 40485

2nd William Jarvis of Richmond, carpenter

3rd Clara Jarvis of Richmond, wife of Frank Boisvert and by her husband duly authorized

Who do hereby convey, transfer and make over unto Mr. George Jarvis of Kingsey Falls their father, all their rights claims and petitions in the estate and succession of their mother Dame Adeline Parmelia Judd who departed this life intestate on the 8th May 1899.

This first page maps out several family relationships - naming surviving children of George Jarvis and their spouses and current cities of residence - and provides a death date for his wife Adeline. That's enough for any genealogist to be sold on the value of notarial records!

The children relinquished to their father their inherited rights to their mother's estate eight years after Adeline's passing.

The second page was also a doozy to transcribe.

George Jarvis Québec notarial record (page 2), recorded October 9, 1907

Page two transcription:

And more particularly their rights and share of lots no: five A and six 3 (5a, 5d and 6 3) of this truthful [illegible] of Kingsey with the buildings [illegible] invalid.

To have and to hold use and enjoy or dispose of the same unto the assigner of his own forever from death hereof.

This transfer and conveyance is thus made under the condition that the said father, the assignee shall pay all shares of the debts of the estate of the late mother if there be any.

Whereof act at Danville under No: seventeen hundred and after [illegible] hereof the parties have signed [illegible] the said assignment witnesses who hath signed with the other parties and the notary [illegible] forty one words [illegible]…

Another assigned not good

Clara J Boisvert
William C Jarvis
Alfred LeBel
Ed McGorreas (?)
P C Hastings
Henri Girard

This second page appeared to get down to brass tacks with the children relinquishing their rights to lots - presumably land - that George owned in Kingsey Falls with the stipulation that their father pay any outstanding debts on Adeline's estate.

The family's black sheep

Curiously, this notarial record named five of George and Adeline's seven surviving children. Two daughters, however, were missing.

Kate Viola Jarvis, was not named. In 1907, she would have been 18 years old. Perhaps she was still considered a minor or lived at home with her father and was excluded from this agreement.

Also not named was Phoebe (aka Phebe) Elizabeth "Lulu" Jarvis who was married to Francis (aka Frank) Stephen Lamb and lived in Colorado by 1907. Phoebe was my third great-grandmother, so I'm particularly curious about her absence.

This wasn't the first time she was kept hidden away. She was also omitted by name from George's 1933 obituary.

Was she the black sheep of the family?

Her husband changed the family surname from Lamb to Stephens. Family lore whispered that this happened after he shot a man in Vermont, but I've never been able to turn up evidence to support that story.

I did, however, find sensational articles published in Denver's newspapers in 1901 detailing the jealous rage that Frank flew into when he suspected Phoebe of adultery and shot and nearly killed an innocent bystander. See Till Jealousy and Bullets Do Us Part.

Perhaps the Jarvis family was trying to distance themselves from the drama.

What, if anything, do Québec's notarial records have to say about Phoebe's relationship with her family? With the value of this record collection now abundantly clear, that search continues in earnest.

Adding Generations of Judds to the Family Tree

Last week I solved a mystery that's had me stumped for the past decade.

When and where did my fourth great-grandfather George Felix Gervais (Anglicized to Jarvis) die? For that answer, see Solving The Mysterious Disappearance of My Québécois Grandfather.

In that post, I blogged only a passing mention of George's wife Adeline Parmelia Judd.

Finding a family connection

Adeline - born on February 1, 1845 in Warwick, Quebec - was the daughter of Levi and Ruth (Young) Judd. Those names caught the eye of Janice Webster Brown, author of Cow Hampshire - New Hampshire's history blog, who immediately recognized a distant family link.

Joking that she was a cousin to everyone, Janice pinpointed our common ancestor as Thomas Judd who was born in England in 1608, emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony by 1634, and died in Northampton, Massachusetts on November 12, 1688. Today, he's credited as a founder of Hartford, Connecticut.

I wasn't familiar with Thomas Judd. He wasn't in my family tree.

In fact, my Judd line stopped with Levi Judd's father, Amon Judd (1771-1847) who was my sixth great-grandfather.

The Judd Tree Blooms

Although my research time and energy had been dedicated elsewhere, my curiosity was sufficiently piqued.

I began sifting through New England's very well-documented genealogy records and quickly climbed five generations beyond Amon to Thomas Judd, my 11th great-grandfather.

All told, I added 13 new direct ancestors to my pedigree (including spouses and their forebears). My Judd line took the following path:

• Adeline Parmelia (Judd) Jarvis: 4th great-grandmother
• Levi Judd: 5th great-grandfather
• Amon Judd: 6th great-grandfather
• Levi Judd: 7th great-grandfather
• Nathan Judd: 8th great-grandfather
• Benjamin Judd Jr.: 9th great-grandfather
• Benjamin Judd: 10th great-grandfather
• Thomas Judd: 11th great-grandfather

A Tangential Connection

I don't often recount my own personal history on this blog, but the Judd connection simply cannot be overlooked.

Growing up, my parents listened to country music. They made it the soundtrack of our lives.

Exposure to the genre sparked a life-long passion for Wynonna Judd whose voice was unlike anything else on the radio. Rising above the monotonous twangy drivel, I appreciated her distinction. There's grit and depth infused into her expansive range that you can really latch onto.

Over the years I've seen her in concert many times, like catching up with an old friend (perhaps my sustained affinity is just an indulged fondness for childhood).

The first time I saw her perform live was April 24, 1993 at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado. The date is etched in my mind because I had joined her fan club and won a pass to meet her backstage.

My aunt took me to the concert. I was devastated disappointed when venue security confiscated my camera at the entrance. I would have to remember the experience with my mind's eye.

My aunt didn't have a pass, so she sent me backstage alone.

A long line of fans were inching their way to Wynonna for a picture. The woman in line behind me (much more skilled at sneaking her camera into the venue) generously offered to take and mail me a photo (remember, this was before the internet). I scrawled my address on a cocktail napkin.

Finally, it was my moment. Wynonna reached over and hugged me close to her.

"We gonna make some noise tonight?" she growled.

I was star-struck. "Yes!" was all I could muster. We smiled. A photo was snapped. And I was whisked away.

A month later I received an envelope in the mail. Inside there was no note. Just a photograph.

Family Sleuther and Wynonna
April 24, 1993, McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, CO

While I typically turn my nose up at family historians focused on surfacing links to celebrities, my newly expanded Judd line had me curious whether we shared a distant connection.

I suppose a perk of achieving any kind of fame is that you encounter folks eager to map out your ancestry. Unsurprisingly, the pedigree for Wynonna, her sister actress Ashley, and their mother Naomi Judd is pretty well documented.

As it turns out, Wynonna's eighth great-grandfather, Benjamin Judd Jr., is my ninth great-grandfather.

It appears that we are ninth cousins once removed. Or, when you consider that just centuries ago pedigree collapse meant the world was much more closely related, Wynonna and I are really just strangers and no closer than we were before I wrote this blog.

Nonetheless, this is my new fun fact that I'm keeping in my back pocket along with a particular photo.

Solving The Mysterious Disappearance of My Québécois Grandfather

My fourth great-grandfather George Felix Gervais has finally given up his long-held mystery: when and where he died.

Born November 28, 1840 in the Québec township of Durham and baptized the following month - December 20th - at Saint-Pierre-de-Wickham in Drummondville, George's life was well documented over the next sixty years.

George Felix Gervais - December 20, 1840 baptism
Saint-Pierre-de-Wickham in Drummondville, Quebec

On November 24, 1862 - just four days shy of his 22nd birthday - George married Adeline Parmelia Judd in the Church of England in Danville, Sherbrooke, Québec.

The marriage record reveals a couple interesting things:

• For the first time, we see George's surname of Gervais Anglicized to Jarvis (a spelling adopted by his children). 
• We also learn that he was illiterate, signing the record with his mark.

George Felix Jarvis and Adeline Parmelia Judd
November 24, 1862 marriage in Sherbrooke, Quebec

The family was enumerated in Canada's 1871, 1881, and 1891 censuses, but soon faced tragedy.

On May 8, 1899, Adeline passed away at the age of 54. Two years later, George was enumerated in the 1901 Canadian census as a widower. It was, for the past ten years, where his trail ran cold.

Until last night.

A Genealogy Hint Unravels A Mystery

Glancing over my tree, a shaky leaf hint summoned my attention to George's profile. I clicked into the clue where I found an 1899 New Hampshire marriage record for William C. Jarvis.

The back of the record included the names of the groom's parents: George Jarvis and Adeline Judd. Although I didn't have William in my tree, I immediately recognized his parents. The reverse side of the marriage card included a notation that his mother was deceased, but that his father was living in Canada.

William C. Jarvis Sept. 1899 New Hampshire marriage record (reverse)
Confirmed that George Jarvis still lived in Canada

Although it was bedtime, my curiosity was sufficiently piqued and the hunt was on.

I next turned to George's daughter Addie Jarvis. A new hint pointed me to her 1934 Vermont death record, which named her parents as George Jarvis and Adeline Judd.

Addie (Jarvis) Darling - 1934 Vermont death record

Vermont was already familiar territory to me because George and Adeline's daughter Phoebe, my third great-grandmother, had married in the state.

Addie's death certificate also indicated that she had remarried to a man named George Darling; a marriage that I hadn't recorded.

I turned to Newspapers.com where I searched for George Jarvis. Several entries appeared for Vermont, but I was stumped. The clippings were for a George Philip Jarvis not George Felix Jarvis.

But something else immediately caught my attention.

On March 17, 1933, a local Vermont newspaper published a death notice for George P. Jarvis.

"George Philip Jarvis, 95, one of Rutland's oldest residents, died early yesterday morning at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Leon Lewis...Besides Mrs. Lewis, he is survived by four other daughters, Mrs. George Darling...and two sons, Edward Jarvis of Claremont and William Jarvis of Enfield, N.H."

The death notice confirmed that George Philip Jarvis had a daughter married to a George Darling and a son named William Jarvis who lived in New Hampshire. These facts were matches to individuals whose parents were recorded as George and Adeline (Judd) Jarvis.

The death notice also gave George's birth date as November 28, which was an exact match to the birth date given for George Felix Jarvis in his baptism record (although there was a slight discrepancy on the birth year).

Collectively, the obituary's evidence suggested that George Philip Jarvis was in fact George Felix Jarvis.

[As an aside, the one oddity about the obit is that it fails to name George's daughter, Phoebe Elizabeth, among his surviving children. She was my 3rd great-grandmother. Curiously, the record references that he is "survived by four other daughters..." and then names just three women. Perhaps it was an innocent oversight, or maybe the family lore - still unproven - that Phoebe's husband killed a man in Vermont which forced them to flee to Colorado was cause for family shame and justified her absence from the article.]

Backtracking to the 1920 US Federal Census, I found George living with his daughter Addie who was widowed following the death of her first husband Eddie Moore. In an encouraging sign that I had indeed found my ancestor, George's middle initial was enumerated as F!

1920 Vermont census with George F. Jarvis living with daughter Addie

A decade later, the 1930 census enumeration revealed that the middle initial changed from F to P. I'm unclear on what prompted the change.

Nonetheless, I'm content just knowing what happened to George, my Québécois ancestor. He can keep his middle name mystery...for now.

A couple items for continued research include finding George's 1933 Vermont death certificate (he's not surfacing in any of the digitized collections on FamilySearch or Ancestry nor in Vermont's online death record index). Why would that be? Perhaps he's in the system under an incorrect surname spelling.

I am also intrigued by the 1920 census indication that George became a naturalized US citizen in 1910. I would like to try and find his naturalization records. Perhaps they hold clues to George's middle name swap.