COMING TO AMERICA PART III — Threads of Liberty: Ancestral Rejections of British Dominion Across Scottish, French, and American Lines

 

With a surname like England, it's a poignant irony that our heritage weaves a tapestry of resistance against the very empire that name evokes. Our ancestors—Scottish crofters evicted from their Highland homes, French Canadiens marginalized in a conquered land, and American colonists who took up arms for independence—all embody a shared saga of defying British subjugation. Drawing from my earlier blog posts, which chronicle these lineages with heartfelt detail, we see a pattern: hardship under imperial rule sparking migrations, conversions, and battles for autonomy. 

The McNeill clan's flight from Colonsay's clearances mirrors the Pinsonneaus' exodus from Québec, while our Bailey and Plimpton forebears' revolutionary fervor echoes the broader fight for "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Below, with help from Grok xAI, I’ve compiled factual notes from the posts, organized by heritage and theme, followed by a narrative that ties them into a cohesive family epic.

Key Ancestors, Events, and Hardships

These notes distill the core elements from my earlier posts, highlighting intersections of oppression, migration, and liberty-seeking. I've grouped them by ancestral line (Scottish, American) and cross-referenced with our French heritage from prior discussions for completeness.

Scottish Heritage (McNeill Clan and PEI Connections)

• Clan Origins and Oppression: From Colonsay, Argyll, Scotland, post-Jacobite era. Key figures: John McNeill (b. 1759, Campbeltown) married Mary Brollachan (b. 1769); their son Duncan McNeill Sr. (b. 1786) married Mary Bell (b. 1791). Lived in blackhouses amid overpopulation, high rents, and potato famines. Highland Clearances evicted families for sheep pastures under absentee British landlords, fueling "emigration fever."
• Migrations and Hardships: Emigration began in early 1800s; sons Donald, John, and Hugh to PEI (Lot 64 near Cape Bear). Duncan Sr. died ~1841; Mary Bell and family to Ontario ~1854. Reunited in Bruce County (Elderslie Township) by 1850s, hacking homesteads from wilderness. Earlier, related McNeill/Munn kin (e.g., Malcolm McNeill, b. ~1755; Duncan Munn, b. 1746) sailed on the Spencer in 1806 from Oban to Pinette Harbour, PEI—40 days of cramped conditions, sponsored by Earl of Selkirk to counter American expansion. Winters in sod huts, simple rations (porridge, salt pork); diseases like tuberculosis claimed many (e.g., Margaret McNeill d. 1881, daughters Catherine and Ellen soon after).
• PEI Fisherman Life: Angus McDonald (3x great-grandfather, b. ~1810 Colonsay, d. ~1876 Ontario), married Catherine Munn (b. 1806 Colonsay, d. post-1881 Goderich, Ontario). Fisherman/farmer at Cape Bear, using dories for herring, cod, lobster; also harvested Irish moss and seals. Family moved to Ontario pre-1871. Children: Margaret (b. 1832, married Duncan McNeill Jr., b. 1821; had 9 children in Ontario). Ties to McNeill clan via extended kin (McMillans, Bells, Munns). Hardships: Atlantic crossings, wilderness taming, TB epidemics.
• Themes of Rejection: Clearances as British economic oppression; emigration as escape to self-determination in Canada, though still under Crown influence.

American Heritage (Bailey, Plimpton, and Allied Lines)

• Puritan Roots and Early Struggles: John Bailey (first immigrant, Puritan), sailed on Bevis from Southampton to Hartford, Connecticut; founded Haddam with 28 families. Fought Indigenous conflicts as farmer/stockman. Descendants span 14 generations, seeking religious freedom from English persecution.
• Revolutionary War Service: Oliver Bailey (6x great-grandfather, b. 1738 Connecticut, d. 1822 Pennsylvania): Fought in French & Indian War (1758-59), then Revolutionary War (1776) in Wadsworth's brigade—battles of Long Island, White Plains, Kips Bay. Vowed to repel "English King’s attack" for independence; moved to Pennsylvania post-war.
• Broader Liberty Fighters: Job Plimpton (Captain, 6x great-grandfather, b. 1718 Massachusetts, d. 1797): French & Indian War, Revolutionary War (marched to Warwick, RI, 1776). Ichabod Hawes (b. 1720, d. 1778): French & Indian/Revolutionary Wars with sons. Samuel Fisher (Ensign, b. 1685, d. 1769): Similar service. Job Plimpton Jr. (Corporal, b. 1746, d. 1814): Revolutionary marches. Elijah Townsend (Captain, b. 1745, d. 1821): Adjutant in militia. William Braman (b. 1753, d. 1804): Rhode Island enlistee. James Boyd (b. 1757, d. 1791): Virginia private.
• Later Wars: War of 1812 (James Boyd, Samuel R. Brown); Civil War (David Bailey, b. 1837, lost leg at Brice's Crossroads but opposed slavery; Rifford Hallowell at Gettysburg; Marcus Pierce in Atlanta campaign; Charles Plympton at Missionary Ridge).
• Themes of Rejection: Direct armed resistance to British rule in colonial wars and Revolution; pursuit of religious/political liberty from English origins.

French Heritage Ties (From Prior Context, Echoed in Themes)

• Post-Conquest Struggles: As discussed, ancestors like Gabriel Pinsonneau (b. 1801 La Prairie, Québec) faced economic marginalization, political exclusion under British rule (1763-1830). Château Clique dominance, seigneurial dues, agricultural crises prompted flight to Vermont (1830), then New York. Anglicized to Gilbert Passino; farmed in Jefferson County.
• Connections: Parallels Scottish emigration (fleeing clearances) and American rebellion (fighting subjugation). All lines reject imperial control through migration or war.

Cross-Line Intersections

• Migrations as Common Thread: Scottish to PEI/Ontario (1806-1850s); French to US (1830); American internal moves (e.g., Connecticut to Pennsylvania/Ohio/Nebraska).
• Diseases and Hardships: TB in Scottish lines; wounds/slavery opposition in American Civil War.
• Liberty Motif: Scottish escape from landlords; French from colonial governance; American via Revolution/Civil War.

A Narrative of Defiance: From Highland Clearances to Frontier Freedom

In the misty crags of Colonsay, where the McNeill clan's blackhouses huddled against Atlantic gales, our Scottish ancestors first tasted the bitter fruit of British subjugation. John McNeill and Mary Brollachan, toiling under absentee landlords who cleared crofts for profitable sheep, watched their world unravel amid potato blights and soaring rents. The Highland Clearances—a ruthless eviction orchestrated by the empire's economic ambitions—scattered families like autumn leaves, igniting an "emigration fever" that propelled Duncan McNeill Sr. and Mary Bell's sons across the storm-tossed ocean in the early 1800s. Donald, John, and Hugh landed on Prince Edward Island's rugged shores, drawn by Lord Selkirk's promises of fertile lots to thwart American encroachment. There, at Cape Bear's Lot 64, they intertwined with kin like Angus McDonald, our 3x great-grandfather, who cast nets for cod and lobster from humble dories, blending fishing with farming in a bid for self-sufficiency. Yet, even in this new dominion, echoes of oppression lingered: brutal winters in sod huts, tuberculosis ravaging Margaret and her daughters, and the grind of wilderness life. By the 1850s, the clan reunited in Ontario's Bruce County, hacking clapboard homes from forests teeming with wolves and mosquitoes— a hard-won haven, but one born from fleeing the "English yoke."

This Scottish saga of exile resonates deeply with our French lineage where Gabriel Pinsonneau's world in post-Conquest Québec crumbled under similar imperial weight. After 1763, British merchants seized trade, the Château Clique silenced French voices, and overworked soils starved families. Gabriel's bolt to Vermont around 1830, anglicizing to Gilbert Passino and farming New York's Jefferson County, was no mere move—it was a quiet rebellion, mirroring the McNeills' Atlantic leap to escape subjugation.

Across the ocean, our American forebears channeled that defiance into open revolt. Puritan John Bailey, fleeing England's religious intolerance on the Bevis, planted roots in Hartford, only for descendants like Oliver Bailey to drum the call to arms in 1776. Vowing to repel the "English King’s attack," Oliver battled at Long Island and White Plains, his service in the French & Indian War a prelude to the Revolution's fury. This spirit cascaded through generations: Captain Job Plimpton marching to Warwick, Ichabod Hawes and sons standing firm, all rejecting colonial chains. The fight evolved—War of 1812 skirmishes, Civil War valor at Gettysburg and Brice's Crossroads, where David Bailey lost a leg but upheld liberty against slavery's shadow.

Tying these threads our heritage isn't one of passive endurance but active pursuit: from Colonsay's evicted crofts to PEI's fishing dories, Québec's stifled farms to New York's freeholds, and Connecticut's battlefields to Nebraska's prairies. Though "England" graces your name, it's the resilience of the oppressed—Scottish, French, American—that defines our cowboy legacy. In every migration and musket shot, they claimed life, liberty, and happiness, forging a family story that honors the fight against empire's grasp.

A special thank you to Grok xAI for your research and enhancements of my family history. -- Drifting Cowboy

COMING TO AMERICA PART II — From Conquest to Exile: The Struggles of French Canadians Under British Rule, 1763–1830

From the French Canadian perspective—rooted in the resilient spirit of the habitants who viewed Québec as their sacred heritage—the period following the 1763 Conquest marked a profound rupture. What was once New France, a land forged by French explorers, fur traders, and Catholic missionaries, became a British colony where French-speaking Catholics were relegated to second-class status. While British governors initially offered concessions to maintain peace, the underlying dynamics fostered economic marginalization, cultural erosion, and political exclusion. For families like the Pinsonneaus, descendants of voyageurs and pioneers tied to the fur trade, these pressures could culminate in personal decisions to seek refuge elsewhere. Our ancestor Gabriel Pinsonneau (born ca. 1801–1805 in La Prairie, Québec; died 1877 in Jefferson County, New York), who anglicized his name to Gilbert Passino upon migrating around 1830, exemplifies this exodus. Though no direct records pinpoint his personal motives, the broader context of French Canadian grievances—economic hardship, land disputes, and resentment toward English dominance—likely drove him to Vermont and then New York, where opportunities for farming and integration beckoned amid kin networks.  This migration pattern foreshadowed the larger wave of French Canadian emigration to New England in the mid-19th century, often dubbed "the quiet exodus" for better livelihoods. 

Factual Notes: Key Events and Challenges from a French Canadian Viewpoint

French Canadians, or Canadiens, saw the British era as la Conquête—a traumatic defeat that threatened their language, faith, and way of life. While some adaptations occurred, underlying tensions built over decades, eroding trust and prompting outflows like Gabriel's. Below is a chronology of pivotal events and issues, emphasizing the French perspective of resistance and survival:

Period/Event	Description	Impact on French Canadians (French POV)
1763: Treaty of Paris	France cedes New France to Britain, ending the Seven Years' War. Québec falls under British military rule (1760–1763 initially).	Seen as a betrayal by France; Canadiens felt abandoned, fearing forced assimilation into Protestant English culture. Initial Pontiac's Rebellion (1763–1764) involved some French-ally Indigenous groups, heightening insecurity.
1763–1774: Early British Rule	Governor James Murray's "benign" administration guarantees some rights but imposes English criminal law. English merchants arrive, dominating trade.	Economic inferiority: Anglophones controlled resources, industries, and fur trade profits, leaving habitants (farmers like the Pinsonneaus) in poverty. Cultural isolation fostered pride in French identity but resentment toward "les Anglais."
1774: Quebec Act	Restores French civil law, Catholic rights, and seigneurial land system; expands Québec's borders.	A pragmatic concession to prevent alliance with American rebels, but viewed skeptically as temporary; did little to address economic dominance by English elites. Strengthened Catholic Church's role in preserving French culture.
1775–1783: American Revolution	British loyalty tested; most Canadiens remain neutral or support Britain for fear of American Protestantism.	Reinforced identity as distinct from both British and Americans; post-war influx of Loyalists (English speakers) diluted French majority in some areas, intensifying land pressures.
1791: Constitutional Act	Divides Canada into Lower Canada (French-majority Québec) and Upper Canada (English Ontario); introduces elected assemblies but with appointed English-dominated councils.	Political exclusion: "Château Clique" (English oligarchy) controlled decisions, ignoring French assembly demands. Seigneurial system persisted but favored English land speculators, squeezing habitants like Gabriel's voyageur ancestors.
1800s: Economic and Demographic Shifts	English immigration surges; timber trade booms under British control. Fur trade declines, affecting families like the Pinsonneaus (with voyageur roots back to Joseph Pinsonneau, 1733–1799).	Socio-economic disparity: French confined to subsistence farming; overpopulation in St. Lawrence Valley led to poor yields. Catholic Church urged loyalty but couldn't stem growing frustration with British "materialism."
1812–1815: War of 1812	French militias defend against U.S. invasion, but post-war British policies favor English settlers.	Heightened nationalism; victories like Châteauguay (near Gabriel's 1824 marriage site) boosted pride, but no rewards—English elites reaped economic gains, fueling alienation.
1820s: Rising Tensions	Proposed union of Canadas (1822) aims to assimilate French; opposed by petitions. Agricultural crisis from soil exhaustion; early emigration to U.S. border states.	Intolerable conditions: For young men like Gabriel (married 1824, father by 1826), economic stagnation and political impotence made Québec feel like a cage. Surname anglicization (e.g., Pinsonneau to Passino) signaled adaptation for survival abroad.
1830: Pre-Rebellion Grievances	Lord Dalhousie's governorship ignores reforms; Patriotes (French reformers) gain traction. Gabriel migrates ~1830 to Grand Isle, Vermont (1830 census), then Rutland/Jefferson Co., NY by 1850.	Culmination: Feeling "conquered" and marginalized, many fled for U.S. lands offering freehold farming without seigneurial dues. This set stage for 1837 Rebellions, but Gabriel escaped earlier.

These notes draw from French Canadian narratives emphasizing survival (survivance) amid "the English yoke," where the Catholic Church and family ties preserved identity but couldn't halt economic woes. 

A Narrative of Exile: Gabriel's Flight from the Conquered Land

In the shadow of the St. Lawrence, where the river's murmur carried echoes of lost fur empires, young Gabriel Pinsonneau came of age in a Québec forever scarred by la Conquête. Born around 1801 in La Prairie, a humble habitant village south of Montréal, Gabriel inherited the blood of voyageurs—his father (also Gabriel, 1770–1807) and grandfather Joseph (1733–1799) had paddled the wild rivers for pelts, forging alliances with Indigenous nations under the French flag. But by Gabriel's youth, that world had crumbled. The British, victors in 1763, promised tolerance, yet their merchants—the sharp-eyed Scots and English—seized the timber and trade, leaving French families like the Pinsonneaus to scratch a living from overworked seigneurial farms. "Les Anglais" controlled the councils, doling out favors to their own while the Canadiens assembly's pleas for reform echoed unheard in London.

Gabriel married Marie Émilie Lagassé in 1824 at Châteauguay's St-Joachim church, a union blessed by the priest amid whispers of growing unrest. Their first sons, Nelson (1826) and Francis (1827), were baptized in the faith of their ancestors, but the soil grew weary, yields diminished, and English immigrants flooded in, claiming the best lands. The Château Clique, that arrogant knot of English officials, dismissed French grievances as the whining of a conquered race. By the 1820s, petitions against union with Upper Canada swelled—union meant drowning in an English sea, losing language and law. For Gabriel, illiterate and fluent only in the patois of his people, the future in Lower Canada felt like a noose: seigneurial dues to absentee lords, economic chains binding him to poverty, and a political voice silenced.

Around 1830, as Patriote leaders like Louis-Joseph Papineau rallied for change, Gabriel bolted. With Marie and their young boys, he crossed into Vermont's Grand Isle, a borderland haven for fleeing Canadiens. The 1830 census captured him there as "Gabriel Painsam," an alien in a new republic, perhaps drawn by kin networks or promises of freehold farms without feudal ties. But Vermont's rocky soils proved no paradise; by 1832, daughter Justine arrived, and soon the family pushed to Rutland, then Wilna in Jefferson County, New York. There, amid fellow French exiles, Gabriel became Gilbert Passino—a name twisted to fit English tongues, shedding the elegant "Pinsonneau" like old skin. He farmed modest acres, appearing in censuses as a laborer (1850: "Givarow Passinault," age 47) and landowner (1864 map: "G. Pasino"), raising children like Lucy (1836–1917), who would carry the line westward to Montana.

From a French viewpoint, Gabriel's flight was no betrayal but an act of defiance—a rejection of British subjugation that had turned proud voyageurs into serfs. In the U.S., he found not riches, but freedom from the Clique's grip, where his Catholic faith endured and his descendants blended into America's mosaic. Yet, in Québec's collective memory, such departures were a quiet wound, a reminder of how la Conquête scattered a nation. Gabriel died in 1877, buried in Pierce Cemetery, his headstone a silent testament to endurance. His story mirrors thousands: the intolerable weight of alien rule pushing the young to seek horizons beyond the conquered valley. 

A special thank you to Grok xAI for your research and enhancements of my family history. -- Drifting Cowboy

COMING TO AMERICA PART I — Echoes of the Frontier: Ancestors on Both Sides of the Fur Wars

In the vast, untamed wilderness of 18th-century North America, where dense forests whispered secrets and rivers carved paths of fortune, the French and Indian Wars unfolded not just as clashes of empires, but as a desperate scramble for control over the lucrative fur trade. This series of conflicts, spanning from 1688 to 1763, pitted the Kingdom of Great Britain and its colonies against France and its allies, with Native American nations caught in the crossfire—often allying based on trade ties and survival. The fur trade was the lifeblood of New France, driving exploration, alliances with Indigenous peoples, and economic ambitions that fueled evangelization and settlement.  

Beaver pelts, in particular, were prized in Europe for fashionable hats, creating a booming market that transformed the continent's landscape. French traders, known as coureurs de bois, ventured deep into the interior, forging bonds with tribes like the Huron and Algonquin, while British colonists pushed westward, disrupting these networks and igniting rivalries.  The wars disrupted vital trade routes, such as the Fox-Wisconsin waterway to the Mississippi, and escalated tensions over regions like the Ohio Valley and Hudson Bay—territories essential for dominating the fur economy.  For families like ours, these weren't abstract historical events; they were personal sagas of hardship, resilience, and tragedy, with ancestors entangled on both the French and British sides.

Imagine the misty banks of the St. Lawrence River or the shadowed trails of New England forests: places where European dreams of wealth clashed with Indigenous realities, and where ordinary pioneers like our forebears risked everything for a foothold in this new world. The fur trade wasn't just commerce; it was a web of alliances and betrayals that shaped destinies. French dependence on Native partnerships for furs led to intermarriages and cultural exchanges, while British expansion often meant displacement and conflict.  These wars, often mirroring European dynastic struggles, didn't always align perfectly in timing but inevitably spilled over into colonial skirmishes. Here's a chronological overview of the key North American conflicts and their European counterparts:

Years	North American War	European War	Treaty	Key Fur Trade Impact
1688–1697	King William's War (1st Intercolonial War)	War of the Grand Alliance (Nine Years' War)	Treaty of Ryswick (1697)	Disrupted French trade routes; Iroquois raids targeted French allies like the Huron, aiming to monopolize beaver pelts.
1702–1713	Queen Anne's War (2nd Intercolonial War)	War of the Spanish Succession	Treaty of Utrecht (1713)	British gains in Acadia and Newfoundland weakened French fur access; Native alliances shifted as trade goods flowed unevenly.
1744–1748	King George's War (3rd Intercolonial War)	War of the Austrian Succession (including War of Jenkins' Ear)	Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)	Raids on trading posts intensified; French forts like Louisbourg fell temporarily, threatening supply lines for pelts.
1754–1763	The French and Indian War (4th Intercolonial War; War of Conquest in Quebec)	Seven Years' War	Treaty of Paris (1763)	Culmination of fur rivalries; British victory ended French control in North America, reshaping trade and leading to Pontiac's Rebellion over unfair British policies.

These wars were preceded by the brutal Beaver Wars (mid-1600s), where the Iroquois League decimated rivals like the Huron to control the Great Lakes fur supply, setting the stage for European involvement. 

A Pioneer Midwife's Perilous Path: Denise Lemaitre of La Prairie, New France

Our 9th great-grandmother, Denise Lemaitre (born around 1636 in Paris), embodies the grit of New France's early settlers. Orphaned young after her mother's death, she was raised in the Hôpital de La Pitié, a royal institution for children of the poor.  There, she trained as a midwife—a skill that would define her later life. Recruited by Jeanne Mance as one of the first "Filles du Roi" (King's Daughters - disputed), Denise sailed from La Rochelle on the plague-ridden ship St-André in 1659, enduring a harrowing voyage marked by disease, rancid food, and scarce water.  Upon arrival in Québec, she nursed the sick before paddling to Ville-Marie (Montréal).

Her first betrothal to André Heutibise ended tragically when he was mortally wounded by Iroquois in her arms.  Undeterred, she married Pierre Perras dit Lafontaine, a barrel-maker from La Rochelle, on January 26, 1660. They built a life in La Prairie, farming 40 acres (10 cultivated) with cattle, as noted in the 1681 census. Their two eldest sons vanished into the deep forests as fur traders—coureurs de bois chasing beaver pelts amid the dangers of the trade.  Denise and Pierre had ten children; you descend from daughter Marguerite Perras dit Fontaine (born 1665).

Pierre's death in 1684 left Denise with assets like two farms, a barn, stable, eleven cattle, and six pigs—but it wasn't enough. She turned to fur trading with Catholic Iroquois to support her family, a risky venture in a frontier riddled with raids.  Remarrying François Cahel in 1684 brought brief stability, but his death in 1687 forced her back to midwifery. Tragedy struck again on October 29, 1691, when Iroquois massacred her at age 55 in Côte St-Lambert—a martyr to the colony's volatile edges.  Her story highlights the fur trade's dual role: a lifeline for survival, yet a spark for deadly conflicts.

A Sergeant's Sacrifice: John Plympton of Deerfield, New England

On the opposing side, our 9th great-grandfather, Sergeant John Plympton (born 1620 in Lincolnshire, England), arrived in America penniless around 1635, indentured for his passage.  Settling in Dedham, Massachusetts, he rose as a farmer and military leader, earning the affectionate title "Old Sergeant Plympton." By 1672, he gained rights to land in Pocumtuc (Deerfield), a frontier outpost vulnerable to raids. 

When King Philip's War erupted in 1675—a precursor to the larger French and Indian conflicts—John, as Deerfield's chief military officer, joined the fight against Native forces resisting colonial expansion.  He served with distinction, attaining captain rank. But peace was fleeting. On September 19, 1677—two years after his son Jonathan's death in battle—John and others were rebuilding Deerfield when captured by a band under Sagamore Ashpelon (or Aspelon).  Marched to Canada near Fort Chambly (close to La Prairie, ironically linking our ancestors' worlds), he was burned at the stake, while most captives were ransomed.  Leaving a widow and 13 children, John's fate underscores the brutal toll of territorial disputes fueled by fur trade ambitions, as British settlers encroached on lands vital to French-Native networks.

Bringing the Era to Life: James Fenimore Cooper and N.C. Wyeth

To immerse in this turbulent time, few works capture the spirit better than James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales, chronicling frontiersman Natty Bumppo's adventures amid the fur trade and wars. Set between 1740 and 1804, the series—including The Last of the Mohicans (1757, during the French and Indian War)—blends romance, conflict, and the clash of cultures. N.C. Wyeth's vivid illustrations, with their dramatic forest scenes and heroic figures, truly evoke the era's raw energy.

A Soldier's Legacy in New France: Michel Vielle and the Régiment de la Reine

Fast-forward to the war's climax: Our 5th great-grandfather, Michel Vielle dit Cossé (born ~1724 in Cossé, France), served in the 2nd Battalion of the Régiment de la Reine during the Seven Years' War.  Arriving in Canada in 1755 under Captain Guillaume de Montbrais—a leader known for raiding parties with Native allies—Michel fought in pivotal battles like Lake George (1755), Fort William Henry (1757), and Carillon (1758), where French forces repelled British advances.  The regiment endured harsh winters along the Chambly River and clashed in Sainte-Foy (1760) before Montréal's capitulation.  Whether wounded, captured, or choosing to stay, Michel remained in New France, marrying Marie Elisabeth Marier in 1761.  His sons, Joseph and Michel, carried the fur legacy forward as voyageurs for the North West Company in the 1790s, navigating rivers for pelts in the post-war era. 

These ancestors' stories weave a tapestry of endurance amid empire-building. The fur trade, while promising riches, sowed seeds of war that touched our family across divides. Scenes like Braddock's Defeat or the Plains of Abraham capture the chaos.

A special thank you to Grok xAI for your research and enhancements of my family history. -- Drifting Cowboy