Individual Details
Jacques James Allison
(1797 - )
The following is extracted and translated from an unidentified French-Canadian newspaper article "MEMOIRES D' UN OCTAGENAIRE"(Memories of an Octagenarian), all rights reserved, by Alfred Desilets,a distinguished lawyer, born February 11,1841 in Nicolet and died February 13, 1921 in Trois Rivieres. The memoires were written in the last year of his life at the request of family and friends. Mr Desilets' memoires contain several interesting anecdotes centered in the areas of Trois-Rivieres, Saint-Gregoire and Nicolet.
One summer day in 1815 two young sailors, one 18 years old, the other 20, came to a land grant farmer in Saint Gregoire. Vigorous, strong and intelligent they told him they wanted to work on a farm. The farmer wanted to know where they came from. They told him the following:
Charles and James were the sons of Abraham Allison and Helen Wilcox. They remembered living near the sea coast near London when they were very young. One day, when Charles was 10 and James was 8, they were playing on the beach when they noticed a ship anchored not far from shore, and closer to them a barge approaching the beach. Curious, impressed and imprudent, the youths ran to watch the sailors land. Disaster struck! In less time than it takes to tell about it, the boys were grabbed by these sea wolves and covered, one after the other very quickly. Their piercing cries and calls for help were heard by their mother who was doing house work in their cottage. Seeing her sons being abducted, she cried out for help, then began to mourn and finally gave up hope.....Because the captors were relentless and thought only of getting away. The deed was done. Years of misery awaited these children who would become cabin-boys, and their mother would never see them again.
For 10 years they were galley slaves. The memory of their abduction and their mother's crying and despair were so vivid in their memory that their faces were permanently etched with great sorrow.
The ship traveled to Africa, South America, everywhere in the world, except England. One night while the ship was anchored at Pointe-Levis near Quebec, the two brothers took advantage of a lapse in surveillance and slipped quietly into the river; avoiding the ships`cables they made their way to shore. To avoid being recaptured, once the alarm of their escape was sounded, they walked inland all night, which was dAngerous.
After several days of walking they were 30 leagues (about 70 miles) from Levis.
The good character of the young Allisons earned them a lot of sympathy and understanding. Charles and James Allison were soon able to obtain land of their own to farm. But to clear and farm new land, nothing is as valuable as a skillful housekeeper. So we note that on November 27, 1818 Charles Allison married Marguerite, the youngest daughter of Andre Dorion and Marguerite Girard, and took her to his house. The baptism of their first child, Marie- Zoe was entered on the parish register on May 21, 1816. This list would continue until June 24, 1834. On that date, twin daughters, Sophie and Marie-Dina received the sacrament of baptism.
Meanwhile, James (who became known as Jacques) was not inactive. He chose as a wife, Marie-Josephe, the daughter of Jean Beliveau, an Acadien, born in Port-Royal in 1755; Jean Beliveau married Marguerite Morin in 1780 at Becancour.
The father, Jean Beliveau, lived in Roctaille where his neighbors were Etienne Hebert to the northeast and Basile Leblanc to the southwest. Marie-Josephe, the tenth of eleven children was baptized in Nicolet on October 22, 1795. Her marriage to James Allison took place on November 16, 1817 in Saint-Gregoire.
After a mourning period of two years, James was married again on May 2, 1823 to Marguerite, daughter of Michel Houde and Marie Helie.
One summer day in 1815 two young sailors, one 18 years old, the other 20, came to a land grant farmer in Saint Gregoire. Vigorous, strong and intelligent they told him they wanted to work on a farm. The farmer wanted to know where they came from. They told him the following:
Charles and James were the sons of Abraham Allison and Helen Wilcox. They remembered living near the sea coast near London when they were very young. One day, when Charles was 10 and James was 8, they were playing on the beach when they noticed a ship anchored not far from shore, and closer to them a barge approaching the beach. Curious, impressed and imprudent, the youths ran to watch the sailors land. Disaster struck! In less time than it takes to tell about it, the boys were grabbed by these sea wolves and covered, one after the other very quickly. Their piercing cries and calls for help were heard by their mother who was doing house work in their cottage. Seeing her sons being abducted, she cried out for help, then began to mourn and finally gave up hope.....Because the captors were relentless and thought only of getting away. The deed was done. Years of misery awaited these children who would become cabin-boys, and their mother would never see them again.
For 10 years they were galley slaves. The memory of their abduction and their mother's crying and despair were so vivid in their memory that their faces were permanently etched with great sorrow.
The ship traveled to Africa, South America, everywhere in the world, except England. One night while the ship was anchored at Pointe-Levis near Quebec, the two brothers took advantage of a lapse in surveillance and slipped quietly into the river; avoiding the ships`cables they made their way to shore. To avoid being recaptured, once the alarm of their escape was sounded, they walked inland all night, which was dAngerous.
After several days of walking they were 30 leagues (about 70 miles) from Levis.
The good character of the young Allisons earned them a lot of sympathy and understanding. Charles and James Allison were soon able to obtain land of their own to farm. But to clear and farm new land, nothing is as valuable as a skillful housekeeper. So we note that on November 27, 1818 Charles Allison married Marguerite, the youngest daughter of Andre Dorion and Marguerite Girard, and took her to his house. The baptism of their first child, Marie- Zoe was entered on the parish register on May 21, 1816. This list would continue until June 24, 1834. On that date, twin daughters, Sophie and Marie-Dina received the sacrament of baptism.
Meanwhile, James (who became known as Jacques) was not inactive. He chose as a wife, Marie-Josephe, the daughter of Jean Beliveau, an Acadien, born in Port-Royal in 1755; Jean Beliveau married Marguerite Morin in 1780 at Becancour.
The father, Jean Beliveau, lived in Roctaille where his neighbors were Etienne Hebert to the northeast and Basile Leblanc to the southwest. Marie-Josephe, the tenth of eleven children was baptized in Nicolet on October 22, 1795. Her marriage to James Allison took place on November 16, 1817 in Saint-Gregoire.
After a mourning period of two years, James was married again on May 2, 1823 to Marguerite, daughter of Michel Houde and Marie Helie.
Events
| Birth | 1797 | London, England, United Kingdom |  | ||
| Marriage | 16 Nov 1817 | Saint-Grégoire-le-Grand, Lower Canada, British North America - Marie-Josephte Béliveau | | ||
| Marriage | 2 May 1823 | St-Grégoire-le-Grand, Bécancour, Québec, Canada - Living | | ||
| Reference No | A46 M14 | |
Families
| Spouse | Marie-Josephte Béliveau (1795 - 1821) |
| Child | Mary Léonide Allison (1819 - 1899) |
| Spouse | Living |
| Father | Abraham Allison (1760 - ) |
| Mother | Helene Wilcox (1770 - ) |
Endnotes
1. Diane Lebrun , "Ancestors of Marie St-Hilaire," pp. 1-205; Unpublished family tree, 2025-02-09, Al Perreault, Calgary, AB, Canada.
2. Diane Lebrun , "Ancestors of Marie St-Hilaire," pp. 1-205; Unpublished family tree, 2025-02-09, Al Perreault, Calgary, AB, Canada.
3. Diane Lebrun , "Ancestors of Marie St-Hilaire," pp. 1-205; Unpublished family tree, 2025-02-09, Al Perreault, Calgary, AB, Canada.
4. Diane Lebrun , "Ancestors of Marie St-Hilaire," pp. 1-205; Unpublished family tree, 2025-02-09, Al Perreault, Calgary, AB, Canada.
5. Diane Lebrun , "Ancestors of Albert Jean Joseph Perreault," pp. 1-361; Unpublished family tree, 2024-07-26, Al Perreault, Calgary, AB, Canada.