The Province of Quebec is breathtakingly beautiful. I have been all over the province and I am constantly amazed.
One of my favourite trips was when, in 1982, after we had moved into our first house, we decided to leave all the angst of being a first-time home owner at a young age and go on a road trip. We decided to visit the Gaspé Peninsula. We simply loved our trip. The countryside was stunning and the Gaspésians showed us a warm welcome.
Did your ancestors settle or live on the Gaspé Peninsula? The first European to arrive in the Gaspé was Jacques Cartier when he landed in Gaspé Bay in 1534 to plant a cross and claim the land for the King of France. The Iroquois occupied the area. It is believed that the name Gaspé derives from a Micmac word meaning “land’s end.” 1
When the Gaspé belonged to New France, there were only about 400 fishermen living there. Harvests were plentiful and the coastal high winds were excellent for drying cod. However, James Wolf and his forces attacked the residents in 1758, destroying their homes and possessions and sending them back to France.2
Still, some Gaspesians managed to hide from the authorities and remained on the peninsula until 1763 when it became a British territory. They were joined by Acadians who fled from the British who had implemented a compulsory deportation order for all Acadians in Nova Scotia. In 1784, a significant number of Loyalists, fleeing the American Revolution, settled on the Gaspé Peninsula.3
If your ancestors came from the Gaspé, here are some sites that can help you with your research:
The Quebec Genealogy eSociety has extensive links and resources (requires a membership). Some of the resources include births, marriages, deaths and some census records, and newspapers: https://genquebec.com/en
GoGaspé is a site devoted to the Gaspé Peninsula with a tab that directs you to history and genealogy links and resources. Local Gaspesian genealogists and historians have contributed to this site: https://gogaspe.com/
Jacques Gagné’s compilation about the Channel Islanders on this blog: https://genealogyensemble.com/2016/08/21/the-channel-islanders-of-eastern-quebec/
Jacques Gagné’s tips on researching your Gaspé ancestors on this blog:https://genealogyensemble.com/2019/01/20/tips-on-researching-gaspe-ancestors/
Musée de la Gaspésie: https://museedelagaspesie.ca/en/index.php
Sources for information about settlement of the Gaspé Peninsula.
- The Canadian Encyclopedia, Lee, David, 7 February 2006, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/gaspe-peninsula#:~:text=In%201784%20about%20400%20English,dependence%20on%20the%20fishing%20industry, accessed 11 February 2025
- The Canadian Encyclopedia, Lee, David, 7 February 2006, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/gaspe-peninsula#:~:text=In%201784%20about%20400%20English,dependence%20on%20the%20fishing%20industry, accessed 12 February 2012
- The Canadian Encyclopedia, Lee, David, 7 February 2006, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/gaspe-peninsula#:~:text=In%201784%20about%20400%20English,dependence%20on%20the%20fishing%20industry, accessed 12 February 2012
Genealogy Ensemble 