Our Ancestral Line

Albert Farly - born at Fort Michilimackinac on August 2, 1755. A copy of his birth certificate can be seen here. Click here to download a translation. His parents were the famed Voyageur, Jacques Philippe, and the beautiful Josette. He was baptised by Father LeFranc. Albert married Marie-Joseph Desery-Latour on February 13, 1775 PRDH 213426, and they had 9 children. Albert was 19 and Marie-Joseph was 22. Their children were: Albert Farly (1776-1777), Philippe Albert Farly (1777-1777), Pierre Albert (1779-1858), Marie Josette (1780-1780), Francois Amable (1781-1863), Marie-Elizabeth (1783-1798), Jean-Baptiste (1784), Marie-Josephte (1788-1788) and Sophie (1791).

Pierre Albert Farly, born January 14, 1799, was the second child holding that name in his family. An older brother, Pierre Albert, was born in 1776 but he died in 1777. It was a common practice then to name a child the same name as an older sibling who had died. Albert married Marie-Celeste Masson (1785-1823) on November 26, 1804, at the Parish of the Visitation, Ils du Pas (see marriage certificate)). Albert was a farmer, and witnesses at the wedding were Albert Farly, father of the groom, Francois Farly, brother of the groom, Jean Francois Mercure Lehame, Michel Macon, brother of the bride, Joseph Brisset, uncle. Also attending the wedding were A.N. Farly and I. Mercure. The priest who married them was Father Martes. Albert and Marie-Celeste had 12 children. Marie-Celeste died in 1923, and Albert married Elizabeth Coitou St. Jean the next year. They had a further 6 children.

Albert's & Marie-Celeste's children: Genevieve, Albert Oliviere, Francois Xavier, Adelaide, Hyacinthe, Genevieve, Pierre, Joseph, Isidore, Amable, Julie, and Marguerite.

Albert's and Elizabeth's children: Zoe, Pierre Albert, Leon, Lucie, Olive, Isidore.

Francois Xavier Farly - born 1808 (father of Adelme Farly) and Amable Farly - born 1817 (father of Denise Farly). Francois and Amable were brothers.

Francois Xavier Farly - born 1808; father of Adelme (Adam) Farly. Francois was married to Emelie Denomme. He had been previously married to Adelaide Dupuis, deceased, from St. Barthelemy. Emelie's parents were Charles Denomme and Elizabeth Savignac, of St. Barthelemy. According to the 1861 Quebec Census, Francois and Emelie lived at St. Barthelemy, and they had 5 children, Emelie, Francois, Adam, Louise and Olivier.

Amable Farly - born 1817; father of Denise Farly. Amable was married to Marie Forcier on January 30, 1844, at St. Pierre, Sorel, County Richelieu, Quebec. Amable's father, Albert, was a captain in the militia, and his mother, Celeste Macon, was deceased. Marie was the daughter of Joseph Forcier and the deceased Catherine Desorcy. Witnesses at Amable's wedding were his brother, Albert, Pierre Forcier, and Hyacinthe Farly. Others attending the wedding were M. Guineer, Emelie Denomme, and Francois Farly. In the Quebec 1861 Census, Amable and Marie had 9 children listed: Denise, Francois, Leon, Olivier, Isidore, Emilie, Odile, Elanina, and Marie Louise. Denise, the eldest, was born at Isle du Pas, and Francois, Leon and Olivier were born at St. Cuthbert, Quebec.

Denise Farly

Denise Farly was born on July 19, 1847 at Isle du Pas, Berthier Country, Quebec. Her parents were Amable Farly and Marie Forcier.

Denise was married to Julius Boucher on August 9, 1864, at St. Amboise de Kildare, Quebec. Among the attendants (and witnesses) at their marriage ceremony were Joseph Roy, Odilon Bolduc, Clement Farly, Emelina Boucher, and Leocadie Farly and their wives.

Denise and Julius were said to have had 14 children. Eight children were born in Canada, at St. Gabriel de Brandon - Joseph, Israel, Marie Louise, Ulric, Mathilda, Zenon, Marianne, and Regina. Four were born in the United States in the Crookston area of Minnesota - Amelia, Edmond, Wilfred and Rene. Two are missing and they perhaps died as infants.

Julius and Denise emigrated to the United States on December 7, 1882, entering through Port Huron. They settled on a farm in Lowell Township, Minnesota.

Among the children of Julius and Denise was my great grandfather, Joseph Boucher, born in 1865, who married Julia Farly, daughter of Adam Farly and Valerie Allard.

According to the 1920 Minnesota Census, Denise and Julius lived in the same house as Mathilda, their daughter, and her family. Mathilda was listed as the head of her family, so she must have been a widow. Julius passed away, after which time Denise continued to live with her daughter, Mathilda, at 52 Hurlbert, Crookston, until her death in 1935. In the 1930 Minnesota Census, both Denise and Mathilda are listed as widows, with Mathilda speaking English and French, but Denise speaking only French.

A detailed account of this family can be found at  the French Connection.

Adelme (Adam) Farly

Adam Farly was born in 1848 at St. Bartholemy, Quebec. His parents were Francois Xavier Farly and Emelie Denomme, who were married on October 5, 1838. Francois was a blacksmith. It was Francois' second marriage - he had previously been married to Adelaide Dupuis, who had died. Francois and Emelie raised at least six children (up to the 1861 Quebec Census). The oldest, Julie Farly, was probably the daughter of Francois' first wife because she was born in 1838, the year that Francois and Emelie married.

Adam was married to Valerie Allard on June 23, 1868. Valerie was descended from Jeanne Anguille, one of the many "Filles du Roi" ancestors in our family. She was born on March 6, 1849, in St. Cuthbert. Her parents were Olivier Alard and Eloise Dumontier. Adam and Valerie began their married life in Quebec.

Adam decided to move the family to Ontario in 1870. He acquired land near Belle River, Ontario, where my great grandmother, Julia, was born. His farm, at Rochester, Essex County, was located very close to the Ruscom River and the Canada Southern Railway. This was all farming country then, but has now been developed as a suburb of or bedroom community near Windsor, Ontario.

Adam farmed in Ontario for a few years, then decided to take advantage of the homestead opportunities offered in Minnesota. In 1882, he settled on a tree claim in Polk County, which was still wild country. There were still quite a few Indians living in the area at the time, and it was common for the Farley's to look up and find Indian faces staring back at them through their windows. Valerie was a convent-raised girl, so this was quite an adjustment for her. After about a year of living in that little house on the tree claim, Adam purchased a more developed farm that had a newer and larger home. It had water, a feeding system, and storage for hay in the barn. The barn held 20 horses, several cows, colts and calves. Adam eventually purchased a grain elevator, which later burned down. After the elevator burned down, Adam, disheartened, turned everything he owned over to his son, Joe, and moved east. The job of raising Adam's children fell to Joe, although Adam did come back later and visit.

Adam and Valerie had 10 children, Zenon (1870), Joseph (1871), Laura (1872), Emilie (1873), Edmond (1874), Florida (1876), Julia (1878) and Francis (1881). There was a three-year gap between Julia and Francis, so it is assumed Adam was away working in the gold fields, according to the old family stories, or in the U.S. looking for homestead opportunities. The family moved to Minnesota, after which Cordelia (1882) and Eugenie Mary (1883) were born. Valerie died 4 months after Eugenie was born on March 3, 1884, and Eugenie died 2 months later.

Adam married Anasthasie (Alice) Prudhomme in January 1885. They had 3 children, Albert (1885), Cora Anne (1887), and Treffle Wilfred (1889), then Alice died on March 8, 1891, as a result of childbirth with her 4th child, Edward, who also died 7 months later.

Adam eventually moved to Yakima, Washington, where his son lived. He died there in 1917.

An interesting account of the "Filles du Roi" can be found by going to Filles du Roi.