The eldest of the Arceneaux�s that has thus far been located, is Pierre Arsenault, who was born in 1646, probably in Rochfort, France.  He left France on the ship, �Oranger,� sailing from the port of Rochfort, France.  He arrived in Port Royal, New Brunswick, Canada in 1671.  Pierre is not shown on the 1671 census of Acadia, and thus must have arrived after the census was taken.  He is also not shown on the 1678 censu, He relocated to the Bourgeois Colony, which later became the part of the village of Beaubassin (now called Amhearst),  New Brunswick in about 1672 and died there around 1710.

Pierre married a Marguerite Dugas, daughter of Abraham Dugas and Marguerite Doucet around 1675.  After Marguerite died, he married Marie Guerin, daughter of Francois Gerin and Anne Blanchard.  Pierre and his wife, Marie Guerin, are shown on the 1686 census of Acadian as living in Port Royal.  Pierre is shown as 40 years of age, Marie as 24.  Their children are shown as Pierre, age 10, and Abraham, age 8.  Also, this census indicates under the Beaubassin listings, �Arsenault, who resides in Port Royal lowns in the seigneurie of Beaubassin: 1 gun, 30 arpents, 8 cattle, 4 sheep, 6 hogs.�

Jacques Bourgeois (who is noted as the founder of Beaubassin), is said to have hired Pierre as a boat pilot when he arrived in Acadia.  Pierre helped Jacques to found the Bourgeois Colony (Beaubassin).  Jacques also continued to live in Port Royal after the village of Beaubassin was formed.

By 1693, Pierre has started to live on his land in Beaubassin with his wife, Marie.  They are listed on the 1693 census as, Pierre, age 43, Marie age 30 and were living with their children, Pierre 16, Abraham 14, Charles 3, Jacques 1.  However, the census shows that the land they owned in Beaubassin had been reduced to 8 arpents by the time of this census.

By 1698, Pierre had again increased his land ownings in Beaubassin, to 21 arpents.  He is listed in the 1698 census as 48 years old, living with his wife Marie, age 36, and his children Abraham, Charles, Jacques, Frencois, and Anne.  His son Pierre, age 22, is also listed in this same census with his wife, Anne Boudrot age 21.

Pierre�s son, Pierre (II), explored the coasts of New Brunswick and Gaspe in 1715, and his report to the authorities in Annapolis Royal is a major document of the history of the province of New Brunswick, Canada.

In 1700, Pierre is listed in the 1700 census as being 50 years old, and living with his wife, Marie, age 38, and his children, Abraham, Charles, Jacques, Francois, and Claude.  His son Pierre, is also listed with his wife, Anne Boudrot, and one child, Pierre, age 2.

The 1701 census lists both father and son still living in Beaubassin with their wives and children, as does the 1703 census.  However, by this time, Pierre, the elder�s son, Abraham, had married and is listed separately with his wife, Jeanne Gaudet.  The 1707 census again shows the Arceneaux�s living in Beaubassin, however, by the 1714 census, Pierre, the elder had died, although the remaining family still resided in Beaubassin.

The next available census was not taken until 1752, and shows quite a different picture of the Arceneaux�s.  By this time the family had become quite a bit larger, and it appears that the wife of Pierre the elder had also died.  The family members had also spread out to different villages such as Veskak, Pre des Bourgs, Tintamarre, La pointe a Beausejour, and Baie Verte.  Several of these families are listed on the Refugees Listing.

After the deportation of the Acadians in 1755,  refugees began to arrive in Louisiana by about 1765 and they settled in St. James Parish.  Among these refugees were four Acadian Arcenaux families, all of which were decended directly from Pierre (I).  Later on, two more Arceneaux families arrived in Louisiana and also settled in St. James Parish.  It is not known at this time where these refugees lived in the ten years that passed from the time of deportation until their arrival in Louisiana or which route they took there.

A good history of the migration to Louisiana (along with much, much more information regarding the Acadians and Cajuns) can be found at Lucie Consentino�s website.

Last update:  May 1999