- "I also sorted over the patches in my quilt bag. Some of the women here have given me bits they can spare, so my collection has grown. But I have had a strange thought. Are not the scraps in my bag like we Acadians, torn away from where they belong, bundled together in a strange place? It is not a happy thought. Perhaps I will never finish my quilt after all."
- —Angélique Richard[4]
Angélique Melanson (née Richard; 1743 — 1830) was the daughter of Madeleine and Michel Richard, and one of eight siblings. Her family were Acadians whom lived in Grand-Pré until the Great Expulsion in 1755. Angélique's family were ultimately relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, where they learned to adapt to their circumstances.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Angélique was born in 1743[1] to Madeleine and Michel Richard. She had three older siblings, Catherine, Victor, and Claude, and four younger siblings, Cécile, Zachary, Marie-Josèphe, and Josèph-Marie. The Richard family had lived in Grand-Pré, Acadia for generations.
Angélique's grandmother, "Mémère," taught her and her siblings how to read and write. Mémère's own grandmother had immigrated from France to Acadia, where she learned how to read and write from the nuns of Port-Royal.[5]
Expulsion[]
In May 1755, Victor ran off some days after Angélique saw him speaking to the rebel Beausoleil Broussard. The same month, Catherine's wedding to Basile Le Blanc took place. Angélique served as her witness for the ceremony. The following month, there was a proclamation from the British, forbidding the Acadians from using their boats and guns. Angélique's father Michel signed a petition for Governor Lawrence asking to restore the rights to use their boats and guns. In response, the governor ordered all of the Acadians whom signed the petition to report to Halifax. There the men, including Michel, refused to sign an oath to fight the French, resulting in their imprisonment. Shortly later, Victor returned home for a short visit.
In late August, Colonel Winslow arrived with his troops to "take charge" of Grand-Pré. Angélique's friend Jeremy Witherspoon later warned her that her family should flee, but they decided to stay put. Not long after, the Grand-Pré men and some of the boys, including Claude and Zachary, were imprisoned in the church. They were later taken to the ships near the shore. Claude and some others eventually escaped. Angélique found him hiding in the woods and tried to convince him to return. She was nearly separated from her family since she was not there when the deportation started. Thanks to Jeremy, Angélique was reunited with her mother, grandmother, Belle, and the twins aboard the Leynord.
Before setting sail, the Richards were joined by Zachary and Claude. Mémère died shortly later from the grief of being torn from her home. The family was aboard the Leynord until early December. In Annapolis, Maryland, they were taken in by the kind Mistress Finnerty. Belle passed away from illness a week or so after their arrival. Angélique was devastated and started to lose her faith. The Richards then chose to move to Baltimore, where Andrew Stygar helped some Acadians live in an abandoned home. They shared a room with the Melansons, including Angélique's long-time rival Jehanne. Angélique soon found work as a scullery maid for Master Hardcastle. In January 1756, the family finally reunited with Michel.
December 1756[]
From eavesdropping on her parents, Angélique learned that her father was in great need of woodworking tools. Claude later told her about a master joiner, named Abner Flint, whom no longer used his tools because of his rheumatism. Angélique eventually made up her mind to speak to Master Flint about lending her father his tools. She told a lie in order to make an opportunity to visit his shop. Unfortunately, their talk did not go well and Angélique stormed out after he insulted the keepsake box her father had made her. On Christmas Eve, Angélique confessed to Father Wentworth about the lie. Master Flint arrived shortly and worked out a deal to sell her father his tools. Angélique then made amends with him.
Later life[]
Angélique was eventually promoted to head parlour maid. After the war, she and her father went to Oxford to speak to her uncle Paul about returning home to Acadia. He instead chose to take his family to Louisiana. Angélique said a tearful goodbye to her cousin Geneviève, whom she never saw again. From there, the Richards and Melansons travelled to Boston to join other Acadians returning home. Their months long journey led them to the mouth of the St. John River, where they learned that Grand-Pré had been resettled by the British. The Richards and the Melansons headed further up the river and started new farms near each other. Angélique and Jehanne became friends, though they still argued.
Angélique initially refused to marry in order to take care of her ailing mother. However, once Marie-Josèphe had grown enough to help their mother, Angélique married Jean-Baptiste Melanson. Their first child was a daughter, named Cécile after her sister. They had two more daughters and three sons. In her old age, she loved to tell her descendants stories from the quilt, which had taken her many years to complete. Angélique passed away at the age of eighty-seven in 1830, a year after Jean-Baptiste. Her willow, which she had originally taken from Acadia, grew into a fine tree that became popular for newlyweds to visit.
Physical description[]
The Richard family was described as being "big and sturdy" with dark-colored hair and hazel brown eyes. Angélique's younger sister Cécile was the only one whom had different features.[3]
Personality and traits[]
Angélique was headstrong and a bit absentminded. She disliked chores, resulting in her being scolded for not doing the work properly. Angélique frequently had problems with her mother, whom she inherited her stubbornness from. She was jealous of her sister Cécile and often called her "Sausage" instead of the family's nickname for her, "Belle." She thought Cécile was prettier than her and their mother often compared the two, which only vexed Angélique further. Over time, Angélique realized it was wrong to be jealous of her sister and stopped calling her "Sausage." They became close, leading to Angélique's deep sadness after Cécile's death. Angélique also had a dislike for Jehanne Melanson, though they were eventually able to become friends.
She took pride in being able to read and write in French, which she had learned from her grandmother. Angélique was also familiar with English, having learned it from her friend Jeremy Witherspoon.
Family tree[]
| "Mémère" (d. 1755) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pierre Richard | Paul Richard | Cécile Richard | Michel Richard (d. 1775) | Madeleine Richard (d. 1770) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marie-Blanche Richard | Marie-Madeleine Richard | Geneviève Richard (b. 1742) | Basile Le Blanc | Catherine Richard | Victor Richard | Claude Richard | Angélique Richard (1743-1830) | Jean-Baptiste Melanson (1739-1829) | Cécile Richard (1744-1755) | Zachary Richard (b. 1745) | Marie-Josèphe Richard | Husband | Josèph-Marie Richard | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cécile Melanson | Five children | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Behind the scenes[]
- Angélique is the lead character of Banished from Our Home by Sharon Stewart.
- In A Season for Miracles, Angélique is featured as the main character of "The Keepsake Box."
- Angélique is named after an Acadian ancestor of the book's author.
Appearances[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Banished from Our Home, Sharon Stewart, pages 8, 123
- ↑ Banished from Our Home, Sharon Stewart, Epilogue, pages 170-175
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Banished from Our Home, Sharon Stewart, page 14
- ↑ Banished from Our Home, Sharon Stewart, page 165
- ↑ Banished from Our Home, Sharon Stewart, page 28
See also[]