The Harrisons
My Family
by Craig Harrison
(06/16/97)
The country my family came from was France. My great-great grandfather's name was Magloire Arseneault. He lived in New Brunswick, Canada. He was Arcadian French.
He married Melanie Williams from Bristol, England. She died when my great grandma was four months old. My great grandma's name was Aurore Arseneault. She was born on January 16, 1904. She was half French and half English. She married Lionel J. Bessette from Quebec, Canada. He was all French. They had my grandmother, Doris Bessette. She was born on December 12, 1935 in Vermont. She was one-quarter English and three-quarters French.
Magloire Arseneault, as I said, was Arcadian. Arcadia was a town in Canada and is now in Nova Scotia. During the French and Indian War, England took control of Arcadia and got rid of all the Arcadian people. Most went back to France but some went to Louisiana. The French people who went to Louisiana are now called Cajuns. You might have heard of Cajun chicken or other Cajun foods. The town they live in is Lafeyette, which is Southwest of New Orleans.