Emigrating
- some bases
Emigrate
to "succeed"
The Red River Colony
The
Junod and emigration
Africa
- Rikatla, Pretoria
Argentina
- San Carlos, Santa Fe
France - Goersdorf, Alsace
Italy - Naples
Ukrainia - Kiev
USA
Athens, Ohio
LaGrange Co, Indiana
Neuchatel, Kansas
Wisconsin... Missouri...?
Visiting our Region soon?
|
 |
The
Red River Colony ...
Captain
Rodolphe de May, Swiss officer once at the British service under the Colonel
Frédéric de Watteville, entered into an agreement with the Earl
of Selkirk, owner of the Hudson's Bay Company and considerable land around Red
River, to attract Swiss settlers in Red River.
Unfortunately,
most of the promises made to the prospective settlers were not held and,
by
the end of 1826, not a single Swiss family remained in the red River country,
most of them moving South in direction of the Mississippi.
Source
: "The Canadian Historical Review - Notes and Documents", by George
F.G. Stanley
Contract
proposed to the emigrants
I,
Rodolphe of May from Utzenstorf, gentleman of Bern, Captain in the British
Service and
commissioner plenipotentiary of the Earl of Selkirk, undertake for him and
in his name,
as
proprietor of the Red River Colony and the lands appertaining thereto in North
America, as follows :
- To
convey and to supply each colonist with food during the journey tot he
red River Colony,
free of charge, and to render the voyage as agreeable as possible.
- Upon his arrival
at red River to find him lodging in one of the established homes until he
builds a house of his own, for the construction of which he will be supplied
with the necessary means and assistance without of delay.
- During
the first year to supply him with food and provisions until the harvest,
awaiting the
time when he may be able to support himself by his own labor as well as by
hunting and fishing; it being understood that he will contribute as much
as
possible to his own support by hunting and fishing, for which purpose he
will be supplied with the necessary facilities; otherwise he will have
no claim
to such assistance
- To advance him
wheat, potatoes and other seed as required for the first year to sow land
granted to him, but he will be obliged to repay in kind from the first crop.
- To supply him
with all the requirements for his own home in the way of furnishings, farm
implements and other materials at as reasonable a price a possible, the cost
of which plus the current interest at five percent must be paid within the
course of three or four years.
- To
set aside and mark out for him and his heirs free of charge, 100 arpents
or acres or
arable land in perpetuity, on condition that he pays annually the exact amount
of the following dues, which are very fair and which will be paid in kind:
| Namely |
| For the
first year no charge will be made |
| For the
second, the payment will be 20 bushels of wheat |
| For
the third, the payment will be 30 bushels of wheat |
| For
the fourth, the payment will be 40 bushels of wheat |
| For
the fifth, the payment will be 50 bushels of wheat |
Thereafter,
the farm-fee payable will be equal to half a bushel per arpent,
which
is very moderate in view of the extraordinary fertility of the land
and will not constitute a great burden upon the settlers.
In
the event of him wishing to commute, the settler may do so provided
he pays in one lump 500, i.e. five hundred bushels of wheat. In
this
way he may be quit of the said fee for all time.
This
fee is the only
charge he will have to pay. He is also free to choose his land
wherever he may wish and in whatever locality pleases him the
most. |
- He may take
with him, free of charge, 150 pounds of luggage
If the above mentioned
promises are fulfilled to the letter on the part of the Earl of Selkirk, the
settler on his part promises and pledges himself as follows :
- Before
his departure to pay in cash the sum of 10 gold louis, and upon his arrival
in the Colony
to pay in the course of 4 or 5 years, the sum of 11 gold louis with interest
at 5 percent starting from the day of his of departure in Rotterdam, the
payment
to be made at regular intervals.
- To
pay as soon as possible the price of the furnishings and other effects
supplied to him,
with the amount of the interest due.
- That the fees
attached to his land will always be paid punctually
- That
he and his family will, during the voyage to the colony, conduct themselves
and behave
as quiet, reliable, honest folk, and give all assistance and respect to those
who are authorized to transport and to look after them. Finally, always
to
behave
as quiet,
thoughtful, peaceful and honest citizen.
- That he has
no intention of engaging in any way in the fur trade of with the indians or
with any other person whomsoever, as the fur trade belongs exclusively to
the Hudson's Bay Company of England
- That he will
not under any consideration, give aid or assistance, either in food or merchandise,
or in any other manner whatsoever, to whoever may have the temerity to encroach
upon this exclusive privilege of the said Company in its Territory, by trading
in furs contrary to the said privilege.
- That
he will help to build and maintain the roads and public highways at suitable
times
during the year, with his own labour and that of his sons and servants,
and by lending his work animals for hauling and other necessary tasks,
on the
day and at the place specified by the inspector, this service to be limited
to six days a year.
- That he will
provide for the upkeep of the minister and the schoolmaster of his own faith,
that is to say he promises with the help of his sons to do all the farm work
required of him, providing for that purpose his servants, his work animals,
wagons and tools on each day and at the place indicated by the schoolmaster,
but not to exceed six days a year, that is to say two days in spring, two
days in summer two days in autumn. These working days are to be divided equally
between the minister and the schoolmaster. in this way the land from which
each work derive his subsistence will be tended.
- That
he and his family will promptly contribute towards the of fence of the
country against
enemies both within and without and that they will endeavor to promote the
peace, safety and prosperity of their new country; as far as shall be within
their power they will obey of their own free will the laws and regulations
which are now in force in the Colony and in the other English provinces
of
North America.
- Finally, he
undertakes at a future date to receive into his new home settlers as they
arrive, until such time as they shall build their own dwellings, to help and
assist them (on the understanding that this assistance be limited to providing
house and lodging but not to include of board or other similar items) it being
only fair that he should render unto others what he himself has received.
He also promises to give every assistance in his power upon all occasions
during the course of the journey by boat and from Hudson's Bay tot he Colony.
List
of emigrants
Document
dated 31 July 1822, probably the work of Walter of Huser,
one of the Swiss settlers.
This document is to be found in the Bulger Papers, volume
II, pages 172-178.
All
are of Reformed Religion, unless noted
(The
few names or name places misspelled in the original book were corrected /
completed.
If you see any other ones, please let me know).
| Surname,
First name, Age |
Origin
or place of birth |
Occupation,
Spouse, Children, ages and character comments |
| ABERTI, Marianne,
13 years |
county of
Bern |
Henriette
12 years; Lisette 10 years; daughters of widow ABERTI, from Saicourt, county
of Bern |
| AEBERSOLD,
Christian, 28 years |
Schlosswil,
county of Bern |
Farmer, character
no good, spouse Elisabeth, 31 years, character bad, daughter Anne 8 years |
| CHATELAIN,
Jean Louis, 26 years |
Tramelan,
county of Bern |
Winemaker,
character fair, spouse Julie 22 years, character fair |
| DESCOMBES,
David Louis, 41 years |
Lignières,
county of Neuchâtel |
Farmer,
character worthless, spouse Rose, 41 years, character worthless, son
Charles 15
years,
character bad, Frédéric Auguste 9 years, daughter Louise
10 years |
| DIACON
Frédéric
Henri, 22 years |
Val
de Ruz, county of Neuchâtel |
Watchmaker,
character bad |
| DROZ Alphonse,
55 years |
Renan, county
of Bern |
Merchant wholeseller, character fair, spouse Louise 43 years, character fair,
son Louis 24 years,
character fair, daughter Adèle 14 years |
| DUBACH Aaron,
57 years |
Niederstocken,
county of Bern |
Farmer, character
bad, spouse Catherine 50 years, character no good, son Jean 28 years, character
no good, belle-daughter Catherine 22 years, character fair, petit-son Jean
2 years |
| DUBOIS
Théodore,
53 years |
Le
Locle, county of Neuchâtel |
Watchmaker,
character crazy |
| ENGER Louis,
58 years |
Twann, county
of Bern |
Boatman,
character fair |
| FLOTRON Sigismond,
41 years |
St Imier,
county of Bern |
Watchmaker,
character good, spouse Madeleine 36 years, character no good, sons Louis
Ferdinand 14 years, François 7 years, Louis 2 years, daughters Sophie
16 years Character good, Eugénie 10 years, Olympie 8 years |
| FOURNIER
Sophie Adèle, 15 years |
Villeret county
of Bern |
Eugène
14 years, Dyionise 13 years, Françoise Emilie 8 years, children
of the widow Fournier |
| GABUT Charles,
23 years |
Les
Brenets, county of Neuchâtel |
Joiner, character
simple-minded |
| GUILBERT Auguste,
25 years |
La
Chaux-de-Fonds, county of Neuchâtel |
Watchmaker,
character good |
| GUINAND Jean
Louis, 20 years |
La
Chaux-de-Fonds, county of Neuchâtel |
Locksmith,
character fair |
| GUINAND Justin,
4 years |
La
Chaux-de-Fonds, county of Neuchâtel |
Philippine
2 years, children of the widow Guinand |
| HOFMAN Nicolaus,
36 years |
Gross Affoltern,
county of Bern |
Farmer,
character bad, spouse Madeleine 29 years, character fair, sons Christian
7 years, Jean 3 years, daughter Catherine 10 years |
| HOERNER David,
53 years |
Sindringen,
Wurtemberg in Germany |
Apothecary,
character good, religion Lutherian, spouse Marianne 40 years, Character
good, sons Louis 22 years baker, character good, Frédéric
6 years, daughters Louise 19 years, character good, Henriette 17 years,
character good, Olympie 12 years, Caroline 8 years, religion Reformed |
| HOURIET David,
48 years |
Tramelan,
county of Bern |
Farmer, Character
good |
| JUNOD
Charles Louis, 22 years |
Lignières,
county of Neuchâtel |
Winemaker,
character bad, spouse Marianne Sophie (born MONNIER) 21 years,
character fair |
| KOCHER Jean,
29 years |
Aegerten,
county of Bern |
Distiller,
character fair |
| LANGET
Jacques François, 26 years |
Cressier,
county of Neuchâtel |
Farmer, character
bad |
| LIENNE Louis
Florian, 17 years |
Cormoret,
county of Bern |
Nail-maker,
character fair |
| MARCHAND Abraham,
48 years |
Sonvillier,
county of Bern |
Character
useless, spouse Emilie (born Brandt) 49 years, character useless, son
Louis Constant 15
years, character fair, daughters Méline 14 years, Louise Elzire
8 years, deaf since birth |
| MEROZ Henri
Louis , 46 years |
Sonvillier,
county of Bern |
Merchant,
character no good, son Louis Gustave 8 years |
| MONNIER David,
50 years |
Valangin,
county of Neuchâtel |
Farmer
et vine grower, character bad, spouse Elisabeth 43 and, character bad,
sons David
Louis 17 years, character no good, Charles 15 years, character no good,
daughters Eugénie 13 years, Adèle 11 years, Henriette 9
years, Julie 5 years |
| MUNDWYLER
Joseph, 31 years |
county of
Bern ? |
Outlaw,
wire-drawer and basket maker, character condemned in Bern to hard labor
in irons, religion
Catholic |
| OSTERTAG Louis,
30 years |
Loewenstein,
Wurtemberg in Germany |
Physician,
charcater honest, religion Lutheran |
| PERRET Abram,
43 years |
La
Sagne, county of Neuchâtel |
Watchmaker,
character no good, spouse Marianne 35 years, character bad, son Charles
5 years, daughters Sophie 4 years.... (missing bottom of page) |
| QUINCHE Alfred,
21 years |
Dombresson,
county of Neuchâtel |
Saddler, character
bad, spouse Marianne 19 years, character no good |
| RACINE Charles
Edouard, 23 years |
La
Chaux-de-Fonds, county of Neuchâtel |
Turner, character
fair, |
| REBER Jean,
53 years |
Kurzenberg,
county d'Argovie |
Farmer,
character bad, spouse Anne 31 years, character fair, son Jean 2, illegitimate
daughter
Anne Stoerkl 4 years |
| RINDISBACHER
Pierre, 41 years |
Lauperswil,
county of Bern |
Veterinary-Surgeon,
character good but not steady, spouse Barbe 37 years, character fair,
sons
Christian 18 years, character fair, Pierre 15 years*, draughts man,
character good, Gauthier 2 years, adopted, daughters Anne Barbe 13 years,
Christian 10 years, Madeleine 6 years, Verene 4 years |
| RICHNER
Christian,
51 years |
Signau, county
of Bern |
Tanner,
character very honest, spouse Anne 52 years, character honest, sons
Samuel 24 years,
weaver, character honest, Jacques 10 years |
| ROTHENBUHLER
Christian, 35 years |
Lauperswil,
county of Bern |
Weaver, character
no good, spouse Catherine 38 years, character fair |
| SCHAUB
Benoît,
27 years |
county of
Bern ? |
Outlaw,
Basket-maker, character condemned in Bern to hard labor in irons, religion
Catholic |
| SCHEIDEGGER
Samuel, 40 years |
Lutzelflüh,
county of Bern |
Weaver,
character fair, spouse Anne 46 years, character worthless, sons Jean
18 years,
Weaver,
character bad, Christian 8 years, daughter Marie 10 years |
| SCHIRMER (?)
Philippe, 24 years |
Geneva,
county of Geneva |
Mechanic,
character honest |
| STRAMM
Frédéric
Louis, 62 years |
Sonvillier,
county of Bern |
Watchmaker,
character fair, spouse Henriette 39 years, character no good, sons Frédéric
Louis 12 years, Constant 10 years, Henri 5 years, daughters Lucie 7 years,
Julie 2 years |
| SIMON Jean
Jacques |
Lignières,
county of Neuchâtel |
Schoolmaster,
character no good, spouse Henriette 42 years, character worthless, daughter
Zélie 10 years |
| SUNIER Julien,
22 years |
Nods, county
of Bern |
Farmer,
Character good, spouse Marguerite 26 years, character honest |
| TISSOT Jean
Daniel, 22 years |
Cornaux,
county of Neuchâtel |
Farmer,
character no good, spouse Salomé 25 years, character fair, step-daughter
Salome 5 years |
| TRUETTE (?)
Pierre, 51 years |
Kirnbach,
Baden in Germany |
character
fair, spouse Catherine 43 years, character bad, sons Jonas 19 years,
character
fair, Pierre 13 years, daughters Marianne 17 years, character no good,
Adèle
6 years |
| WEISS Jean,
28 years |
Kittersberg,
Baden in Germany |
Master-Carpenter,
character very honest, common-law wife Madeleine LUSTENBERGER, 37 years,
born in Kaiseraugst, county of Aarau, character fair, step-daughter
Thérèse
3 years, son Jean 1 an |
| WYSS Rodolphe,
33 years |
Bern, county
of Bern |
Saddler, character
good but dissolute |
List
of marriages
From
the same source, here is the list of marriages celebrated in Red River during
the autumn and winter of 1821 and the spring of 1822. The term MEURON refers
to the mercenaries-soldiers of the DE MEURON Regiment.
| Date |
Male |
Female |
| 4 Nov 1821 |
Charles BOUCHE,
Meuron of Villers Cotterets, Picardie, France, Catholic |
Philippine
DROZ, 39 years, widow of Tramelan, county of Bern, Reformed |
| |
Antoine BRUCHLER,
Meuron of Strasbourg, France, Catholic |
Elisabeth
RINDLISBACHER, 21 years, of Lauperswil, county of Bern, Reformed |
| |
George
Simon SCHREISSEN, Meuron of Baden, Germany, Lutheran |
Catherine
BUENTZLI, 33 years, widow of the town of Zurich, county of Zurich,
Reformed |
| 7 Nov 1821 |
Jacques BENDER,
Meuron of Strasbourg, France, Reformed |
Rosette
MONNIER 20 years, of Valangin, county of Neuchâtel, Reformed |
| 11 Nov 1821 |
Jean
WASSILOPZKY, Poland, Catholic |
Justine
GUINAND, 32 years, widow of Les Brenets, county of Neuchâtel, Reformed |
| |
Jean WERING,
Meuron of Alsace, France, Catholic |
Lydie FOURNIER
31 years, widow of Villeret, county of Bern, Reformed |
| |
Martin NORD,
Meuron of Strasbourg, France, Reformed |
Catherine
TRUETTE, 22 years, of St-Imier, county of Bern, Reformed |
| 25 Nov 1821 |
Simon DAZIO,
Meuron, Catholic |
Marie Juliette
PELLETIER, 37 years, of St-Imier, county of Bern, Reformed |
| 5 Jan 1822 |
Antoine
PACQUET, Carpenter Canadian, Catholic |
Augustine
MARCHAND, 19 years, of Sonvillier, county of Bern, Reformed |
| |
Antoine BAYNE,
Meuron of Artois, Bas Calais, France, Catholic |
Justine MARCHAND,
24 years, of Sonvillier, county of Bern, Reformed |
| 18 Jan 1822 |
Jean MORELL,
Meuron, Catholic |
Sophie ABERTI,
15 years, of Saicourt, county of Bern, Reformed |
| |
Joseph BOLLENDER,
Meuron, Catholic |
Christian
ABERTI, 16 years, of Saicourt, county of Bern, Reformed |
| 2
May 1822 |
Jean
MEYER, Meuron of Regensberg, county of Zurich, Reformed |
Marguerite
ABERTI, 17 years, of Saicourt, county of Bern, Reformed |
| |
Bernard SCHMID,
Meuron of Strasbourg, France, Catholic |
Susanne ABERTI,
49 years, widow of Saicourt, county of Bern, Reformed |
| 10
Jun 1822 |
Mathias
SCHMID, Meuron of Kestenholz, county of Solothurn, Catholic |
Marianne
SCHEIDEGGER, 15 years, of Lutzelflüh, county of Bern, Reformed |
Links
on this topic
The Red River Colony
A
Historiographical study of Red River settlement (PDF)
The Forces of Lord Selkirk
*
Pierre Rindisbacher / Peter F. Rindisbacher (Rindesbacher),
1806-1834, artist. Born in the Emmental village of Eggiwil,
Canton Bern. At the age
of 15 emigrated with his parents to the Red River Settlement
in Canada. Moved to Wisconsin in 1826, and to St. Louis in
1829. He made his name
as a painter of American Indians (source: swissroots.org)
|
|
