Elizabeth Macpherson, daughter of Andrew Macpherson and Ikwesens Pinesi Kijikokwe
Elizabeth Naud, nee Macpherson
Elizabeth Macpherson was born in or around 1816/1817. The year is deduced from her baptismal/marriage record which recorded her age as 21 years.1 Elizabeth's birthplace was Grand Lac. Whereas, the obituary of her brother George listed his birthplace2 as Ottawa River, Ontario. This is in agreement with an 1891 Census for Canada which also listed George's birthplace as Ontario.3 Additionally, an apprenticeship contract signed on May 4, 1803, between Andrew Macpherson and McTavish and Frobisher, part-owners of the North West Company, stated he was to be sent to the interiors or inland. Andrew met Ikwesens after 1803, likely in Temiscamingue District, Ontario near the Ottawa Falls.
Elizabeth Macpherson was a young girl when she became acquainted with Francois Naud, a thirty-something widower and guide for the Hudson's Bay Company. The two lived together in a common-in-law relationship referred to as a mariage a la facon du pays.4
Francois' Background
Francois Naud was born November 1, 1800, in Maskinonge, Quebec to Pierre Naud and Louise Bedard. He was the third generation of Nau or Nauds to be born in Quebec. Francois Naud was also known as Nault, a variation for the surname Naud; however, in letters written by him, he signed his name Naud. His third great grandfather Francois Xavier Nau and his wife Marie Therese Chaille emigrated from St-Aubin de Turquant, Samur, Angers, Anjou, France. In 1823, Francois Naud married Marie Olive Rouleau and they had at least three children before her untimely death. Naud worked for the Hudson's Bay Company as a guide and was a co-worker of Andrew Macpherson. Naud formed a relationship with young Elizabeth, who by the age of twenty-one had given birth to three children. 5
Elizabeth's father Andrew Macpherson was not pleased with the arrangement between her and Naud. We read in archived journals and letters regarding Andrew that he complained of being chronically sick. No doubt, much of this was due to several of his children not being legally married. Unfortunately, Francois Naud did not want to legally marry Elizabeth. He was content with the arrangement between himself and Elizabeth. This can be concluded from various letters written by Andrew Macpherson, Angus Cameron, and Francois Naud.
It took Andrew some time to think about what he could do to influence Francois and persuade him that legally marrying Elizabeth was the right choice. After much consideration, Andrew concluded he could change Francois' mind by offering him money.
The Monetary Agreement
Andrew made 135 pounds a year. The fact Andrew was not wealthy was verified by Angus Cameron, who wrote in his journal: McPherson barely had fifty pounds to his name. Andrew was deeply grieved by Naud's common-in-law arrangement with his daughter. Therefore, Andrew made him (hypothetical) an offer: I will pay you fifty pounds to marry Elizabeth, but I am not going to take your word for it. When you go to collect the money from Mr. Keith, I want you to show him the marriage record with both of your names on it.
Francois Naud succumbed to an offer of nearly a year's wages. Likely, Andrew visited the Basilique Notre-Dame church, located in Montreal, and made the baptismal and marriage arrangements. The priest baptized Elizabeth in the early morning of September 13, 1838. Regrettably, her parents were not present, but the priest entered their names in the baptismal record: Andrew McPherson and Ikwesens sauvage infidele. The following day, she and Francois were legally married. Again, the priest entered the event into the church records. It was included Elizabeth and Francois had three illegitimate children born before 1838.
Where was Andrew when the baptismal and marriage ceremony occurred? After all, he had convinced Francois to marry his daughter and presumably made all the arrangements for the couple. Andrew had been on an unpaid one-year leave of absence taken on the medical advice of his doctor. He re-engaged with Hudson's Bay Company, and in May of 1838, he left Lower Canada with the Canada Brigade Canoes for Norway House. However, before leaving, he wrote a letter in April to his cousin Angus Cameron explaining he wished for Naud to marry Elizabeth. In turn, Angus Cameron wrote a letter to James Keith explaining the arrangement and that Naud was to be paid fifty pounds upon receipt of the marriage record.
Did Naud present himself before James Keith to receive the money his father-in-law promised him? Indeed, he did. Naud delivered Cameron's letter6 to Keith and placed the marriage record in a sealed envelope. The letter, in part, is as follows:
James Keith
7 August 1838
Dear Sir
This letter will be handed to you by Francois Naud, who with Joseph Belois di Fortier & Louis Serulier leave the Service...In a letter from Mr. McPherson to me date Montreal 30 April last he requests me to give Francois Naud a Draft on the Company for £ 50 Currency on his McPherson's account, when Naud marries his Daughter. On Naud's performing his promise, & presenting you his Marriage Certificate I beg that you pay him the Fifty Pounds agreeable to McPherson's request.
Angus Cameron
Included is a copy of the marriage certificate of Francois Naud and Elizabeth McPherson date 15 September 1838: Montreal le 15 Sept 1838 Je pretre soussigne ai marine Francois Naud et Elizabeth McPherson tous deux nouvellement arrives du Grand Lac.
1 McPherson, Elizabeth, Elizabeth Naud, Kijikokwe, Basilique Notre-Dame, 1838, Quebec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1968↩
2 http://retson.ca/kenoram.html↩
3 Library and Archives Canada, 2020, Census of Canada, 1891. George McPherson Ontario birthplace. Retrieved from https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1891/Pages/1891.aspx↩
4 Metis Nation of Ontario, 2022, FL1014 McPherson. Retrieved from https://www.metisnation.org/registry/citizenship/ontario-metis-root-ancestors/ ↩
5 I See Your Light: Memory & Fiction, 2022, Savage. Retrieved from https://read.amazon.ca/kp/embed?asin=B09SFV8HHG&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_90A48PKFR8JZZE6NS0CV↩
6 Cameron Family fonds, journals of Angus Cameron on microfilm. Retrieved 2022 by the Public Libraryyy.↩u
*Photo Credit: a google copy of an original painting from the Ottawa-area museum.
*Photo Credit: ancestry.ca, Mcpherson, Angus baptismal record, Ikwesens an Indian woman, a native of Temiscamingue District.
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