Foreword

Since the fall of 1997, I am interested in genealogical research on Beauchesne families, and I have undertaken to publish this website, as a posthumous tribute to the family of my grand-father Octave Beauchesne, which my mother Rose-Aimée Beauchesne was the youngest.

These pages have been written with the collaboration of my brother Joseph-Arthur of Saint-Fabien-de-Rimouski and my cousin Wellie Beauchesne of Fall River, MA who has agreed to lend his valuable genealogical records. A minor update of this website was carried out on June the 18h 2004, with the return of a trip to France where I have consulted the Musée du Nouveau-Monde of La Rochelle.

Maurice Roussel
Descendant of Beauchesne ancestors.

Etymology

The surname Beauchesne means one who lives in a place called the Beauchesne (Beautiful Oak). The name is mainly focused in the Poitou french province and in Quebec. Variants: Beauchêne, Beauchaine, Bochan.

In Bécancour, the Bourbeau were owners of beautiful Red Oak woodlots, and that specie had to be reserved for the maintenance of the king's ships. But it is said that when ships docked in Trois-Rivières, carpenters crossed the river to Bécancour in order to find the necessary wood. People recommended them to contact The Bourbeau family as they had beautiful red oak beau chêne for the maintenance of ships.

Signatures des ancêtres

Moise Beauchesne
Signature of my grand grandfather Moïse Beauchesne

Moise Beauchesne
Signature of my grandfather Octave Beauchesne

Marcelin Beauchesne
Signature of my granduncle Marcelin Beauchesne

Octave Beauchesne circa 1920

With his son and four of his daughters

View of Saint-Fabien, parish of adoption of the first Beauchesne family.