You have to dig well back into our nation’s early history when researching the ETHIER Family. They were among the earliest of the French settlers in New France; in what would become Quebec, Canada. These early generations were headed by the following ETHIER men:
1. Leonard Ethier Estie (2 versions of surname), born about 1643 in St-Martial de Manot, Angouleme, Angoumois, France. He died 1689 in undetermined place.
2. His son Joseph Ethier Estier Etier Esthier (4 versions of surname), Birth 21 Jun 1688 in Lachenaie, L’Assomption, Quebec. Death 27 Aug 1741 in St-Francois-de-Sales, Ile-Jesus, Quebec. This appears to be the family’sImmigrant Ancestor and the Ile -Jesus is part of the Island of Montreal; then near the early village of Hochelaga, New France.
3. His son Paul Ethier Estier Estier Etier, birth 8 Mar 1730, in St-Francois-de-Sales, Ile-Jesus, Quebec. Death abt 15 May 1786 in St-Francois-de-Sales, Ile-Jesus, Quebec.
4. His son Francois Ethier Hetiez (yet another rendition of the surname). Birth est. 1766 in place undetermined, Quebec.
5. His son Pierre Ethier. Birth 10 Aug 1790 in L’Assomption, Quebec married Adelaide Sevigny LaFleur (1795 – ) and Pierre was born north of Montreal in what we know today as the Laurentides area.
6. Their son Joseph Ethier was born 3 Apr 1830 in Lachenaie, L’Assomption, Quebec and died 5 Jul 1907 in Westmeath, Renfrew County, Ontario. We will follow his descendants in Westmeath Township.
Joseph Ethier and Elizabeth Isabella Bousquet
This Joseph is the first Ethier listed in Westmeath Township Records and the son of Pierre Ethier and Adelaide Sevigny LaFleur. He married his wife Elizabeth Isabelle “Lisa” Bousquet (b. abt 1830-1918) in Gower Point (LaPasse) in Westmeath Township. Two spellings Bousquet and Bouquet are found.
The Hickey (Ethier) family were French Roman Catholics from L’Assumption, northeast of Montreal on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, in Lower Canada (Quebec), and took up farming in Westmeath Township on Lot 23, Conc. 6 EML. The family is first listed as Westmeath Township residents in the 1881 Census, a listing showing Joseph (age 50) and Elizabeth (or Isabell) Bouquet (age 40), together with their oldest 2 sons, Joseph (21) and Louis (18). These four persons were born in Quebec. All the other children were born in Ontario. Edward Ethier and Joseph Ethier were both enumerated as landowners for the 1893 Municipal Election, for the Township of Westmeath.
The photographs used in this entry are courtesy of Ron Ethier, grandson of Peter Ethier and Catherine Anderson, and son of Wilfred Ethier and Irene Pappin.
The children of Joseph Ethier and Elizabeth Isabelle “Liza” Bousquet Ethier are:
- Amanda Ethier
- Joseph Ethier was born in Westmeath Township, Ontario. He married at age 23 to (1) Susanne Marcotte (1856-1895) on June 1883, the daughter of Elie Marcotte and Margaret Glancey. Joseph remarried, at age 36, to (2) Mary Louise Dupuis (1867- ), in April 1896. She was age 29, and the daughter of Maxime Dupuis and Anne Kencheley, in Gower Point.
- Julia Ethier Ladouceur. Julia died during the depths of WWII and her Will held a sizable inheritance for her three brothers: Peter, Edward and Louis. Ethier, Julia Ladouceur Bequeath.
- Pierre “Peter” Ethier has occupation as labourer in early census records. This branch of the family continued to live in the Westmeath area. See details on his family below.
- Marie Albina “Bina” Louisa Ethier (1856 – 1939). Born in L’assumption, Quebec. Bina married ___ Lalibertie, lived in Asterville, ON. and died in Westmeath Twp.
- Antoinette Ethier (1862 – 1883)
- Louis Ethier (1864 – 1943)
- Edward Ethier “Hickey” (1864 – 1943). Edward has occupation as a carpenter. See details on Edward’s family below.
- Alexina Ethier (1868-
- Elizabeth Ethier (1874-
The surname of HICKEY was initially used by the Ethier Family, as a form of Anglicization; to form an English pronunciation or substitution for a French name. Early records in Westmeath Township use the surname Hickey.
Pierre “Peter” Ethier (Hickey) and Catherine “Cassie” Anderson
Pierre “PETER” Ethier, son of Joseph Ethier and Isabelle Bouquet, would married Catherine “Cassie” Anderson (1882- ), a local Westmeath girl and the daughter of John T. Anderson and Eliza Armstrong.
PETER HICKEY would work for the prominent Fraser family, a business of lumbering and farming, and was remembered for his devotion with a stipend in W.H.A. Fraser’s Last Will and Testament.
The children of Peter Ethier (1877- ) m. Cassie Anderson (1882 – ) were:
- Wilfred Ethier (1903 – ) m. Irene Pappin, daughter of Sam Pappin and Bridget Ryan, and farmed on the Ethier homestead on Rapid Road at the Ottawa shoreline, at the eastern end of the Bromley Line, (commonly called Swamp Road by the old-timers).
The white farmhouse with the surrounding veranda, was later owned by Wilfred’s daughter Isabel and her husband Guy Drapeau. The children of Wilfred and Irene Ethier are:
i. Isabel Ethier m. Guy Drapeau, Drapeau,Guy & Isobel Ethier
ii. John Ethier m. Barb Hennessy,
iii. Helen Ethier m. ___ Gervais,
iv. Ron Ethier m. Gail Hennessy,
v. Ryan Ethier m. Susan ___,
vi Bernie Ethier m. (1)Patsy Harkins & (2) Sharon ___.
vii. Patricia Ethier m. Luke Faught. Ethier, Patricia Mary Faught
2. Hector Ethier (1905 -1983) m. “Kitty” Fraser and lived in Copper Cliff, ON.
3. Irene Ethier ( 1906 – ) m. Dennis Pappin. They also live in Copper Cliff, ON.
5. Emmett Ethier (1910 -1914)
6. Dorothy Ethier m. William “Bill” Daly and lived in Ottawa, ON.
Many of the Ethier boys were skilled hockey players and played for Westmeath Teams.
Edward Ethier (Hickey) and Celina Dupuy (Dupuis)
Edward, son of Joseph Ethier and Isabelle Bouquet, has the first usage of “Hickey” used in the records. Edward m. Celina Dupuy in Gower Point in July of 1892. Dupuy may be a misspelling of Dupuis in the early records.
The children of Eward Ethier (1866- ) m. Celina Dupuis (1871- ) were:
1. Alexander Ethier ( -1993), in Carleton, ON., m. ____ and ran a barber shop. Their children all stayed in Westmeath Township and they were:
i. Joseph Edward Ethier (1917-2002) m. Vera Gervais Ethier, Joseph Edward. Their children are: Murray Ethier; Michael Ethier m. Madelaine __; Raymond Ethier m. Leona___; and Ralph Ethier m. Tammy___
ii. Laurette Ethier m. Emard Couturier
iii. Vivian Ethier (1922-2006) m. Jack Gilchrist Gilchrist, Vivian Ethier. Their children are: Ronald Gilchrist m. Sherry__; John Gilchrist m. June___; Raymond Gilchrist m. Maria ___; Connie Gilchrist m. Larry Lacroix; Pam Gilchrist m. Terry Yashinskie; Stephen Gilchrist m. Cathy___; Kevin Gilchrist m. Val___; Susan Gilchrist m. David Lessard, Jane Gilchrist m. Kenny Latandresse; Cindy Gilchrist m. Dave LaRiviere.
iv. Emmett Ethier m. Shirley ___, Emmett served with distinction in the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion in WWII. Ethier,Emmett, Doc.Canadian Paratrooper,
v. Frank Ethier m. Claire Dupuis (1929-2006) Ethier, Claire Dupuis. Their children are: Paul Ethier m. Huguette ___; Suzanne Ethier m. Wayne Scobie; Cathy Ethier m. Iveson Mulligan; Bernard Ethier m. Debbie__; Duane Ethier m. Marie ___; Chris Ethier m. Eileen__.
vi. Earl Ethier (1929-2009) Ethier, Earl Obituary m. Joan Buelow,
vii. Lillis Ethier m. Vern Couturier
2. Louis Maxine Ethier (1894 – 1917). On 9 June 1917, at age: 23, in La Coulette, France, Louis Maxime Ethier was killed in action in WWI. He served with the Canadian Expeditionary Force and is buried in France.
3. Barbara Ethier (1897-1988) m. Dan Laderoute. See LADEROUTE entry.
4. Joseph Ethier Jr. (1895-1984) m. Stella Shea, and lived in North Bay. They adopted sister Eva’s son Rolly.
5. Maxime Hector Ethier (1902-1903). Died in infancy.
6. Joseph Denis Ethier (1904-1994)
7. Joseph Venant Ethier (1906-1920) lived in Tweed, Ont.
8. Joseph Laurent “Lawrence” Ethier (1908-2000) m. (1) M. Louise Chevalier at age 28 in June 1936 and (2) Vera M Gervais (1920-2006). Their children are:
i. Alda Ethier m. (1) Earl O’Brien and (2) George Sniderham
ii. Dillon Ethier
iii. Merlin Ethier
iv. Denzil Ethier
v. Carl Ethier m. Marjorie ___
vi. Arlene Ethier m. Victor Lacroix
vii. Gwen Ethier
viii. Philip Ethier
ix. Melvin Ethier
9. Marie Anne “Eva” Ethier (1910-2001) m. Leslie James Stratton (1909 – 1987) Children are: Wayne, Wendy, Joanne.