Philip Long

Early life

Although controversial, 1742 is a likely birth year of Philip Long based on information in his death certificate in 1832 and the 1831 Census in Clair, New Brunswick. Oral history seems to point to his possible birth in Europe. He is said to be of Scottish ancestry, to have immigrated to the North American Continent in the New England area, and to have likely lived in Philadelphia. There is no documentary evidence to support this oral history at this time.

Another possible birth year of 1757 was deduced by Mgr. Lang based on oral history whereby Philip Long committed an act of bravery (for which there is documentary evidence) at the age of 18 (note: there is no documentary evidence for this age), and that he committed this act in 1775. The latter year is referenced by Philip Long in one of his letters as the year where “Since the year 1775, for my King and country …”. However, there is real uncertainty that Philip was in fact referring to the year when he committed his act of bravery. Instead, it is more likely that he was referring to the beginning of his expressed Loyalism to the Crown. The year 1757 is inconsistent with the documentary evidence uncovered to date.

1742-1774

1742 – Although controversial, this is the likely birth year of Philip Long based on information in his death certificate in 1832 and the 1831 Census in Clair. Oral history seems to point to his possible birth in Europe. He is said to be of Scottish ancestry, to have immigrated to the North American Continent in the New England area, and to have likely lived in Philadelphia. There is no documentary evidence to support this oral history at this time.

1757 - Birth year deduced by Mgr. Lang based on oral history whereby Philip Long committed an act of bravery (for which there is documentary evidence) at the age of 18 (note: there is no documentary evidence for this age), and that he committed this act in 1775. The latter year is referenced by Philip Long in one of his letters as the year where “Since the year 1775, for my King and country …”. However, there is real uncertainty that Philip was in fact referring to the year when he committed his act of bravery. Instead, it is more likely that he was referring to the beginning of his expressed Loyalism to the Crown. The year 1757 is inconsistent with the documentary evidence uncovered to date.

1775

Philip Long references this year in a letter he wrote to Governor General Lord Sherbrooke in 1816 where he states: “It his well known by a great many Respectable people how much I have Done and Suffered Since the year 1775 for my King and Country …”. We believe that this date is more consistent with Philip’s earliest moment of his expression of loyalty to his King and Country, either informally or through the accepted standard at the time, that is, an oath of loyalty. There is no documentary evidence to support either view at this time. It is the only date of great significance that Philip ever wrote about in all of his known correspondence.

1776

November 7, 1776 - Birth of Marie-Julie Josephte Couillard-Després in Montmagny, Quebec on November 7, 1776. She was the daughter of Emmanuel Couillard-Després, captain of the local militia in Cap St. Ignace (sources: Mgr. Ernest Lang. Gilles Long). She would become the wife of Philip Long in 1792.

1781

May 8, 1781 – A Philip Long is listed as “Deserted” (meaning illegally or unexplicably absent at the time of the Muster). This is information contained in the Muster Roll of the West Florida Royal Forresters, under command of Captain Adam Chrystie, dated June 24 th 1781, and mustered at New Town, Long Island, New York. We have not yet uncovered evidence that links this Philip Long with our ancestor. Chrystie was a rich land owner from Mobile, and he became the first (and only) Speaker of the Assembly for British West Florida in 1781.

June 7th, 1781 - Publication in the Royal Georgia Gazette of the Announcement for the “Raising of a new Troop of Light Cavalry, by order of Lord Rawdon, to be under the Command of Lieutenant Colonel George Campbell and Captain Isaac Attwood”.

December 24, 1781 - Muster Roll of the King’s American Regiment (KAR), Captain Isaac Attwood’s Company, a Troop of Cavalry, dated from October 24, 1781 to December 24, 1781, inclusively, and taken at Savannah, Georgia. Philip Long is mustered as Private No. 15. This is the first documented record of our ancestor Philip Long.

1782

June 24th, 1782 - Muster Roll of the King’s American Regiment (KAR), Captain Isaac Attwood’s Company, a Troop of Cavalry, dated from April 25th to June 24th, 1782, and taken at Savannah, Georgia. Philip Long is mentioned as Private No. 9 in this Muster.

1783

January 23, 1783 - Muster Roll of the King’s American Regiment (KAR), Captain Isaac Attwood’s Company, a Troop of Cavalry, dated January 23, 1783 at Flushing Fly, Long Island, New York.

June 24th, 1783 - Muster Roll of the King’s American Regiment (KAR), Lieutenant Colonel George Campbell’s Company, commanded by Colonel Edmund Fanning, and taken from the 24th December, 1782 to June 24th, 1783, 182 days inclusive, at a Camp in New Town, Long Island, New York. Philip Long is listed as Private and also as “On Guard in New Town” on the day of the Muster.

August 9th, 1783 - Muster Roll of the King’s American Regiment (KAR), Lieutenant Colonel George Campbell’s Company, dated 9th August 1783 at Camp on Long Island, New York. Philip Long is listed as Private.

September 2, 1783 - Muster Roll of the King’s American Regiment (KAR), Lieutenant Colonel George Campbell’s Company, dated September 2, 1783 at a Camp on Long Island, New York. Philip Long is listed as Private.

September 15, 1783 - The KAR was transported to St John, New Brunswick in the last few ships of what is called the Fall Fleet. It is likely that Philip Long was transported on either the King George (275 tons with 140 members of the KAR); or the William (282 tons with 161 members of the KAR). They were supposed to have left New York on the 3rd but instead their departure was delayed until September 15th. The William arrived at St. John on September 27, 1783. The King George arrived at St. John on September 30th, 1783. The returns show that the KAR comprised 10 Companies, 20 Surgeons, 208 Regular Soldiers of Foot and 22 Officers.

October 23, 1783 - The KAR is decommissioned at St. John’s, in the future Province of New Brunswick. Every soldier is given two weeks of pay.

1784-1789 Loyalist settler and courier

January, 1784 – The tracts of land up the St John River were allocated to the various Regiments. Block No. 6 (also confusingly referred to as No. 4!), Canterbury, was assigned to the King’s American Regiment, and was ultimately granted to Tristram Hillman and 62 others (including Philip Long), on August 17, 1787. However, the members of the KAR would have known since January 1784 that Block No. 6 was theirs and we know that some members made their way to their new lands quite early. Captain Isaac Attwood is reputed to have been the “first white man to make it so far up the St John River”, and he is said to have “hired private soldiers to help clear his land and that he had cleared over 40 acres by the Summer of 1784). The Granting of land at Parrtown and then up the St. John River faced unacceptable delays and was fraught with irregularities. One of the most outspoken advocates against the system of land distribution was one Tertullus Dickenson, who would also be one of the first elected members of the Council that was supposed to rule St. John. His election and that of other men was dismissed and instead, men considered fo the establishment were put in charge of the yound City.

April 21, 1784 – Surveyor General of Nova Scotia orders the laying out of a town at Ft. Ann “with streets no less than 60 feet wide and at right angles”. As of July 25, 1784, no house had made an appearance.

July 17, 1784 - Grant by Governor General Frederick Haldimand, Commander in Chief in Lower Canada, of 500 acreas of land at Lake Temiscouata to David Higginbotham, formerly Corporal in the 31th Regiment of Foot, and at this time, an Indian Courier of the King’s Mails.

September 15, 1784 – Memorial by a number of decommissioned soldiers from the KAR and other Regiments to Edmund Fanning, Lieutenant Governor General of Nova Scotia, dated September 15, 1784 at St. Ann on the River St. John. Governor Parr would approve the grant of two acres of land to the Memorialists. Philip Long’s name is among the memorialists. We do not yet know which lot was received by Philip Long.

1785

January or February, 1785 – Governor Thomas Carleton, William Hazen, Jonathan Odell, and Thomas Knox went up the St John River, looked over the site of the new town at St. Ann, and decided to make St. Ann the Capital of the new Province of New Brunswick (New Ireland was also discussed at the time as a possible name but later rejected). Philip Long’s two acres of land would have appreciated in value immediately! Unfortunately, the town was to be re-surveyed with lots of a quarter acre each, 66 feet by 165. The officers who had drawn lots in the new town plot, or, if a house had been built, the lot on which the house stood, if they complied with the conditions. They were to accept in writing, and must, before the 1st of August, commence to build a house at least 16 by 20 feet, and cover it from the weather before a grant could pass.

August 5, 1785 - The name of Philip Long appears in a document signed and attested by Captain Isaac Attwood, entitled “Return of settlers on Block No. 4 assigned to the King’s American late Regiment of Foot including also the Settlers on the upper part of Block No. 5 assigned to the Queens Rangers, 5 August 1785”. He is also listed as having one “woman” with him as part of this Return. The status of this “woman” is not known at this time.

A post office is established at Fredericton, New Brunswick.

1786

July 12, 1786 - Memorial on behalf of Isaac Attwood, Captain of the King’s Regiment late of Foot, for the granting to Attwood of an island called “Fall Island” upstream from his soon-to-be granted lots of land. Philip Long signed this Memorial.

1787

August 7, 1787 – Return of Settlers in the vicinity of Block No. 4 (should be Blck No. 6). It is attested by Captain Isaac Attwood, surveyed by Mr. Allen, for the King’s American late of Foot, in the Parish of Canterbury, and mentions 43 grantees. Philip Long is NOT listed in the group of grantees, and there is no mention of Lot 49 [the list ends at lot 29].

August 17, 1787 - Philip Long is granted 196 acres of land, lot 49 of 121 lots available, in the vicinity of Canterbury (South of Woodstock, near Meductic) on August 17, 1787. He receives this lot along with his other colleagues who were part of the KAR. They had picked Block No. 4 through a lottery a year or so earlier (date is unconfirmed). Philip Long, it appears from other records, would never make improvements on this lot of land, and it would later be transferred to Reuben Chace Senior in 1803. Philips’ whereabouts are unknown at this time.

August 30, 1787 - Report by Hugh Finlay, Deputy Postmaster General for Lower Canada, on the state of the road and communications between Riviere du Loup in Lower Canada, and Frederiction, New Brunswick. There are mentions of David Higginbotham’s landing place at the head of Lake Temiscouata (the future location for the Long family in 1809).

1787 – Mail service between Saint John and Fredericton, New Brunswick is established.

1788

April 5, 1788 - Hugh Finlay is awarded a new commission as Deputy Postmaster General for the Provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. He had made the suggestion, in his Report in 1787, that this position be created.

1789

1790-1808 Courier to the King

1791

Philip Long likely becomes a courier for the King’s Mails, between the years 1786 to 1792. He “removed” to Lower Canada sometime in this period (Esther Clark Wright). We know his first, likely exact address in Lower Canada in 1792 from his marriage certificate – Cap St. Ignace.

Patrick Campbell travels in North America and meets David Higginbotham, Captain Isaac Attwood and visits the location of Higginbotham’s house at the Head of Lake Temiscouata.

1792

December 6, 1792 - Philip Long of Cape St-Ignace marries Marie-Julie Couillard-Després, from the Parish of L'Islet, in the Holy Trinity Church of Quebec City, the main Anglican Church at Quebec City. The officiating Minister was David Francis De Montmollin while David Higginbotham (Merchant), Andrew Johnston (Cooper) and Murdoch MacKenzie (Cooper) were witnesses. This Church had been built on the same site as the Recollet Church that had burnt down.

1794

March 6, 1794 - Baptism of Marie-Julie Long, first born of Philip and Marie Julie, at L’Ile Verte (near Riviere du Loup). From this record we infer that Philip and his family were now living at L’Ile Verte or very nearby. We know they would live there at least until late 1798, and possibly as late as sometime in 1800.

1795

February 18, 1795 - Sale of the Couillard-Despés inheritance, including a parcel of land, by Philip Long and Marie-Julie Couillard Després, to Alexander Croak (Kirouak).

April 25, 1795 - Death of Marie-Julie Long, first born, on April 25, 1795. She was buried at l’Ile Verte.

1796

November 20, 1796 - Baptism of Marie Judith Long on November 20, 1796 at l’Ile Verte.

1797

February 6, 1797 - Purchase of a piece of land by Philip Long from Joseph Fraser at Notre Dame du Portage on February 6, 1797. This parcel of land is located near the entrance to the Protage du Canada on the banks of the St- Lawrence.

April 6, 1797 - Birth and death of an anonymous child on April 16, 1797. We do not know the gender of the child.

The name of Phillip Long appears in the records office in Rivière-du-Loup under courier-farmer. His residence is at the northern extremity of the portage from Lake Temiscouata.

1798

March 31, 1798 – Birth of Constance Long at l’Ile Verte, Quebec.

April 8, 1798 – Baptism of Constance Long at l’Ile Verte, Quebec.

September 14-15, 1798 - The Grand Voyer, Gabriel Tashereau, “Minister for the Roads”, of the Quebec District responded to a request which he had received in March concerning the delineation of some roads in the Saint Patrick Parish in lower River du Loup. Many residents, including Philip Long, objected to the new roads proposed by Tashereau. Philip Long signed this petition and his lot of land is indicated on a map for the area.

November 28, 1798—Sale of the piece of land purchased from Joseph Fraser in 1797, to Michel Nadeau in front of A. Dionne, notary, on November 28, 1798. This piece of land is located at Notre Dame du Portage.

1799

January 1, 1799—David Higginbotham puts Two Hundred and Fifty Arpens for sale. This land is located at the end of the new road (Portage) at Lake Temiscouata. He also puts some land for sale at River des Caps. The notice is dated 12th December, 1798, and it was published in the Gazette of Quebec, January 1, 1799.

October 18, 1799 – Hugh Finlay, Deputy Postmaster General for Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick is dismissed from the Post Office for financial misconduct . 1800 April 1, 1800 – George Heriot is appointed Deputy Postmaster General for Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

September 28, 1800—Birth of Jean-Baptiste Long, on September 28, 1800, in St-André of Kamouraska. He was baptized at St-André of Kamouraska, Quebec.

1801

1802

Philip Long and his family likely moved sometime between September 1800 and July 1803 to Quebec City. This is based on the baptism records for the children born in those years.

Mgr. Denault is likely to have visited or traveled through the location of what would become Long’s farm during this year.

1803

July 9, 1803 - Birth of Edouard-Narcisse Long on July 1803. He died on March 26, 1804 at Quebec City. He was born in Quebec City and baptized at the Notre Dame de Quebec Cathedral.

February 4, 1803 - Reuben Chace Senior and his son Reuben Chace Junior send a Memorial to George Sproule, Surveyor General, requesting that he had never had land granted to him and that he was a shoe maker by trade. He requests that due to illness, he had to settle on a vacant lot of land, No. 50, in Grant 121, in the Parish of Woodstock. He therefore requests a grant of this land and the grant to No. 49, once granted to Philip Long, but who has never made any improvements to the land since receiving it. They also request that Lot 48 be given to Reuben Chace Junior.

February 19, 1803 – George Sproule, Surveyor General of New Brunswick, receives the Memorial and notes that Lots 48 and 50 are ungranted and that Lot 49 was Granted to Philip Long as part of the Tristram Hillman and Associates Grant in the Parish of Woodstock. He then approves the granting of these losts to the Chace’s, noting that Philip Long is an “absentee on the Grant”. The Grant was to be registered on October 28, 1805. We now know that Thankful, daughter of Reuben Chace Senior, married Tertullus Dickenson. Tertullus would later be involved in a land transaction between Philip and Marie-Julie who sold Lot 2 in 1809.

1804

1805

March 25, 1805 - Birth of Julie Hortanse Long on March 25, 1805. She died on December 20, 1805 in Quebec City. She was baptized in the Notre Dame de Quebec Cathedral. (At birth, her name was Julie while at her death, the register indicates her name as Julie Hortanse).

July 15, 1805 - Philip Long signs a receipt to Father Pinet of Kamouraska whereby a certain sum of money is to be given, by Philip Long, to a sculptor in Quebec City. This receipt was signed in front of Thomas Pitt, Notary. We do not know more about this sculpture but we know that the sculptor was a Master Sculptor and a famous one at the time.

May 15, 1805 - Philip Long and his family are residing in Quebec City at 16, rue Ste. Ursule. We find his name in the census by Mgr. Plessis under: « Phil Loan, 1 protestant, 4 catholics – 12 St. Ursule «. The four catholics likely included Marie-Julie Couillard-Despres and three children: Marie-Judith Long, Constance Long et Jean-Baptiste Long.

January 16, 1805? – Visit at Lake Temiscouata, by George Head, described in his A Diary of a Winter's Route From Halifax to the Canadas.

1806

October 23, 1806 - Birth of Philippe Long (II) at l’Islet, Quebec (birthplace of his mother Marie-Julie Couillard-Després). This means that sometime between July 1805 and October 1806, Philip and his family moved from Quebec City to l’Islet.

1807

1808

March 29, 1808 - Etienne Michaud is retained on March 29, 1808 as courier for Philip Long, described as courrier of Allifax (sic), to ensure the transport of letters and packages between Quebec City and Grand Falls, New Brunswick. Philip Long chose Islet du Bon Secours as his domicile for the purposes of fulfilling this contract.

April 10, 1808 - Birth of Emmanuel Long on April 10, 1808 at l’Islet, Quebec. There has been no further information uncovered on this child, and any descendants (if there were any).

1809-1813 Family moves to Lake Temiscouata: Early years

1809

March 24, 1809 - Sale of parcel of Land by Philip Long and Marie Julie Couillard Després to Tertellus Dickenson. The land, Lot. Two, was in the Grant to the late King's American Regiment in the Parish of Woodstock. The Transaction is dated March 4, 1809.

July 1809 - Philip Long and his family are settled at the northern edge of Lake Temiscouata in July of 1809. He is posted there under the orders of the Governor James Craig and Postmaster General Hugh Finlay. This information comes to us through a letter written later by the Postmaster General, George Heriot in 1811.

December 26, 1809 - Birth of George Long on December 26, 1809. He was born at Lake Temiscouata and baptized in St-Basile, New Brunswick. He is the first Long baptized in Madawaska.

1810

1811

1811 - Letter from Philip Long to Sir James Craig, 1811, Quebec City. A copy of this letter has yet to be found. However, we know that it existed since it is mentioned in Heriot's letter of March 27, 1811. Much research has been expended to find this elusive document but so far in vain.

March 27, 1811 - Letter from George Heriot, Postmaster General of Lower Canada, to Lieutenant Colonel Thornton, on March 27, 1811, in Quebec City. Philip Long wrote a petition to Sir James Craig advising him that his annual salary had not been paid since December 12, 1810. This letter also shows that the government believed that Long was not using his money "in the best way Possible", and that they recommended that he and his family receive five bushels of wheat instead. Long did not agree with this situation and appears to have won his point with Heriot.

April 8, 1811 - Birth of Romain Long (Memen – perhaps for Mailman or a contraction of Romain developed from a child’s perspective) on April 8, 1811 at Lake Temiscouata. He was later baptized at St-Basile, NB.

September 10, 1811 - Mgr. Plessis and his group visit and stay the night on September 10, 1811 at Long’s Farm at Lake Temiscouata. His Secretary, Père Painchaud would later write a Journal of the travels where Philip was referred to as “John Lang”! This would cause endless confusion about Philip’s name or who in fact was this John Lang.

December 11, 1811 - A letter signed by George Heriot, Deputy Minister for the Mails, and dated December 11, 1811 mentions Philip Long. This letter from Heriot gives us some interesting information on a few things: the reasons why Long and his family moved to Lake Temiscouata; the fact that he had almost lost his eyesight; that Sir James Craig had personally authorized a salary of two shillings per day to Philip Long; and that he was requesting authorization from Sir George Prevost, the new Commander of the Forces, to continue to receive this annual salary on Long's behalf.

December 16, 1811 - Letter from Noah Freer, Military Secretary, to George Heriot, PostMaster General, dated December 16, 1811, at Quebec City. This letter is in response to Heriot's request to continue payments of two shillings per day to Philip Long, and that these amounts be received by Heriot for Long.

December 16, 1811 - Letter from William Henry Robinson, Commissary General, to authorize payments to Long as per receipt of Noah Freer’s letter of the same date on December 16, 1811 at Quebec City.

1812

1813

October 8, 1813 - Marriage of Constance Long to Pierre Beaudry (called “Matelot”) on October 8, 1813 at St. Roch, Quebec.

December 2, 1813 - Birth of Suzanne Long on December 2, 1813 at Lake Temiscouata. She was baptized at St. Basile, NB.

1814-1827 Lake Temiscouata - Long's Place

February 18, 1814 - On 18 Feb. 1814, Bouchette presented before the House of Assembly his project to produce a large-scale map of Lower Canada accompanied by his future book, A topographical description of the province of Lower Canada, with remarks upon Upper Canada, and on the relative connexion of both provinces with the United States of America.

March 6, 1814 - The 104th Regiment from New Brunswick stays the night at Long’s Farm on March 6, 1814. They were on their historic march where all 500 men of the regiment walked in winter conditions for 375 miles from Fredericton to Quebec City – without losing a single man – and then onward to Kingston, Ontario. This march took place during the hostilities of the 1812 War with the United States. The arrival of the Regiment is credited by many historians as key factor in deterring further incursions by the American forces further North and thereby possibly changing the course of the War in Britain’s favour.

April 1814 - The Governor General George Prevost stopped over at Long’s Farm on his trip from Quebec City to Saint-John. He was on his way to London, England.

June 30, 1814 - Letter and Report from Joseph Bouchette, Esquire, Surveyor General for Upper and Lower Canada, to Sir George Prevost, Governor in Chief of British North America and Commander in Chief of all Forces, at Quebec City and dated June 30, 1814. The title of the Report is “The Surveyor Genl’s Report upon his return from settling the Veterans & families upon the Portage between Lower Canada and New Brunswick, 30th June, 1814.”

July 30, 1814 - Sir George Prevost was replaced by a long time military man named Sir John Coape, Lord Sherbrooke, Duke of Richmond. Philip Long knew this man – he mentions this fact in his letter of 1816 where he says «… but I hope your Excellency will think only of me as a man of 26 or 30 years acquaintance, of my Conduct will report of me, as to Mail remaining in my house is false which I can prove it never Remained one Day if that it is my Orders and my Duty to take profsesion of and cary it forward Either up or Down which I Surely have Done. »

1815

May 9, 1815 - Marriage between Marie-Judith Long and Jacques Bezeau on May 9, 1815 at the Notre Dame de Quebec Cathedral.

August 12, 1815 – Publication by Joseph Bouchette, Surveyor General for Canada of his famous A topographical description of the province of Lower Canada, with remarks upon Upper Canada, and on the relative connexion of both provinces with the United States of America. This book included a number of beautiful drawings, including our precious Long’s Farm at the Entrance of the Portage of Lake Temiscouata, and the Great Falls of the River S.t John.

November 18, 1815 - A terrible crop year descended on the Long family in Lake Temiscouata and Philip found himself writing a letter seeking help from Governor General Drummond, a man he says he knew. It is likely he met him when Sherbrooke was the commander of the newly created regiment after the landings in Saint-John in 1783. The drastic weather changes were likely due to the explosion of a massive volcano in the Pacific.

November 20, 1815 - Letter from C. Foster, Military Secretary, to William Henry Robinson, Esquire, Commissary General, on November 20, 1815, Quebec City. This note confirms approval of some provisions to Philip Long and his family.

1816

May 1816 – Approximate date of the alleged incident whereby Philip Long was said to have delayed the British Mail by refusing to carry packages and barrels forward across Lake Temiscouata. The complaint was initiated by Lieutenant James Hinks.

July 31, 1816 - Letter from George Heriot, Deputy Minister to the Post Office for Lower Canada, to Lieutenant-Colonel Addison, Military Secretary, July 31, 1816, at Quebec City. This letter is precious because we learn from Heriot's own hand that Philip Long had lost an eye in the service (we presume military service as opposed to post office service but this is not a certainty). There is no mention of the circumstances of this accident. No further information is available on the incident that caused such a handicap.

September 4, 1816 - Letter from Philip Long to Lord Sherbrooke, September 4, 1816, at Lake Temiscouata. Philip Long defends himself against a number of accusations against him, with respect to having detained the Mails and having refused to transport certain provisions belonging to other colonists. These accusations were assessed by the most senior personnel in the Post Office and were found groundless.

October 10, 1816 - Letter from Colonel Addison, Military Secretary, to H. Y. Cowan, Esquire, Postmaster for Quebec, October 10, 1816, at Quebec City. This letter from Addison contains comments on the reputation of our ancestor. It is mentioned that he had always had a conduct beyond reproach.

September 29, 1816 - Declaration by François Robichaud concerning the accusations against Philip Long on the alleged delay of the English Mails, September 23, 1816, at Rivière du Loup. Witness: Joseph Robichaud.

September 23, 1816 - Declaration by Henry Tardie concerning the accusations against Philip Long on the alleged delay of the English Mails, dated September 23, 1816, at Grand River below Madawaska. Witness Louis Mercure.

September 23, 1816 - Declaration by Charles Beaulieu concerning the accusations against Philip Long on the alleged delay of the English Mails, September 23, 1816, at Grand Isle below Madawaska. Witness Louis Mercure.

October 31, 1816 - Letter by Andrew Phair, Postmaster for Fredericton, to H. Y. Cowan, Postmaster for Quebec, October 31, 1816. This letter again defends Philip Long's character. Phair indicates that for all the years that he has known Long, he would not believe him capable of such a misstep. He also indicates that he knows very little of Beaulieu and Tardie even though he has employed them both from time to time. He relates the interesting information that many military men have suggested that Long was always very helpful, including to a certain Colonel.

November 21, 1816 - Letter from H. Cowan, Esquire, Postmaster of Quebec, to Lieutenant-Colonel Addison, Military Secretary, on November 10, 1816, at Quebec City. In this letter, Cowan indicates that Phair was unable to establish the correct facts in the matter of the Lieutenant Hinks’ complaint against Long but that many have intervened on Long’s behalf and that he is satisfied that there is no merit to the complaint, and that Long should continue to receive his annuity payment of two shillings per day. The note also indicates that the explanation satisfied His Excellency.

1817

1818

March 18, 1818 - Contract for the sale of land between Long, Bouchette and Fraser, dated March 18, 1818. This contract for sale between Philip Long, Joseph Bouchette, Surveyor General of Canada, and Alexander Fraser, Seigneur of the Temiscouata Seigneury, probably represents the final relinquishing of Philip Long to all real or perceived claims he might have made owing to his long service and improvements to the land around the Lake. Bouchette and Fraser had just entered a partnership to create a new town at Cabano, then to be known as Strathern and Kent. This sale agreement is dated March 31, 1818. In return, Philip is promised lots 1, 2, and 3 (probably in the new town) as well as two concessions of his choice inside the Seigneury. It is not known which lands or concessions Philip took at that point (if he did at all). Of course, this promise may in itself have led future generations, starving and desperate during the Great Depression of the early 1930's, to believe that this represented the famous "Fortune des Long-Lang". We will probably never know. In this agreement, Philip renounces all claims on the lands surrounding the Lake. In our view, this act actually closes the chapter of the Fortune des Long-Lang since it seems to us that the valuable lands would have been around the lake, not in some unknown part of the Seigneury.

1819

1820

September 29, 1820 - The Birth of Michel Long on September 29, 1820 at Lake Temiscouata. We learn from Mgr. Lang that he was baptized at St. Basile on August 20, 1821. Michel would leave a very large number of descendants. He lived in Clair, New Brunswick for his entire life as far as we know.

1821

1822

August 20, 1822 - Marriage of Jean-Baptiste Long to Marguerite Émond on August 20, 1822

1822 - John Mann, a Scotchman who traveled across the continent, visited our ancestor’s Landing Place (more like an Inn at this point), and described his voyage in his book: Travels in North America - Particularly in the Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, and New Brunswick, and in the states of Maine, Massachusetts, and New York: containing a variety of interesting adventures and disasters, which the author encountered in his journey among the Americans, Dutch, French and Indians. Also several remarkable interpositions of divine providence, in preserving him from dangers, by sea and land, from 1816 to 1823. In this book, Long is described as “The landlord was an American, and could speak English with propriety. The landlady was a French woman from Lower Canada, and consequently all the family spoke the French language. After having some conversation with the old gentleman I retired to bed.”

1823

August 10, 1823 – Report by Major A. E. Elliott, Statement of Stations accupied by pensioners on the line of communication to Madawaska and additional stations recommended. This Report, in two parts, is of great interest to us since it provides some first hand information from Major Elliott about Philip Long and the latter’s view of the lands he had resided on for such a long time. Long was having difficulties having the promised grants made available to him but he had been assured by Seigneur Fraser that he would not have to pay retns to him as long as he stayed on his improved lands but that his sons, if he decided to stay or improve lands, would be dealt with differently. It also gives us some interesting geographical information about the location of Long’s Farm and Inn near the Landing Place, the conditions of his having been placed there by Finlay, Deputy Postmaster General in 1809 (according to a letter of that date – not yet found), and the conditions of rent that Philip does not have to pay to Fraser but that his son’s would if he decided to stay in the vicinity of the Lake. We also discover in the Report that Pierre Matelot (i.e. Methot), also had some land 1 ½ miles below Degele (today Sainte-Rose-du-Dégelis) at the Perche River, and that Methot would be willing to stay in the area if he could only obtain a grant of land.

August 10, 1823 - Letter by Major Elliott to the Earl of Dalhousie, Governor General, August 10, 1823, Quebec City. Major Elliott writes a report of his trip along the Eastern mail route. It includes a listing of his expenses, including the cost of renting a canoe at Long's Landing, and the fact that Jean-Baptiste Long, son of Philip, was hired as a guide and axe man.

September 25, 1823 - Letter from Alexander Fraser to Colonel Darling, Military Secretary, September 25, 1823, from Lake Temiscouata. We learn from this letter that Fraser had accepted to receive, on their behalf, the payments to pensioners directly. Fraser makes the list of those soldiers stationed along the Portage, and mentions that Philip Long should not probably be considered a pensioner like the others since he had been placed there personally by Sir James H. Craig.

1824

May 20, 1824 - Major Elliott writes to Samuel Payne and mentions Philip Long’s Existence which he considers miserable – just like Payne’s. This document is written from Major Elliott and speaks to his recommendation that the widow of Samuel Payne, from Green River, receive his pension. In this letter, we learn that Payne seems to have played a similar role to Long.

August 12, 1824 - Sale of a piece of land between Jean-Baptiste Long, his spouse Marguerite Émond, and Alexander Fraser in 1824, dated August 12, 1824 before notary public Louis Amiot at Riviere du Loup. Witnesses were Pierre Charon et André Marquis. This parcel of land was across the river from Philip’s most recent residence.

1825

1825 - In the Census Temiscouata and Kamouraska in 1825, we find that Philip and his family are still in the vicinity of Lake Temiscouata. Nine people in total in the household were enumerated: Philippe Lang, 60 years and over, (married) (Philip is the only one listed); Marie-Julie, 60 years and over (maried); three kids under the age of six (Suxanne, Michel, Romain) and two kids over 14 and under 18 (likely George and Romain); one male over 18 and less than 25 years old (married – Jean Baptiste) and one female child over 18 and under 45 years old (married - Marguerite Émond).

1826

January 16, 1826 - Letter from Alexander Fraser to Colonel Darling, Military Secretary, January 16, 1826 at Quebec City. Alex Fraser confirms the list of pensioners on the Lake and that he will receive on behalf of the pensioners their pensions. In this letter, Fraser confirms that Long had a special status since he had been placed on the Lake directly by the Governor, and was receiving a different payment. As well, Fraser apparently corrects the list that Darling had sent him where he is listed as Luke Long.

January 26, 1826 - Letter from Peter Durquand, Commissary General, January 16, 1826, Quebec City, to Colonel Darling, Military Secretary. This letter tells us that Durquand needed authority to continue to make the payments to Long of his salary, and this for the whole year, and that William Belanger, Postmaster of Quebec, had been receiving this salary on Long's behalf since Heriot had left his position.

1827

January 5, 1827 - Letter from Philip Long to Colonel Alexander Fraser, January 5, 1827, at Lake Temiscouata. We find out in this letter that Philip owed a certain amount of money to Joseph Michaud, and that he was requesting Alexander Fraser give Michaud a note for this amount that would be redeemable for merchandise with certain merchants in Canada. We also find out that Philip had actually sold all of his lands to Fraser, and that Philip was to receive some money from that sale over the course of the next two years. Even without documentation, we can safely assume that the sale of this land had taken place between 1826 at the latest. It was likely a prepatory step for Philip to his final departure from the Lake Temiscouata region with his family.

Fall 1827 - Jean-Baptiste Long moved his family and probably his father and mother as well to La Petite Décharge (Clair, New Brunswick). We know this because Jean-Baptiste Long made a deposition to Deane and Kavanagh in 1831 while they were surveying the area, and where Jean-Baptiste is quoted as follows: “that he is now thirty-one years of age and upwards; born at the river De Loup [Rivière du Loup in Québec] which crosses the Grand Portage, and twenty years ago his father brought him with the residue of his family to the Lake Temiscouata, and settled at the place where the Grand Portage commences. He resided at that place nineteen years, and in the autumn of the year one thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven, moved to the place where he now resides.”

October 8, 1827 – Second marriage of Constance Long-Beaudry, to Antoine Arton on October 8, 1827.

1828-1832 The Last Portage: Clair

January 22, 1828 - Marriage of Romain (Memen) Long to Marie-Vitaline Theriault on January 22 1828 at St-Basile, New Brunswick.

1828 - Philip Long moves himself and his family (wife: Marie-Julie, and four kids: George, Romain, Suzanne and Michel) to a parcel of land adjacent to a place known locally as “la petite Décharge” (today Clair, New Brunswick – incorporated in 1887). This location is strategic for its military value (it is on the edge of one of the most important navigation routes (River Saint John) and across from the “Décharge” [discharge] of the Fish River) and also rich with giant white pines exclusively used and « reserved » for building the masts of ships. This location will become the foyer of all the descendants of the Long-Lang family line that originated in Madawaska and from the first generation of children of George, Romain and Michel.

1829

Report by Major G. E. Elliott on the Stations along the Portage of Temiscouata in 1829. Long’s Farm is highlighted and the following text can be found: “This Station is on Colonel Frasers’ portion of the Seigniory of Temisquata; it is also subject to the above inconvenient.” The inconvenient is that “… but being on the Seigniory of the River du Loup, this man is subject to be called on for rent for the whole of the period he has been on it; or to be turned off without any remuneration for his labor; although the settlers were afsured they were on government land, I trust they could have the usual grants given them.”

October 2, 1829 - Alexander Fraser writes to Major Elliott where he acquiesces to Major Elliott’s recommendations and relinquishes his rights to 100 acres of land for settlers to render courier work easier.

1830

1830 - Census of the Madawaska County. We find Philip Long and his family enumerated as part of the area in what would be become Clair. Philip is listed as being between 80-90 years of age a range inconsistent with the deduced 1757 birthdate in Mgr. Lang’s history of Philip Long (Lang).

1831

July-August 1831 - The Deane and Kavanagh Report, July-August 1831: Survey of the Madawaska Settlement, Penobscot and Washington Counties (now Aroostook County), Maine and Carleton County (now Madawaska Co.), New Brunswick. The American agents Deane and Kavanagh prepare a Report for the State of Maine describing the geology, demography and development of the disputed regions between the State of Maine and New Brunswick. The report states that Philip Long and his two sons, George and Romain (Marmosie) Long, occupy a parcel of land on the north side of the St. John river, and also possess other lots in the same area since 1828. In this report, the story of the act of bravery is also mentioned and confirmed for Philip Long. He is said to have taken some mails from the American side during the American Revolution and escaped to the British.

1832

August 28, 1832 - Marriage of Suzanne Long to Jacques Hamel on August 28, 1832 at St-Roch de Quebec, Quebec City.

December 25, 1832 - Philip Long dies on December 25, 1832 at the age of ninety (90) years old [per his death certificate]. He is interred in the Ste-Luce cemetery a few days later. This Parish is now in Maine, USA and it is somewhat ironic given his loyalty to, and his role in protecting the border interests of the British Crown, that he would be buried on the American side of the border. It became American soil in 1844.

1833

October 22, 1833 - Marriage of Philip (II) Long-Laing to Emilie Boucher on October 22, 1833 at the Immaculate Conception Church in Three Rivers, Quebec.

November 1833 - "Returns showing the number of Inhabitants in the Settlement of Madawaska". Also knowns as the 1833 New Brunswick Special Census of Madawaska on both sides of the St.John River, Carleton County, New Brunswick (now Madawaska Co., New Brunswick and Aroostook Co., Maine). There are two Long’s for the village of Clair: Romain and George. Romain is listed as having a wife, three boys and one girl. Marie-Julie lives with Romain and is described as “Mother, very poor, requires assistance”.

1834

January 7, 1834 - Marriage between George Edouard Long to Adelaïde Caron on January 7, 1834 at St-Basile, New Brunswick.

1843

February 27, 1843 - Marriage between Michel Long and Emerance Theriault on February 27, 1843 at Cacouna, Quebec.

1844

Signing of the Webster-Ashburton Treaty in 1844 which will draw the boundary between Canada and the United States once and for all.

1857

October 19, 1857 - Marie-Julie Couillard-Després dies on October 19, 1857 at Clair. She was buried in the Ste-Luce Cemetery on October 21, 1857.

1860

October 13, 1860 – Second marriage of Michel Long to Marguerite Thériault, at St. Francois de Madawaska.