He was from New Carlisle, Quebec, but left New Carlisle at a young age: we estimate he was 15, 16, or 17 years old.  He didn't get along with his English only speaking stepmother Anne Lane. He decided to go work on large ships in Quebec City. ®4162

“Jean-Baptiste McKay (c.1814-1869), son of Alexandre McKay (1775-1857) and Rose LePage (1781-1826), was very young when he decided to go work on large ships in Quebec City. [1] We estimate he was around 16 years old when he left New Carlisle for Quebec City, probably around 1830. His father would have preferred that he stayed on, to help him out on the large farm they owned (approximately 100 acres), but Jean-Baptiste McKay was very determined to leave. He may not have gotten along particularly well with his recent English speaking only stepmother Anne Lane (1775-1847), widow of Hector Morrison (1772-1823), whom Alexander McKay married on 07 August of 1827.

It was during his stay in Quebec City that Jean-Baptiste McKay worked with fellow mate Guillaume Maranda [2] on many of the large ships in the Quebec City Harbor. The work was very hard for these two young sailors. Working on board ships usually entailed an advance in pay.

It should be noted that, from June of 1832 to September of 1832, a cholera epidemic killed almost 3000 persons alone in Quebec City. Large ships were not allowed to anchor with passengers or personnel in the Quebec City Harbor, who would be later quarantined at "Grosse Ile", where ships were thoroughly cleaned. These restrictions continued in place for 1833, and for 1834, which saw another outbreak of the cholera epidemic. [3]

For whatever reasons, it would appear that at some point, Jean-Baptiste McKay liberated Guillaume Maranda aboard one of these quarantined ships. After having set him free, and with an advance of pay in his hands, it was better for both of them to flee as far away as they could go because justice was ferocious and swift in those days. They could have been deported to the Colonies. The two, it is believed, hopped on another ship that was headed for Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada. Once in Miramichi, they borrowed a small row boat and headed for Richiboucto-Village because Jean-Baptiste McKay had heard from his grandmother, Rose Arsenault, of distant relatives (family of Pierre Arsenault) [4] living there.

Upon arrival in Richiboucto-Village, during the summer of 1833, the first place Jean-Baptiste McKay headed for was the town blacksmith, Augustin Maillet's house. He was trying to find tools to undo the hidden chains wrapping Guillaume Maranda's legs/arms by asking Augustin Maillet for a job as a blacksmith. Augustin offered him a job as a laborer, which was fine, because both of them were in hiding until all danger had passed. Augustin's daughter, Catherine, would feed them in the meantime. [5] Although Jean-Baptiste McKay was at least four years younger than Catherine, their relationship grew and the rest, as they say, is history. [6] Jean-Baptiste McKay was married to Catherine Maillet on 14 April 1834, in the Richiboucto-Village Catholic Church, Richiboucto-Village, New Brunswick, Canada. [7]

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1. As reported by Ernestine McCaie-Collette, in written form, to nephew John (Jean-Paul) McCaie, son of Francois McCaie and Stella Despres, which can be viewed at www.mccaie.com.

2. Guillaume Maranda, originally from Sainte-Foy, Quebec, was born on 09 January in 1814, the son of Pierre Maranda and Marie Mainguy. Guillaume Maranda was godfather to one of the many children of Catherine Maillet and Jean-Baptiste McKay.

3. Historical information supplied by Quebec genealogist, Marianne LeClere-LeBlanc, now residing at Sainte-Julienne, Lanaudiere, Quebec.

4. Pierre Arsenault was Rose Arsenault's second cousin. Pierre Arsenault and his entire family left Bonaventure, Quebec, in 1790, to settle in Richiboucto-Village, New Brunswick, Canada.

5. Statement made in the summer of 1979, by Jean-Baptiste McCaie, son of Sylvain McCaie and Annie DesRoches, at the residence of his sisters, Ernestine McCaie-Collette and Alice McCaie, in Rogersville, New Brunswick, Canada.

6. Ibid.

7. Richiboucto-Village Catholic Parish Register - 1834. A.D. Page not numbered.” ®4162