Mabe Family Oral History

The following is based on notes taken from two documents on display at l'Auberge Coin du Banc, July, 2002,
and a copy of part of the Mabe family tree, received, with gratitude, from Judy Mabe, of Mississauga:

1518 the Mabille du Chêne family lives in Nevi, near Angers, Anjou, France
1572 Huguenot massacre: Pierre Mabille took his family to Naarden, Holland and adopted the surname Van Naarden
1623 Pierre's grandson emigrated to New Amsterdam, New York, and kept the Van Naarden surname
1660 Caspar (Pierre's great-grandson) changed the surname to (the anglicized form) Mabie
1775 during the American Revolution (on the loyalist side) the surname was Mabie, or Mabee
1783 the Mabees came to St. John, New Brunswick
1785 John and Peter Mabee received land grants in Wallace, Nova Scotia
1792 Frederick Mabee, his wife and eight children, left Nova Scotia and began a two year trek.
They arrived at Turkey Point, in the Long Point Settlement, on Lake Erie, in 1793. He died there in 1794.
His daughter, Polly, married David Secord, whose brother, James, married Laura Ingersoll, who (as Laura Secord) is famous in Canadian history.
David Secord (August 1759-August 9, 1844) was a businessman and political figure in Upper Canada.
He was born in New York City in 1759.
His father served with Butler's Rangers during the American Revolution and David later served as a corporal in the unit.
After the war, they settled at Queenston in Upper Canada; David helped establish the community of St Davids where he built a sawmill, gristmill, blacksmith shop and general store.
His brother James, whose wife was Laura Secord, also settled there.
In 1796, he was appointed justice of the peace in the Home District.
He was elected to the 5th Parliament of Upper Canada representing 2nd Lincoln.
He also served in the local militia, eventually reaching the rank of major.
His buildings at St Davids were destroyed by the Americans during the War of 1812.
He was later elected to the 7th Parliament for 3rd Lincoln.
He died at St. Davids in 1844 and was buried in the Methodist cemetery there.
1804 Peter Mabee arrived at Coin du Banc, Gaspé, Québec
1819 Peter Mabee (based on 15 years' occupation) received 3 grants of land in Malbay township
1843 Peter's widow willed the lots to their son, Philip Mabe (the spelling in the will)
The Mabes fished, sailed schooners hauling freight on the St. Lawrence River, built boats, farmed, and operated saw mills at Coin du Banc.
Three brothers formed Mabe Brothers Company.
One daughter of each brother - Lucy, of Montreal; Meda, of Montreal; and Ada, (Mrs. Duncan Devouge), of Coin du Banc - owned some of the land claims.
Reginald Mabe ran a lumber and sawmill business at Coin du Banc until he moved to Montreal, in 1958.
His son, Gary Mabe, of Munster, Ontario, wrote the original account, in which he notes that his own son, Robert, was the seventh generation Mabe to visit Coin du Banc.

See also:

Mutrie, R[onald] Robert. The Long Point Settlers. Ridgeway, Ontario: Log Cabin Publishing, 1992.
Owen, E[gbert] A[mericus]. With a new introduction by Edward Phelps. Pioneer Sketches of Long Point Settlement,
or Norfolk's Foundation Builders and Their Family Genealogies. Belleville, Ontario: Mika Publishing Limited, 1972.
(Facsimile reprint of 1898 William Briggs publication. Canadiana Reprint Series No. 17.)

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