Briand
Pierre-Francoise Briand was born in 1706 at Parame, St. Malo, France, It is estimated he come to Port Toulouse, present day St. Peter’s, Cape Breton, in 1728 or 1729. Pierre-Francoise married Renee Marchand about 1730 at Port Toulouse. Nine children were born to this couple including Celestin born about 1743 in Port Toulouse, Pierre-Francoise died and was buried at Louisburg about 1750.
Following the capture of Louisbourg in 17xx and the dispersion of the Acadians, he and the rest of his family took refuge at Ile de Miquelon and subsequently they were transported to France. Celestin Briand married Isabelle Marguerite Baudry on February 20th, 1764 at Rochefort, France. Francois brought his bride back to Ile de Miquelon and six children were born to this couple including Celestin on May 13, 1765.
Francois-Celestin married Francoise D’Orly about 1785 in Ile de Miquelon. Six children we born to this couple, most being born in Ile de Miquelon with the fifth being born in Nova Scotia in 1807, and sixth being born in Harbour au Bouche in 1816.
Francois Celestin Briand is believed to have brought the Briand/Breen name to Havre Boucher.There are records that show Francois-Celestin was buried in Havre Boucher in 1842. It is suggested that Francois and Francoise came to Harbour au Bouche around 1800. The reasoning behind their coming but family connections are a possibility.
Celestin’s wife Francoise D’Orly had a brother, Jean-Baptiste born in Ile de Miquelon in 1783 and who married Marguerite Gautreau and settled in Tracadie. This may well have influenced Francoise to relocate from Ile de Miquelon to the Tracadie area. Marguerite’s father, Basile Gautreau was awarded a 400 acre land grant in Tracadie in 1787 and he and his wife Marie Madeleine settled in Tracadie with their family, including Marguerite who was born in Chezzetcook about 1782.
Celestin’s oldest son Louis-Francoise married Rosalie LeBlanc about 1801and the six surviving children from this marriage are the progenitors of virtually all the Breen’s in Havre Boucher. Many descend from son Eustache Briand and his three wives; Isabelle Benoit, Marguerite Gerroir and Charlotte Coste.
The Briand surname, like many other early Acadian names was modified over the years with Breen now being the predominant spelling in the Havre Boucher area.