Oral History

Mabe Family

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, arriving at Turkey Point, in the Long Point Settlement, on Lake Erie, in 1793. He died there in 1794. (His daughter, Polly, married David Secord. Their daughter, Laura, is famous in Canadian history.)

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.

Quoted with the permission of the Mabe family.

See also:

• Paul Maloney, Mississauga, Ontario, 2005.

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