A sense of family history deepens a person's sense of self worth and enhances one's personal identity. We find ourselves somehow connected with those who have gone before us and realize that we are part of something unique in the human experience.

This is but a small part of the Pomerleau family genealogy and history. Canadian members of the Vachon and Pomerleau families have kept excellent records. See the links below and the references page for additional information. The major geographical areas where the family name can be found are Quebec, Montreal, and Toronto. In the United States, the family name can be found in Vermont, Maine, and Minnesota.

All Pomerleaus are direct descendents of Paul Vachon, who was born in the village of La Copechagniere in the parish of La Roche-sur-Yon, Diocese of Lucon, in Poitou (now Vendee) France in 1630. He was a Mason or Brick layer who became a Notaire Royale probably as a result of his partial literacy; apparently his script was illegible. At age 20 he sailed to New France (Canada). On October 22, 1653 at age 23, he married Marguerite Langlois, aged 14 in the Basilica of Notre Dame de Quebec.

They had 12 children (5 boys and 7 girls). One became a priest, one did not marry. The other three sons, as was the custom of the time, was to take a second last name thus creating new branches. The eldest son retained the family name. The three sons became Vachon dit Desfouchette, dit Laminee, dit Pomerleau.

Paul Vachon's second son was Noel Vachon dit Pomerleau. He married Monique Giroux. Their descendants eventually became Vachon or Pomerleau, from whom all of us are descendants. Nous sommes tous Beaucerons.

The patronymic Pamerlaux spelled also as Pamerlot, Pamerleau and finally as Pomerleau. ( R11 )

Variations on the family name spelling have occurred. Spellings of Pomerlioux,Pamerleau, and Pomerlaux have been noted, and it can be said in all probablility that these are all corruptions of "Pomerleau". In the cemetery at St Anne's Church in Hamel contains several grave markers with the spelling "Pumarlo" that date back to the 1800s.

One documented case ( R12 ) is a family branch in Minnesota. A son of Frank Pomerleau, by the name of Miller, had his last name taken down by a clerk as "Pumarlo". Apparently the person taking the information wrote the name down as it sounded to them and did not ask for the proper spelling. Times being what they were, no one had the required funds available to have the name changed back to it's proper spelling. Consequently, there is now a branch which still spells their last name as "Pumarlo".

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Vachons in North America:
1. Paul Vachon's vital statistics.
2. Paul's life, from "Our French-Canadian Ancestors".

A digitally scanned version of Genealogie des Ancêtres et des Decendants de Guillaume Pomerleau, select a page to view: Page 000 001 002 003 004 005 006 007 008 009 010 011 (only 12 pages so far :-)

Pomerleaus in Minnesota:
1. Pomerleau family in Minnesota.
2. Descendants of Ralph and Dorothy.
3. Descendants of David Vachon.
4. Family tree listing for Minnesota
5. St. Anne's Church in Hamel, Minnesota.
6. Atlas and Farmer's Directory of Anoka-Hennepin
   County, Minnesota, (1914) excerpts.
7. A one page article of Pomerleau Jewelry on East Hennepin
   Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota, circa 1954.
8. Family Photographs in JPEG format.
9. Family Obituaries.

LINKS

• Andrew Littlefield's Vachon Family genealogy.
• Pierre Vachon's Vachon Family Home Page. Pages on this site are produced in cooperation with the L'Association des descendants de Paul Vachon and is the best place to learn more about the Vachon family.
• Pomerleau Family Genealogy Forum.
• Vachon Family Genealogy Forum.