Process: Sigefroi et Herméline Lapalme

Lapalme Waterway Saint-Esprit, Montcalm, Lanaudière, Québec, CA	Cours d'eau Lapalme Saint-Esprit, Montcalm, Lanaudière, Quebec, CA
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Corresponding with another person doing genealogical research on the Lapalme family, I found out that we were distant cousins: my great-great-great-grandfather Sigefroi Lapalme (1827) was the brother of his relative, Théophile. While updating my files, I realized that some of my Lapalme waypoints for the tongue rug were situated near my ancestors' birthplaces.

The Lapalmes can be traced back to Martin Janson (1605) in St-Sulpice, Paris, France. I was able to mark thirteen generations on the map. Though my water icons do ressemble Easter eggs somewhat, it still gives me a general idea of the influence of family groupings on toponymy.

 

View Lapalme Ancestors in Canada in a larger map

 

In fact, the last waypoint I visited, Lapalme Waterway (LA-3) near L’Assomption, was indeed the birthplace, or at least the residence, of five generations of Lapalmes.

• Christophe Jeanson dit Lapalme (b. Jul 19, 1694 in Québec (Québec), d. Aug 20, 1778, L'Assomption, Québec.)
• Louis Janson (Jeanson dit Lapalme) (b. Sep 12, Apx. 1730, Pointe-aux-Tremble, Québec, d. June 9, 1802, L'Assomption, Québec)
• Louis-Marie Janson-Lapalme (b. Aug 27, 1758, St-Pierre-du-Portage, L'Assomption, Québec, d. Mar 4, Apx. 1819, L'Assomption, Québec)
• Louis Jeanson (Janson) (b. Sep 24, 1799, d. March 24, 1877, L'Assomption, Québec)
• Louis Janson (Jeanson-Lapalme) (b. Dec 9, 1830, St-Pierre-du-Portage, L'Assomption, Québec)
• Sigefroi Lapalme (b. Mar 15, 1825, St-Esprit, Québec, d. April 28, 1896, Embrun, Russell, Ontario)

Sigefroi Lapalme had moved to the largely French-speaking agricultural community of Embrun in Eastern Ontario where my grand-father was born two generations later.

I would have matched the placenames and the Lapalme lineage much sooner if it were not for the fact that my computer had been stolen a few years ago. I lost many personal files and even artwork related to the Tongue Rug project. I was devastated at the time, but I eventually just started over. I thought it ironic that I was once again reconstituting missing information — piecing together parts of my family history much like the crafting of a traditional tongue rug.