Pierre II Surette facts for kids

Pierre II Surette (born December 9, 1709 – died 1789) was an important figure in Acadian history. He was part of the Acadian and Wabanaki Confederacy groups that resisted the British Empire in a region called Acadia. This area is now part of Canada.

Pierre was born in Port-Royal in 1709. He got married in Grand-Pre on September 30, 1732. After a big war ended in 1763, he was set free from a prison in Halifax. He then made his home in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia.

Early Life and Family

Pierre II Surette's father, also named Pierre, was born in France. He was a sailor and a farmer. In February 1709, he married Jeanne Pellerin at Port Royal. This place is now known as Annapolis Royal.

Pierre's parents stayed in Port Royal. They lived in the St.-Laurent area, near what is now the upper Annapolis River. His father worked on a sailing ship. He passed away in Port Royal in 1749 when he was 70 years old.

Pierre's mother, Jeanne, died in Québec in 1758. This was during a difficult time called Le Grand Dérangement. This was when many Acadians were forced to leave their homes. She was also 70 years old.

Pierre II was their oldest son. He was born in December 1709. He married Catherine in Grand-Pré in 1732. They lived in Minas before moving to Petitcoudiac.

Fighting in the French and Indian War

During the French and Indian War, life was very hard for Acadians. Many were being forced out of their homes. This event is known as the Expulsion of the Acadians.

On February 26, 1756, Pierre II Surette led a brave escape. He and eighty other Acadians escaped from Fort Cumberland. This fort used to be called Fort Beauséjour. They dug a tunnel using old horse bones to get out!

These families hid in the woods. They managed to avoid the British for two years. However, they suffered greatly from hunger during this time.

By 1759, Pierre and his family joined other Acadian refugees. They were in Miramichi, near the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Life there was still very tough.

On November 18, 1759, Pierre and two other Acadian leaders gave up to the British. But the next spring, Pierre rejoined the fight. He was at Restigouche.

In the summer of 1760, British forces captured Restigouche. Pierre and his family were then sent to a prison camp in Nova Scotia. They stayed there until the war ended in 1763.

Life After the War

After the war, Pierre and his family were set free. They decided to stay in Nova Scotia. They settled in Chezzetcook, which is near Halifax.

Around 1770, Pierre and his family moved again. They went to Ste. Anne du Ruisseau, Nova Scotia. This area is now called Pointe-à-Rocco. Three of his sons-in-law, Joseph Babin, Jean Bourque, and Dominique Pothier, moved with them.

These four men are the ancestors of many Acadian families living in Yarmouth County today.