French Canadian godparents

[VivienR]

Hi

Just wondering if anyone had more information than I do on the role of godparents in Quebec during the 1800s.  The child is illegitimate so there is no mention of the parents but there are godparents mentioned in the baptism record.  I am hoping that the godparents could be related to the child.

Thanks for any light you can shed on this.
Vivien

[eileenwilson]

The "role" of the godparents was to ensure that the child was raised in the faith be it Catholic or otherwise. Even if the child was illegitimate, wasn't the mother named? Who was chosen as godparents could have been anyone especially if they didn't know who the child was.

[VivienR]

No unfortunately no mention of the mother and I am not even sure that this is the right record.  So far I am no closer to finding out who my 4xggrandfather is. Thanks for the reply.  Really looking for a needle in the haystack at this point.
Regards
Vivien

[eileenwilson]

Do you have a link to the record or any more information about whom you are seeking?

[VivienR]

I hope this works.  So here's the baptism record that could be my 4xggrandfather.  The information I have from the 1851 census is that Joseph Belzile was 13 years and was born in Cacouna.  He was living with his adopted parents Eloi Gagnon and Auzille Levesque.  The attached record is a baptism record for an illegitimate Joseph in 1839 in Cacouna.  The godparents are Jean Dubois and Angelique Lizotte(?)  I found a Jean Remi Dubois living in Cacouna but no trace of an Angelique Lizotte but still looking.

Regards
Vivien

[eileenwilson]

Found him in the 1852 Census (ages given are next birthday), I find Joseph Belsil born in St. George's (de Cacouna). Just posting link here for others:

http://automatedgenealogy.com/census52/SplitView.jsp?id=44427

[eileenwilson]

Several other illegitimate births in those records and most of them say the parents are unknown (inconnu), but Joseph's entry says parents illeg. (illegitimate).

[VivienR]

Hi Eileen

Just wondering how likely you think this baptism record is for the same Joseph in the 1851 census?

Regards
Vivien

[eileenwilson]

So hard to know.  Where did the Belzil surname come from? Does he marry and if so, does it name his parents?