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Nicolas Legrand, a stonemason in Roudouallec, was one of the pioneers of Breton emigration to North America, a look back at his story
On July 3, 1852, Nicolas Mathurin Legrand was born in Roudouallec, a small village in Morbihan. His father, Paul, was a stonemason and his mother, Marie Josèphe Legoff, was a seamstress. He was the third child of the couple's five. Nicolas spent all his childhood in Roudouallec, helping his parents with their work and daily life in the Black Mountains.
At the age of 20, while he was also a stonemason, Nicolas was called up for military service. It was there that he made a meeting that would change his life. Indeed, as he recounts in the January 24, 1927 edition of the Dépêche de Brest, it was a comrade from his regiment, the 72nd in Tours, who, during his five years of service, extolled the advantages of a trip to the United States. Back in Roudouallec in September 1877, Nicolas married Marie Françoise Bouedec on December 26, 1877, the same day as his brother Toussaint. Soon, they had two children, Marie Josèphe born on May 26, 1879, then Marie Louise born on September 2, 1880. But life was not easy in Roudouallec, wages were low. Marie Françoise, his wife, accumulated jobs: seamstress, housekeeper, and ironer...
Nicolas declared:
« Soon after, married and then father of two children, I was miserably living on a daily wage of twelve sous. This situation was well suited to remind me of the stories so often heard. »
In 1881, Nicolas set off for Le Havre to board the ship that would take him to North America. He left behind his wife and two daughters, but this would only be temporary. He left with Loeiz Bourhis, a Breton, whom he would never hear from again, and Job Dauphars, a farmer from Gourin, who would die upon his return to Brittany. They then arrived in Canada, and our Breton farmers became loggers. Sometime later, they headed south to the United States to work in factories or farms.
Nicolas recounts:
« There I constantly traveled. In Connecticut, I earned 20 francs a day. In an iron factory in Pennsylvania, 450 francs a month. »
At that time, jobs were easy to find and pay was good; and what an advantage for Breton farmers! After saving some money and accumulating some savings, the three friends decided to return home in 1884.
Upon his return to Roudouallec, Nicolas reunited with his wife and daughters. Soon, from their reunion, Mathurin Guillaume was born on July 22, 1885. Sometime later, it was Louis Marie (January 16, 1888) then Marie Françoise (September 6, 1889) who would complete the small family. His wife was a merchant, innkeeper, and shopkeeper. Nicolas's departure for the New World was seen as an example to follow in the village. He left poor, returned wealthy and happy. What a blessing!
Nicolas recounts in the same newspaper article:
"One evening in 1890, a dozen neighbors, who were leaving for America the next day, were gathered at my place to celebrate. They urged me to accompany them to guide them. Someone wanted to bet that I would go. [...] Finally, these clients declared that they would not pay for the drinks until I boarded with them in Le Havre. "
Although his wife protested, Nicolas left for America with the group. He stayed there for three years before returning to his home, but he declared that he did not regret it; the group paid for him. Today, he is free from want. Upon his return in 1893, three babies will add to the family: Jean Pierre (January 2, 1894), Louise (March 15, 1896), and Anne Marie (February 3, 1904); he was 53 years old. From his transatlantic trips, Nicolas brought back a lot of money—enough to have a house and fields to cultivate in the modest town of Roudouallec.
Nicolas's audacity and courage paid off. He is seen as an example of success, a model to follow. In Gourin, Guiscriff, Leuhan, they only talk about America; they dream of crossing the Atlantic to make their fortune. Nicolas Mathurin Legrand is definitely one of the pioneers of Breton immigration to the United States. Figures show that 115,000 Bretons emigrated to North America between 1880 and 1970. The Breton heritage in the United States is still very much present today, after all…