DenigerToDenecia

Bernard Deniger (DeNiger) was a French Soldier, in the service of his King, during the Indian Wars in Canada, in the 1660s. Bernard was born in France on or about 1627. At the end of the wars, Bernard took advantage of an offer, by the King & made to all of the soldiers in Canada at the time, to remain there, with a grant of land and the offer of a wife.

He married Marguerite Raisin', a young French girl who traveled to Canada with a number of other young French Ladies, all destined to become wives of the those soldiers who chose to remain in Canada as settlers. Marguerite was born in Troyes, France around 1651. They were married in LaPrarie, Quebec in 1669, where they raised a large family. Bernard & Marguerite remained in LaPrarie for the remainder of their lives.

This is a brief History of the DeNiger to Denesha Family Origins. This is part of the branch which came from Canada into Constable, New York.

Written By: Fred Bova of Burke, N.Y. ( Jan 1982 ) ( Mr. & Mrs.Bova are now deceased )

In April 1665, King Louis, XIV of France sent a regiment of French Soldiers to Quebec (New France) to protect the French Settlers from Indians and the English fur traders, who were affecting their fur business.

In 1667, when their term of service was ended, King Louis decided to grand land & privileges to those who elected to remain in Canada. Among those who decided to stay was Bernard DeNiger. To make his offer more appealing to his soldiers, King Louis sent a shipload of young women to be brides. Among those young women was Marguerite Raisin' of Troyes, France. She became the wife of Bernard DeNiger in 1669, where they settled.

In 1796, Pierre (Peter) DeNiger (Great-great Grandson of Bernard & Marguerite) was born at St. Constant, Quebec. Around 1832, he married Marie Francoise Bisallion (baptized in 1812) and settled in St. Chrysotome, Quebec. Pierre died in St. Chrysotome in 1848, leaving Marie with Eleven Children. The eldest was Albert (14 yrs) and the youngest was Catherine ( less than one year old).

Shortly after Pierres (Peters) death, Marie Francoise and her family moved to Constable, N.Y. This is when the family name began to be spelled "Denesha".

Marie purchased a plot of land on Maple Street in Constable, where she built a house. Later, a son, ( Moses ) had a blacksmith shop on this plot of land. Then, Marie donated a piece of the land for the erection of a Catholic Church (St. Francis). The church was built by her sons, Albert, Peter and Moses, on the corner of Maple and Fountain Streets, where the modern St. Francis Church now stands.

Marie Francoise died in 1879 and is buried in Moses lot in the St. Francis Cemetary.

In 1856, Albert married Mary LaFerrier and they settled in Constable. Albert died in 1910 and Mary died in 1875. Both are buried in their lot in St. Francis Cemetary.

Albert and Marys oldest son, David C. Denesha, married Mary Disotelle, daughter of Silas Disotelle and Harriet Sylvan, in Notre Dame Church , in Malone, N.Y. on October 7, 1883.

David C. Denesha died on August 5, 1938 and his wife Mary, died on March 11, 1946. Both are buried in New Bedford, Massachusetts. To their Union, Eleven children were born: Theodore, Bertha, Agnes, Hubert, David, Willard, William, Clarence, Mae, Floyd and Dorothy.

Mae, born on July 19, 1893, married Fred A. Bova on May 7, 1919 and they still reside on the Home Farm, "Melody Lane", in Burke, N.Y.

*** This was written in 1982. by "Fred A. Bova"