2. Abraham Arsenault (le petit) 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Abraham, the eighth son of Pierre Arsenault, born around 1702 in Beaubassin, was 
     
     called "le petit Abraham" (little Abraham) because, as we have seen, he had an older brother 
     
     of the same name. The practice of using the same given name for two children of one family 
     
     was common at the time. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Around 1731, Abraham married Marie-Joséphe Savoie, daughter of Francois Savoie 
     
     and Marie Richard. They started raising their family in Beaubassin, but in 1741 they left the 
     
     region, which had been under British control since 1713, to resettle on French territory. They 
     
     moved to Ile Saint-Jean (today Prince Edward Island) and went to Malpeque, joining several 
     
     other families formerly from Beaubassin. One of these families was headed by Pierre ~ 
     
     Arsenault, Abraham's half-brother who was one of the founders of Malpeque in 1728. That 
     
     settlement was located on the west side of Malpeque Bay, corresponding to today’s Port Hill 
     
     area. 
     
    
   
   
    
     In 1752, census-taker Joseph de la Roque conducted a detailed census of the Island. In 
     
     Malpeque he enumerated 32 families who subsisted mainly from farming. In numbers, the 
     
     Arsenaults dominated the community. Here is the information which Sieur de la Roque 
     
     collected concerning Abraham Arsenault and his family: 
     
    
   
   
    
     Abraham Arcenaud, dit le petit Abraham, native of l'Acadie, aged 50 years, he has 
     
     been in the country 11 years, ploughman. Married to Marie Joseph Savoye, aged 42 
     
     years. 
     
    

    
     They have ten children, five sons and five daughters: Jean Baptiste, aged 16 
     
    

    
     years; Jacques, aged 12 years; Joseph, aged 8 years; Hilarion, aged 4 years; 
     
     Baptiste, aged 2 years; Anne, aged 20 years; Marie Joseph, aged 18 years; Anne 
     
     Anastasie, aged 14 years; Marguerite, aged 10 years; Martine, aged 6 years. 
     
    
   
   
    
     In livestock they have two oxen, two cows, two calves, five wethers, eight ewes and 
     
     three pigs. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The land on which they are settled is situated to the west of the harbour of Macpec, 
     
    

    
     and was given to them by Messieurs Duchambon and Dubuisson. On it they have 
     
     made a clearing where they can sow thirty-two bushels of wheat. They have sown only 
     
     six bushels and a half of wheat, having no more seed.