34 The Land

Stems who moved it next to his store, Sterns, Son & Co. (It was occupied for a number of years by Peter Barney MacDonald.) The name, Bushey, was spelled Boucher (pronounced BOO shay) in the earliest church records. This is alleged to have been either a nickname or an occupational title. The correct name is believed to be Villard and so it is spelled on the tombstone of pioneer Paul and his wife, Marguerite, in St. Mary’s Roman Catholic ceme- tery in Souris.ll

John Longaphie

The next farm to the east of Busheys was that of John Longaphie. His first home in Souris was built on the hillside looking over Souris River and the beach or causeway which eventually took the name “Long Beach” from the name Longaphie. John Longaphie is believed to be the man who built the ship, Me Mary, at Fortune in 1786 and whose name appeared in 1789 on a petition, in company with Oliver and Pearce (Pierre) Longaphie, to have Chief Justice, Peter Stewart restored to office. His family, whose name “Longue Epee” translates literally “Long spear,” consisted of seven daugh- ters, three born previous to 1798, and two sons.12 The farm was sold in 1855 to Angus MacDonald who eventually divided it between his two sons, Stephen “Swiss” and Patrick (Angus). Mrs. Angus MacDonald lived to age 105. Her son Stephen, who lived to age 96, thrived in his nineties on tall stories and a drive to the shore each day for a cartload of seaweed.

Fidele and Suplian Paquet

The third long Souris farm stretching in a book from Colville Bay to the Line Road and eventually bounded on the east by what is now Chapel Street was settled around 1820 by Fidele Paquet. He came with brother Suplian from Quebec by way of Nova Scotia. Suplian was a fisherman, possibly much younger than Fidele for he did not marry until 1837. He is believed to have lived in a house near the beach, perhaps near the site of the Joe Burke pump. His brother, Fidele, built on the hill nearer the old Marshall Paquet house. Fidele Paquet (1789-1863) was married in Arichat to Mary LeBlanc (1790-1883) which possibly explains how he came to Souris for Mary LeBlanc was evidently descended from or related to the Fortune LeBlancs who had moved to Cape Breton some years before. The homes of his des- cendents are among the oldest in Souris today.13 Possibly most of the land taken to widen the road known later as Chapel Street and its extension came from his farm for in 1847 he petitioned the Assembly in Charlottetown for remuneration for a road going through his farm. This was granted in 1855.

Francis Cheverie

On the other side of this road, Francis Cheverie settled on 85 acres with a house near the site of the present Car Wash. More Souris people trace back to this founding father than any other. Michael, a brother of Francis, settled up the River on the William Malone farm of later years. Michael Cheverie may be the one to whom Father Bourke accords the honour of being Souris’ first settler in 1805. But they may not be the same person.