Pierre Thibodeau

     Pierre Thibodeau was born before 1631 at Poitou, France.¹ Pierre Thibodeau arrived in Acadie in May 1654. Around 1660, he married Jeanne Thériot, daughter of Jean Thériot and Perrine Rau, of Port-Royal. Thibodeau settled a few kilometres from the fort of Port-Royal, at the Prée-Ronde, where he built a house, a farm, a flourmill, and a sawmill. These gave him his nickname « meunier de la Prée-Ronde » (the miller of the Prée-Ronde). In 1698, Thibodeau and his sons founded the village of Chipoudie, today Shepody, on the banks of the river with same name. Thibodeau and his sons had a church, a flourmill and a sawmill built. Hoping to receive the title of lord of Chipoudie, Thibodeau was confronted by Michel Leneuf de La Vallière, seigneur of Beaubassin, who claimed the rights to these lands. Thibodeau did not prevail, but his name still resounds in today's Acadie.² He married Jeanne Theriault in 1660 at Port-Royal, Acadie, Canada.¹ Pierre Thibodeau died on 26 December 1704 at Port-Royal, Acadie, Canada.¹