Community Corner
"Evangeline, A Tale of Acadia"
Medfield resident, Paul Foscaldo, shares Medfield's connection to the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem, "Evangeline".
A bit of Medfield history...
Epic Poem, "Evangeline, A Tale of Acadia"
by Paul Foscaldo
“Evangeline, A Tale of Acadia” is an epic poem by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, published in 1847. The poem is about a young Acadian woman named
Evangeline who becomes separated from her fiancé, Gabriel, during the Grand Dérangement or Expulsion of the Acadians from their homeland, Nova Scotia.
Find out what's happening in Medfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"I have Acadian lineage. I am half Acadian and my mother's maiden name was Saulnier. When in Junior High School I recall many of us suffering through the epic poem "Evangeline". It was about two star crossed lovers who were among the many of the Acadians who were expulsed (deported) from Nova Scotia to many of the British colonies, this was during the French and Indian War, and the "French Neutrals" were considered a covert threat to the British regulars. Boston received the largest number of these, although some ended up in Louisiana and became known as Cajuns.
A group of Acadians were sent from Boston to Medfield and in 1756. Twenty (20) pounds was awarded by the General Court for the care of these "unfortunate French Neutrals".
Find out what's happening in Medfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
In 1766 a grant of twelve (12) pounds was granted to return the Acadians to Nova Scotia.
To this day, I always observe Expulsion Day ( July 28) and Acadia day (August 15)."
As defined by Wikipedia - Acadians (French: Acadiens) are the descendants of 17th and 18th century French settlers in parts of Acadia (French: Acadie) in the northeastern region of North America comprising what is now the Canadian Maritime Provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, the Gaspé peninsula in eastern Québec, and the Kennebec River in southern Maine.[The settlers whose descendants became Acadians primarily came from the
southwestern and southern regions of France, historically known as Occitania, while some Acadians are also descended from the Indigenous peoples of the region. Today, due to assimilation, some Acadians may share other ethnic ancestries as well.