198 THE FRENCH BLOOD IN AMERICA 



acter in the Bowdoin family. The name Pochard became 

 corrupted to Pushard, and one branch of the family 

 petitioned the legislature to have their name changed to 

 Shaw. 



Asking for a 

 Missionary 



Firm but not 

 Narrow 



II 



These settlers were ever mindful of their religion. In 

 1759, with the Houdelettes, the Gouds, the Stilphens, and 

 others, John Pochard and three of his sons were among 

 the petitioners who asked that Jacob Bailey be sent them 

 as missionary. Of John Pochard's four sons, Abraham 

 worked at Fort Western as a hewer of timber ; tradition 

 says George was killed by the Indians while hunting up 

 river in the vicinity of the wilds of Augusta ; Christopher 

 settled in Pownalboro ; and Peter, the youngest, became a 

 shoemaker, and after marrying Daniel Malbon's daughter 

 Betsey, settled on the lot of land where West Dresden 

 post-of&ce now is. His cellar and well are still to be seen, 

 and some apple trees planted by his hand still bear fruit. 

 Two of his grandchildren were living in 1892, and a great- 

 grandson preserves the old shoemaker's lapstone and other 

 of his tools. A copy of his will shows that he was 

 thrifty, like his race, and died possessed of some property. 

 He was a respected and worthy citizen. 



' ' Baptized a Lutheran in France, he attended Episco- 

 pal service until Rev. Mr. Bailey's departure for Halifax 

 in 1779 ; and when the Congregational Church was erected 

 in 1801, Peter became its first sexton, purchased a gallery 

 pew for eighteen dollars, and a floor pew for forty-seven 

 dollars. I think these people were piously inclined with- 

 out being narrow." Writing thus, Mr. Charles E. Allen 

 expresses a significant fact concerning their character. 

 They would not abjure Protestantism and embrace popery, 

 though they gave up life itself; but, on the other hand, 

 they were not bigoted or small sectarians. They could 

 be brotherly in any church that upheld the great Prot- 

 estant principles of liberty of conscience and a free Bible ; 



