Jack Kerouac
Kerouac c. 1943
Birth Name: Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac
Date of Birth: March 12, 1922
Place of Birth: Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S.
Date of Death: October 21, 1969
Place of Death: St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.
Ethnicity: French-Canadian [including distant Breton], as well as 1/32 English and 1/512 Portuguese
Jack Kérouac was an American novelist and poet. He is considered the father of the Beat Generation. His most famous work is the novel On the Road.
His parents, Marie Adeline Gabrielle (Lévesque) and Léo Alcide Kéroack, were French-Canadian, of St-Hubert-de-Rivière-du-Loup in the province of Québec, Canada. Jack spoke French until he learned English at age six, not speaking it confidently until his late teens. Jack was married to Stella Sampas, until his death. He had a daughter, writer Jan Kerouac, with his former wife, Joan Haverty.
Jack’s patrilineal line traces to Alexandre Louis Maurice Labrise-Kirouac, who was born, c. 1706, in St-Yves, Berrien, Quimper, Bretagne, France.
Jack’s paternal grandfather was Jean-Baptiste Kirouac/Kirouack/Kéroack (the son of Édouard Kirouac-Breton and Marie-Sévérine Malenfant). Jean-Baptiste was born in Port Joli, Region of Queens, Nova Scotia. Édouard was the son of François Le Bris Kirouac and Marie Marcelline Chouinard. Jack’s great-grandmother Marie-Sévérine was the daughter of Jean-Baptiste Malenfant and Marie-Anathalie/Athalie/Anatolie Nathalie Destroismaisons-Picard.
Jack’s paternal grandmother was Marie Cléméntine Bernier (the daughter of Marc-André Bernier and Calixte Phocas-Raymond). Cléméntine was born in Saint-Pascal, Kamouraska, Québec. Marc-André was the son of Jean-Baptiste Bernier and Marie-Rose Guimond. Calixte was the daughter of Jean-Baptiste Phocas dit Raymond and Marie-Justine Tardif.
Jack’s maternal grandfather was Louis Lévesque (the son of Pierre Lévesque and Marie Adéline Guy). Louis was born in St-Pacôme, Québec. Pierre was the son of Dominique Lévesque/Léveque and Marcelline Pearson, whose father was English, from London. Marie Adéline was the daughter of Stanislas Hypolitte/Hyppolite Guy and Adéline Thériault.
Jack’s maternal grandmother was Marie Joséphine Jean (the daughter of François-Xaviér Jean and Marie Louise Beaulieu). François-Xaviér was the son of Francois/Francoise-Xavier Jean-Pierrejean and Marie Louise Mignault-Labrie. Jack’s great-grandmother Marie was the daughter of Damase Hudon-Beaulieu and Marcelline Dubé.
Sources: Genealogies of Jack Kerouac – http://www.geni.com
http://www.zonecousinage.com
http://www.perche-quebec.com
https://www.nosorigines.qc.ca
https://famouskin.com
French-language articles about Jack’s ancestry – http://an-uhelgoad.pagesperso-orange.fr
http://www.perche-quebec.com
Jack Kerouac had 1/32 English ancestry, descending from Charles Pearson, born c. 1790, in London.
genealogy of Jack Kerouac – https://www.nosorigines.qc.ca/genealogy_canada_pedigree.aspx?pid=1453812&lng=fr
he was also 1/512 Portuguese (through his “Bernier” line), descending from Jean Rodrigue, born c. 1641, in Sao Joao, Lisbon, Portugal, and 1/2048 Swiss, descending from Pierre Miville, born c. 1602, in Fribourg. Both are also ancestors of Celine Dion, among others.
Pierre Miville was the first Swiss to migrate to Canada.
Why can’t he just be French, not French Canadian?
genealogies:
http://www.geni.com/people/Jack-Kerouac/6000000003870595813
http://www.zonecousinage.com/pedigree.php?personID=I449&tree=entier&parentset=0&display=standard&generations=6
His patrilineal line traces back to a Urbain-François Le Bihan de Kervoach, born c. 1702 in Huelgoat, Bretagne, France.
Articles about Kerouac’s ancestry (in French)
http://an-uhelgoad.pagesperso-orange.fr/kerouac.htm
http://www.perche-quebec.com/files/jack/individus/jack-kerouac.htm
He should be tagged
as Breton too.