The Bourgeois family of Cohoes, New York, of which Henri Bourgeois is the leading representative, descend from —
(I) Henri Bourgeois, born in the village of L'Acadie, province of Quebec, Canada. He married Marie Coupal, born in the village of Phillippe, of the same province.
(II) Pierre Allaire, son of Henri and Marie (Coupal) Bourgeois, was born in the village of St. Jacques Le Mineur, Quebec, Canada, in 1821, died in Cohoes, 1906. He was a pattern maker by trade, a Republican in politics, and a devout, conscientious member of the Catholic church. He was interested in the founding of the Society of St. Jean Baptiste, was one of the charter members, and served the society as vice-president in the village of St. Jacques Le Mineur. He married Domethilde Roy, born December 1, 1821, now living in Cohoes, at the age of eighty-nine years, daughter of Jean Baptiste and Isabelle (Bechard) Roy. Jean and Isabelle Roy had children:
- Jean Baptiste (2).
- Florence.
- Marie, married ———— Therrien.
- Clothilde, married ———— L'Ecuyer.
- Domethilde.
Pierre Allaire and Domethilde (Roy) Bourgeois had children:
- Henri, see forward.
- Pierre Allaire (2), born 1851; married, June 20, 1870, Emmelie Boubreau.
- Hedwige, born 1853, died 1889; married Charles Maloire Nadeau, October 11, 1881.
- Jean Baptiste Antonien, born 1855, died 1907; married Hedwige Beauvolks, September 18, 1884.
- Philomine, born 1857; married, April 25, 1885, Oliver Roy.
- Euphemia, born 1859; married, September, 1881, Adolphus Maniny, died 1909.
- Arthur Joseph, born 1862; married, January 28, 1886, Virginia Dubeau.
- Leon, born 1865; married Mary Van Baseen.
The first four children were born in the village of St. Jacques Le Mineur, the last four in the village of Farnham, Quebec, Canada.
(III) Henri J., son of Pierre Allaire and Domethilde (Roy) Bourgeois, was born October 25, 1849, in St. Jacques Le Mineur. He was educated in the common schools of the village of Farnham, where his parents had removed while he was still a boy. His first employment was as timekeeper in a lumber train, after which he worked as a brickmaker. In 1866 he located in Cohoes, New York, where he found employment in the sash and blind factory of A. J. Griffin & Son. Here he has been continuously employed for forty-two years at his trade of woodworker. He, is a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church and a charter member of the Cohoes Society of St. Jean Baptiste, which was organized June 2, 1868. He was president in 1881, was recording secretary for seventeen years, and corresponding secretary for fourteen years. He is a Republican in politics and is both active and prominent. He represented the third ward of Cohoes in common council in the years 1895-96-97-98-99, and on the Albany county board of supervisors in 1904-05-06-07. He is a man of ability and energy and in his public capacities has worthily represented his constituents and carefully safeguarded their interests. He is a member of the Unconditional Republican Club of Cohoes, and exerts his influence among his countrymen to advance the interests of his party. He married, in 1871, in Cohoes, Edmire Langlois, born in 1850, in St. Albans, Vermont, daughter of Levi and Zoe (Casavant) Langlois, who had children: Malvina, Edmire, Joseph, Victoria, Alfred. Levi Langlois was a farmer of Vermont.