This French Canadian-American family was originally seated in France, from whence came Pierre and Jean Nadeau. They settled in Canada at a very early date and formed a family. One of these brothers was the great-great-great-grandfather of Charles Magloire Nadeau, of Cohoes, New York. Of the three generations here traced the first two remained in Canada. With the third generation settlement in the United States began.
(I) Alexis Alexander Nadeau was born at Rougemont, province of Quebec, Canada, in 1790, died in St. Johns, June 8, 1883, aged ninety-three years. He was a captain in the Canadian militia. His wife was Céleste Derome, born in Canada.
(II) Moses, son of Alexis Alexander and Céleste (Derome) Nadeau, was born in province of Quebec, Canada, July 12, 1825, died August 10, 1855, at Montreal, Canada. He was a carpenter and builder. He married Salome Durocher, born in Quebec, Canada, August 9, 1828, died in Cohoes, New York, April 11, 1883, daughter of Joseph Durocher, born at L'Acadie, province of Quebec, in 1800, died at Cohoes, January 17, 1876, and his wife, Louise Granger, born at L'Acadie, province of Quebec, April 13, 1801, died in Cohoes, January 1, 1887.
(III) Charles Magloire, son of Moses and Salome (Durocher) Nadeau, was born at St. Johns, province of Quebec, Canada, in 1851. He was not quite five years of age when his father died, and in 1866 his mother and her family came to the United States, settling at Cohoes, New York, their objective point before starting. Charles M. was then fifteen. He had received the benefits of good schools in Canada, where after leaving the parochial instructors he attended St. Hyacinth College, a branch of which was located at St. Johns. At the age of fifteen he entered a dry goods store, where he was employed as clerk for a year previous to coming to the United States. In Cohoes he continued the same employment in the dry goods store of Rodney Wilcox, at Cohoes, where he remained sixteen years. After leaving the employ of Mr. Wilcox he engaged in business for a few years on his own account. During the years 1893-94 he was employed in the United States custom house at Albany, New York. In the spring of 1896 he was appointed transfer tax clerk in the surrogate's office at Albany, where he still continues in the duties of that responsible position. He is a thoroughly competent and reliable official, as his long service attests. He retains his residence in Cohoes. He has always been an active Republican, and during the years 1881-82-83-84 represented the third ward of Cohoes in the Albany county board of supervisors, receiving three re-elections from his appreciative neighbors and voters of that ward. In 1886 he received the Republican nomination as their candidate for member of the state assembly, but that year the entire Republican ticket went down in defeat, although Mr. Nadeau fought a good fight and made a fine showing in comparison with the other defeated candidates. He is a member of the Roman Catholic church of the Sacred Heart, and very active in the National and Benevolent Society of St. Jean-Baptiste. This society is an active agent for good and is strongly supported by the French of Cohoes. He served the local society five terms as president, seven terms as corresponding secretary, and has been fourteen years recording secretary, an office he now holds. He is held in high esteem among his countrymen, of whom there are a great many in the city. He is also a member of Egbert Lodge, No. 56, Knights of Pythias.
He married (first) October 11, 1881, Hedwidge Bourgeois, born in Canada, October 17, 1852, died July 25, 1899, daughter of Peter Bourgeois, born April, 1821, in Canada, died December 20, 1907, in Cohoes, and his wife, Matilda Roy, born in Canada, December 1, 1821, who survives him, a resident of Cohoes. By this marriage he had a daughter, Flore-Alice, who as a daughter of the church is known as Sister M. Hedwidge, of the Order of Sisters of The Holy Names; she is now located at Winnipeg, Manitoba. He married (second) May 6, 1902, Mrs. Mary F. (Lent) Peddie, daughter of Oliver P. Lent, born in Peekskill, New York, November 28, 1819, died at Broadalbin, Fulton county, New York, January 20, 1894. He was proprietor of a meat market and a deacon of the Presbyterian church. He married Maria Vedder, of an old Mohawk Valley family, born in Schenectady county, New York, July 20, 1815, died at Hagaman's Mills, Montgomery county, New York, July 21, 1895.
Oliver P. Lent was son of Stephen Lent, of Peekskill, New York, whose wife was granddaughter of one Montross or Montrose, of Peekskill, the station of that name on the Hudson River railroad being named for the family. The Lents who came from Holland bought a patent of land from the Indians in Westchester county and settled on it. The deed of this land, not long since, was in the possession of Mrs. Maria Crunk, daughter of Uriah Lent. The detailed account of the Lent family is in two different histories of the state of New York, asserting they have traced their lineage back to the Crusaders when they were feudal barons. The Lents and Rikers were one family at the time of their coming to America, there being accounts of Riker Lent and Lent Riker, whose descendants are very numerous in Westchester county.