When is a Dulong not a Dulong?
When he is a Dulin!

For several decades I have dedicated some effort to trace the numerous descendants of Richard Dulong across North America. Ironically, nine out of ten people who contact me about a possible connection to Richard Dulong are not even Dulongs! Most of them are from the area around Woburn, Massachusetts, and have roots going back to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Although I find it humorous that the real Dulongs hardly ever contact me, I think it is time that you pseudo-Dulongs get together and form a family history association to verify the information I will give you here and add on to it. I would love to hear of your progress and I would be happy to send others who inquire about their family to you.

Most, if not all, the Dulongs from eastern Massachusetts and Nova Scotia are really Dulins! According to a letter I received from Rev. Clarence J. d'Entremont, a leading Acadian genealogist (dated 10 July 1983):

... the ancestor of those who, in Yarmouth county [Nova Scotia], now call themselves DULONG, with relatives in the U.S., mostly in Massachusetts, was Louis DULIN, written also in the church registers DULAIN. He was from the parish of Minidray, of the diocese of Coutances, (Normandy, France). His father's name was also Louis Dulin, his mother Jeanne Gauthier. He arrived in Nova Scotia in the early 1790's, during the French Revolution. He married in Yarmouth county, most probably in Quinan (formerly The Forks), from where was his wife, Marie Frontain, (now spelled Frotten), daughter of Julien Frontain and of Anne Mius, (now spelled Muise). This marriage took place before witnesses, as there were no priest available at the time. It was blessed at Sainte-Anne-du-Ruisseau, (formerly Eel Brook), Yarmouth county, September 30 of the same year [1799] by Father Sigogne.

D'Entremont gives this couple the following children:

Eudes, called Walter, born 15 October 1795, married first Magdeline Scholastique Mius, married second Julie LeBlanc, daughter of Honoré LeBlanc and Anne Judith Mius.
Rosalie, born 10 March 1798, married Benjamin Bertrand dit Maffre.
Oliver Martin, born 8 November 1799, married Scholastique LeBlanc.
Marie Thérèse, born 11 October 1801, married Guillaume Deveau dit Bill Couchique.
Anne Elisabeth, born 7 December 1803, married Florent Mius.
Louis Cyprien, born 1 February 1808, married Marie Julie Doucet.
Anne Françoise, born 22 July 1808, married Basile Mius.
Jeanne, born 26 January 1811.

Apparently, the name Dulin was gradually changed to Dulong in both Nova Scotia and Massachusetts. I am unsure of when the Dulin-Dulong family started to migrate to Massachusetts. After 1900 descendants of the Montréal DuLongs and the Yarmouth Dulin-Dulongs are both living in the state. This can make it confusing to untangle family origins. However, as soon as you find Yarmouth, or Nova Scotia, mentioned in the records of your family, then it is safe to assume that you are really a Dulin and not a Dulong. To my knowledge, all the Dulongs in Nova Scotia are really Dulins. Ultimately, you must trace back each generation to verify that you are indeed a Dulin.

The records in Nova Scotia for the nineteenth century are fairly thorough. You should not have much trouble tracing back to Louis Dulin. Also, when I have looked at the records I have found that many of the Yarmouth Dulin-Dulongs were fisherman.

I find it very interesting that Louis Dulin would have arrived in Nova Scotia around 1790. This was very unusual. I often wonder if he was a fisherman fleeing the French revolution?

You will have noted that the Dulins often married into the Muis family. This family is really the noble Mius d'Entremont family and thus related to Rev. d'Entremont. To learn more about the noble Muis d'Entremont family, I suggest you start with reading the article about Philippe Mius d'Entremont in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography (1966, vol. 1, p. 510.)

Lastly, the Dulins also intermarry with many other local Acadian families. I too share Acadian ancestry that I am confident will be found to overlap with any found among the Dulins. Therefore, ironically, we are cousins. But not through the Dulong family, but through maternal Acadian lines.

If you are a Dulin, then please do not contact me. I have very little information about your family. I suggest you post a message on the Dulain Message Board at Rootsweb.com. Geoff Trowbridge, a Dulin descendant is running this board. He has also prepared a hyperlinked descendancy report for the family of Louis Dulin.

I wish all of you Dulins the best of luck in your research.

When is a Dulong not a Dulong? When he is a Dulin!

When is a Dulong not a Dulong?
When he is a Dulin!