In the late 19th Century, at just a year old, Marie Louise Rosalie Doucette (Rose) made the long journey from her native home in Ottawa, Canada down to Manchester along with her parents, Louis Moise and Georgianna, and older sister, Anna Violet. The young family made the difficult decision to leave all that they knew behind to move to Manchester. 

Business was booming in Manchester upon their arrival, with the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company becoming the largest cotton mill in the world by the mid-19th century. The rapid explosion of growth from these mills in the city led to a large influx of Canadian immigrants between 1870-1900, including Rose and her family. 

Shortly after their arrival in 1890, the young family opened a boarding school just east of the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company for Canadian girls aged 12-18; this created the opportunity for young girls to learn the necessities of running a household and working in and around the mills in town. 

Louis Moise and Georgianna Doucette were strict yet loving with the girls that came to their boarding house, teaching them lifelong skills to better serve themselves and their families in the future. 

Although young and new to the area, Rose learned quickly how to fit in with her family’s new business, quickly becoming an integral part of day-to-day operations. One of her main responsibilities was to be a “runner”, bringing the girls who resided in the boarding house their lunch each day, normally consisting of a slice of bread, small pieces of cheese, and various jams or jellies. Rose was a hard worker for her family throughout her childhood and into early adulthood until she met and married her husband, Francis Xavier Paris, at the age of 22. 

The plate you see to the right, is an original boarding house lunch plate from the life of this small family that chased the potential for success in a new town, but found a happiness that made them stay and become the foundation for an expansive family tree, including descendants Jefferson Guild and Judi