"Anne of Green Gables", a popular young girls book set in Prince Edward Island includes an Acadian, Jerry Buote, as one of the characters. Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874 - 1942) grew up on her grandparents farm in Cavendish, PEI where she drew from her experiences to write the Anne books. Cavendish is not far from Rustico where the Buote name originated. At this time there is one Jerome Buote in the tree who would have been born between 1870 and 1880 in Rustico. His daughters maintain that he did work summers as a young lad on area farms, and that he knew Lucy as a friend and is the person that Jerry Buote is modeled after in Anne of Green Gables. If anyone has access to more records regarding Jerry Buote and Lucy Maud Montgomery, we will welcome the contribution.
Here is an article in the "annemanuscript.ca" site that outlines the attitudes existing at the time.
Jerry was called "the hired boy" and referred to as being "from the creek". We read that he ate with the family while working there and was at times "The only cheerful thing ...", but "Marilla resented his cheerfulness as a personal insult." Our Acadian ancestors are reported to be generally a peaceful, cheerful lot, consistent with this description. However it seems these characteristics were not always accepted by those in control.
Jerry performed his chores including "hitch up the sorrel and drive you down to the picnic ground." For that it seems he got supper and tea. Does anyone know if wages in addition would normally have been paid? If so, at what rate?
Towards the end we learn of Anne's mistake in that "you've flavored that cake with ANODYNE LINIMENT." ... "Well, you'd better go and give that cake to the pigs," said Marilla. "It isn't fit for any human to eat, not even Jerry Buote." Jerry is used here apparently standing for the lowest stratum of human beings. Attitudes toward Acadians had not changed by the 1890's.
In the last reference to Jerry we learn about the brown sugar: "It's not good sugar, either--it's coarse and dark." Marilla says "I never use it except for the hired man's porridge ... Jerry's gone". Hence too much has been purchased and Marilla is not happy. While Jerry got supper and tea for his efforts, it seems that supper was only a porridge made from inferior ingredients
CHAPTER IV - Morning at Green Gables
. . .
Matthew hitched the sorrel into the buggy in due time and Marilla and Anne set off. Matthew opened the yard gate for them and as they drove slowly through, he said, to nobody in particular as it seemed: "Little Jerry Buote from the Creek was here this morning, and I told him I guessed I'd hire him for the summer."
. . .
CHAPTER XI - Anne's Impressions of Sunday-School
. . .
In the porch she found a crowd of little girls, all more or less gaily attired in whites and blues and pinks, and all staring with curious eyes at this stranger in their midst, with her extraordinary head adornment. Avonlea little girls had already heard queer stories about Anne. Mrs. Lynde said she had an awful temper; Jerry Buote, the hired boy at Green Gables, said she talked all the time to herself or to the trees and flowers like a crazy girl. They looked at her and whispered to each other behind their quarterlies. Nobody made any friendly advances, then or later on when the opening exercises were over and Anne found herself in Miss Rogerson's class.
. . .
CHAPTER XIV - Anne's Confession
. . .
"Well now, she's such a little thing," feebly reiterated Matthew. "And there should be allowances made, Marilla. You know she's never had any bringing up." "Well, she's having it now" retorted Marilla. The retort silenced Matthew if it did not convince him. That dinner was a very dismal meal. The only cheerful thing about it was Jerry Buote, the hired boy, and Marilla resented his cheerfulness as a personal insult.
. . .
Anne flew up like a rocket. "Oh, Marilla, isn't it too late?" "No, it's only two o'clock. They won't be more than well gathered yet and it'll be an hour before they have tea. Wash your face and comb your hair and put on your gingham. I'll fill a basket for you. There's plenty of stuff baked in the house. And I'll get Jerry to hitch up the sorrel and drive you down to the picnic ground."
. . .
CHAPTER XVI - Diana Is Invited to Tea with Tragic Results
. . .
"Mind you don't drop leaves all over the stairs then. I'm going on a meeting of the Aid Society at Carmody this afternoon, Anne, and I won't likely be home before dark. You'll have to get Matthew and Jerry their supper, so mind you don't forget to put the tea to draw until you sit down at the table as you did last time."
. . .
And indeed, she walked very dizzily. Anne, with tears of disappointment in her eyes, got Diana's hat and went with her as far as the Barry yard fence. Then she wept all the way back to Green Gables, where she sorrowfully put the remainder of the raspberry cordial back into the pantry and got tea ready for Matthew and Jerry, with all the zest gone out of the performance.
. . .
CHAPTER XXI - A New Departure in Flavorings"
Mercy on us, Anne, you've flavored that cake with ANODYNE LINIMENT. I broke the liniment bottle last week and poured what was left into an old empty vanilla bottle. I suppose it's partly my fault--I should have warned you--but for pity's sake why couldn't you have smelled it?"
. . .
"Oh, don't you see, Marilla? There must be a limit to the mistakes one person can make, and when I get to the end of them, then I'll be through with them. That's a very comforting thought." "Well, you'd better go and give that cake to the pigs," said Marilla. "It isn't fit for any human to eat, not even Jerry Buote."
. . .
CHAPTER XXV - Matthew Insists on Puffed Sleeves
. . .
"Brown sugar!" exclaimed Marilla. "Whatever possessed you to get so much? You know I never use it except for the hired man's porridge or black fruit cake. Jerry's gone and I've made my cake long ago. It's not good sugar, either--it's coarse and dark--William Blair doesn't usually keep sugar like that."
. . .