Date of Birth: November 2, 1885 at Tracadie, Antigonish County
Parents: Moses and Mary Elizabeth (Delorey) Delorey
Siblings: Brothers James Arthur and Alfred; sisters Ellen L., Elizabeth Ann “Annie,” Mary Alice, Sophie M., and Gertrude “Gertie”
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: Chauffeur
Enlistment: August 13, 1918 [location unknown]
Units: 14th Company, 1st Road Regiment; Motor Truck Company 523, Motor Supply Train 424; Development Company # 1, Advanced Animal Transport
Service #: 3602340
Rank: Private
Previous Military Service: None
Next of Kin: James Arthur Delorey, West Roxbury, Massachusetts (brother)
Date of Death: October 19, 1918 at Embarkation Hospital, Newport News, Virginia
Final Resting Place: St. Joseph’s Cemetery, West Roxbury, Massachusetts
Moses Everett Delorey was born at Tracadie, Antigonish County, on November 2, 1885, the third of Moses and Mary Elizabeth (Delorey) Delorey’s seven children and the couple’s second son. The family operated a farm on or near the Merland Road, in an area sometimes called Rear Tracadie before it became known as Merland.
The Antigonish County Deloreys are all descended from Thomas Jacquet of Rouen, Normandy, France, who enlisted in the French Army at an early age. As was customary at the time when joining the army, Thomas adopted an assumed name, becoming soldier “dit Deslauriers” (called Deslauriers). Around 1750, his regiment was dispatched to garrison Quebec. Thomas married at Lavaltrie, Quebec, in 1752 and raised a family of seven sons and one daughter.
After British forces captured Quebec in 1760, Thomas decided to stay in Canada. He therefore left the French Army, as it was ordered out of Canada, and elected to move to Isle Madame, Cape Breton. He lived at Arichat for a few years and then moved to Fortune Bay, PEI, where he built a schooner and conducted business with French residents on St. Pierre and Miquelon.
In 1787, Thomas obtained a 700-acre land grant at Tracadie Bay, NS, and dispatched four of his sons—Nicholas, Charles-George, Jean Baptiste and Alexis—to take possession of the property. Thomas Jacquet “dit Deslauriers” and his youngest son, Benjamin Thomas, arrived later. Tracadie became the family’s main location, where all five brothers married and produced a total of 25 sons. By 1811, most family members were still called “Jacquet dit Deslauriers,” but after 1830 the surname rapidly changed to DeLorey, Delorey and Delorie.
Moses Everett Delorey’s first name had deep roots in his family line. Thomas Deslauriers’ son, Alexis, married Agnes Pitre, daughter of Joseph and Anne-Marie (Bourg) Pitre. The couple raised a family of four children. Their oldest son, Moise/Moses, was born in 1793 and married Marie Sophie Girouard [Girroir]. Moses and Marie’s son, Moses, was born on November 20, 1819, and married Anne Landry, daughter of Julian Joseph and Ann (Broussard) Landry, Pomquet. Moses and Ann’s third son, Moses—Moses Everett Delorey’s father—married Mary Elizabeth Delorey, daughter of Leon and Ellen (Lawlor) Delorey.
Around 1904, three of Moses and Ann Delorey’s children—James Arthur, Annie and Ellen—departed Nova Scotia for the “Boston States.” In January 1912, Everett—as he was known to family—joined his siblings in Brookline, MA, where he found work as a “chauffeur.”
The United States entered the First World War in early April 1917 and immediately set about organizing the American Expeditionary Force. Everett enlisted for overseas service on August 13, 1918, and was sent to Camp Johnston, near Jacksonville, Florida, for training. The camp was named in honour of American Civil War General Joseph E. Johnston, who was a leading military figure in the war, rising to the rank of Quartermaster General before its conclusion. The connection was central to the camp’s role, as it specialized in training Quartermasters.
Everett immediately commenced training as a driver with the 14th Company, 1st Road Regiment. On September 14, he was transferred to Motor Truck Company 523, Motor Supply Train 424, but 11 days later was re-assigned to Development Company # 1, Advanced Animal Transportation.
Everett’s time in uniform was brief. Military camps were breeding grounds for contagious diseases, such as measles, mumps and influenza. Everett’s unit was preparing for its overseas departure when he was admitted to the Embarkation Military Hospital at Newport News, Virginia, on October 13, suffering from influenza. His illness quickly progressed to broncho-pneumonia and resulted in Everett’s death at 4:19 p.m. October 19, 1918. His brother, James Arthur, accompanied Everett’s remains to Brookline, where a Funeral Mass was held at St. Adrian’s Catholic Church. Private Moses Everett Delorey was laid to rest in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, West Roxbury, MA.
Antigonish Cenotaph Project 