The following information on Nicolas Bélanger is provided by James Bélanger from a book written by him. As Jim is a descendent of Nicolas I thought it appropriate that we use excerpts of  his research on the subject for this page.

     Nicolas reportedly originates from Saint Thomas of Touques in Calvados. From his reported age for the census of 1666, 1667 and 1681 he must have been born between 1632 and 1637 and, in his childhood, became accomplished in the salt trade. He is found in New France around 1658 employed by the merchant Francois Perron. He graduated from the salt trade, in which he worked in Europe, and became a fisherman and farmer.

    The exact date of Nicolas' arrival in New France is not known. His name appears in the records of the Seigneurie of Beauport on 15 Oct. 1655 as owner of a piece of land consisting of one arpent and 61 rods. It is here, in the actual research of genealogists, that the first mention is found of our ancestor on an official document of the colony. The second mention was found on a paper dated 28 Sept. 1658 before the notary Audouart where Nicolas made a claim against Michel Desorcys.

    On November 12, 1659, we find Nicolas Bellanger and his future wife, Marie de Rainville, before Paul Vachon, Royal Notary in the Seigneurie and Jurisdiction of Beauport and Prevoste of Notre Dame des Anges, to draw up their marriage contract in the presence of witnesses, relatives and friends, which was the custom of the time. This contract reveals that the intended couple were natives of the Parish of St. Thomas de Touques, in Normandy. It states that Nicolas was master of his trade and that the parents of his fiancee were Paul de Rainville and Rolline Poette. The parents of Nicolas are not mentioned and the spelling of his family name is Bellanger, which corresponds to the most widespread pronunciation of the times.

    Nicolas and Marie were married on Sunday Jan 11, 1660 in the presence of father Paul Ragueneaux of the Company of Jesus in the chapel of the high manor. This is where religious services were performed by visiting priests performing parish functions since Beauport was not yet a parish. The contract of marriage, which was written in the records of the mother parish (Notre Dame de Quebec), also does not mention the names of the parents of Nicolas. This is yet another omission which continually keeps us from linking Nicolas to his parents. Nicolas and Marie settled in Beauport and raised their 12 children.

    Father Archange Godbout, O.F.M. (noted genealogist), has researched several names of Bellanger in the records of St. Thomas de Touques between the period of 1628-1657. Here are some:

    Jacques, Jean, Hector, Louis, Robert, Marguerite, Francoise, Marie and Catherine. Note here, the name Catherine which was a dit name for Nicolas. Although this is a clue, it is impossible establish any certain lineage with Nicolas.

    In the marriage contract, Nicolas is said to be a master salt maker. During that time, in New France, that title designated a dealer in salt. In the deliberations of Feb 9, 1664 of the Sovereign Council, one named Desorcys acknowledged that "Bellanger has hauled and furnished sawdust" thus he was remembered from Oct 20, 1659. This paragraph seems to indicate that Nicolas was engaged in the commerce of fish and that he was hauling sawdust in connection with that occupation. Five years later, Nov 8, 1664, Nicolas Bellanger, Pierre Lefebvre and Leonard Leblanc were summoned before the Sovereign Council in a matter of right to fish. The defendants were ordered to pay to the clerk of the court the value of their fishing farms on the coast of Lauzon. The reason for this fine is unknown. From the preceding we conclude with certainty that Nicolas was a commercial fisherman and fish merchant. This seems only natural because of the similarity between being a salt merchant and a fisherman and these would have been complimentary businesses at this time.

    At the time of the census of 1667 Nicolas (at 29) owned 2 cattle and 12 arpents of land in value. Fourteen years later, at the census of 1681, Nicolas owned one gun, 10 cattle and his farm at Beauport was 41 arpents in value; (it was worth this much in cultivated and pasture land). You should remember that the value of uncleared land was "worthless". This increase of 30 arpents in area signified an average of 2 arpents per year which represented an enormous accomplishment considering the means at their disposal in the 17th century. It seems Nicolas may have turned to farming around 1670 in order to provide for his family in a dependable fashion.

    It appears that Nicolas may have owned, for a few years, a farm designated "number 16" in the land survey register number 46 of the parish of St. Pierre de L'Isle d'Orleans. In a contract of grant from Charles de Lauzon of Charny to Antoine Poulet presented before Paul Vachon, notary, on November 4, 1662 Nicolas Bellanger was mentioned as neighbor. In the census of 1666 he is still neighbor to Poulet but in 1667 this farm was owned by Laurent Benoist.

    1667 also marked the end of the English occupation of Acadia, which they had taken a few years earlier.

    The little white house with the slender roof, located at 600 Avenue Royale in Beauport, was built by or for Nicolas Bellanger on land granted to him by the Lord Joseph Giffard Jan 24, 1673 before the notary Paul Vachon. (Nicolas was then 35 and had 7 living children) The original house of 22 by 20 feet was built of stone on a stone foundation. This dwelling was passed on to Pierre, a son of Nicolas, around 1700. Pierre lived there during some 20 years and then sold it to a family named Marcou. It was the last resident, Mr. Girardin, who left his name on the house before it became the property of the Sisters of the Congregation. The last owner was Mr. Michel Dufresne who was successful in saving this historic site from being demolished.

    Nicolas died on Oct 19, 1682 at the age of 50. His oldest son, Bertrand Pierre, was 19 and his youngest daughter had just turned 1. One son had died very young (just days old), another had died before 1681 and one daughter, Marthe, was married. This left 9 children still living at home.

    Marie deRainville and Nicolas Catherine Bellanger were residents of Beauport and listed as her parents. Witnesses to the baptism were Rene Dubois and Jeanne Langlois.

    NICOLAS BELANGER, the 8th child of Nicolas is our ancestor. We do not know the date of birth of his wife, Marie Magnan. Her father was Jacques Magnan and her mother was Ambroise Doigt. She died in Beauport on 11 March 1758.

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My lineage continues:

Nicolas Bélanger married Marie Magnan

    Ignace-Jean Bélanger son of
    Nicolas and Marie Magnan
    married Genevieve Gagne

        Pierre Bélanger son of
        Ignace and Genevieve Gagne
        married Marie-Marthe Talbot

            Joseph-Marie Bélanger son of
            Pierre and Marie-Marthe Talbot
            married Baselisse Dufour

                Damase Bélanger son of
                Joseph-Marie and Baselisse Dufor
                married Georgiana-Modeste Pellitier

                    Lucien Bélanger son of
                    Damase and Georgiana-Modeste Pellitier
                    married

                        Gerald-Louis Bélanger son of
                        Lucien and
                        married Eva-Marie Michaud

                            James-Patrick-Joseph Bélanger son of
                            Gerald-Louis and Eva-Marie Michaud
                            married Sandra-Colombe St. Pierre