Nicolas Leroi - Jeanne Lelièvre

You will find here a short biography of Nicolas Leroi & Jeanne Lelièvre, our first ancestors to come to Canada. These notes are based on Jacqueline Sylvestre's book, Nicolas Leroi et Jeanne Lelièvre - une histoire à suivre...

Louis Leroi from St-Aubin and Anne Lemaistre were married in the church of St-Rémy de Dieppe on april 27th 1638. A year later, their son Nicolas was born. He was baptised in the same church on May 25th 1639.

You will find pictures of Dieppe on this site:

http://dieppegalerie.free.fr/lesphotos.htm

If you click on "Le centre ville" near the middle of the map, the second photo of the diaporama will show the church of St-Rémy-de-Dieppe.

Despite researches in Dieppe and St-Louis de Honfleur (where Jeanne's father, Guillaume is presumed to have lived), no marriage contract has been found for Nicolas Leroi and Jeanne Lelièvre.

Their son Louis was baptized November 26th 1658 in St-Rémy-de-Dieppe. Their second son Nicolas was baptized on March the 3rd 1661 in the same church.

On June 17th 1661, Nicolas signs a contract promising to repay the sum of 50 "livres", this being the cost of his passage, to Jean Gloria eight days after his arrival in Canada. The contract describes him as being a "bourgeois" of Dieppe. In those days, the term "bourgeois" describes a person who was neither of the clergy or of the nobility who had some means but did not work with his hands. It was usually applied to a professional or tradesman. Nicolas signs his name with an assured hand. This contract and others he signed later on in his life imply that he had received some schooling. John Gloria was his son Nicolas' godfather.

He crossed the Atlantic with his wife, his mother and his two children, arriving in Quebec city probably with Laurent Poulet's ship August 22nd 1661.

Jeanne's father, Guillaume Lelièvre, had preceded them to Canada. He signed a marriage contract before the notary Adouart on August 28th 1660 to wed Marguerite Miliet widow of Pierre Briscoté. Unfortunately, she drowned two days later while travelling from Beauport to Quebec City. There are no indications that he ever remarried but he lived on on his land on Île d'Orléans and maintained close ties with his soon to arrive family as we shall see later on.

Jeanne Lelièvre was confirmed in the Quebec city church on May 1st 1662.

It was the custom for new arrivals to serve a contract of thirty six months upon arrival to this shore. This contract obliged the patron to provide an agreed upon wage, food and clothing. We do not know what kind of work Nicolas did during this period.

His mother remarried on October 25th 1663. She married Adrien Blanquet before notary Jean Gloria - the very same man who had lent Nicolas some money to come over to Canada. She practiced midwifery. She was buried on the first of October 1718 at St-Pierre, Île d'Orléans. According to Nicolas Leroy's baptismal certificate, she had been born between 1617-1619. This makes her a centenarian at her death.

On the 10th of november 1663, Jeanne Lelièvre was ordered to appear before the sovereign council due to a complaint sworn in by Anne Chevalier. Jeanne was represented by her father. The reason for the requested appearance was not given and no other paperwork ensued. Even small matters such as quarrels between neighbours were addressed by the sovereign council in those days.

On June 8th 1664, Nicolas received a land grant in the seigneury of Beaupré. The contract is signed before notary Pierre Duquet with the seigneuress Guillemette Hébert Couillard. The Leroi's family obligations are as follows:

- they must pay the sum of "12 deniers & 20 sols" for each measure of land (arpent) and 3 live poultry payable on the day of the winter feast of St-Martin (november 11th).
- they must maintain each side of their property and a 6' wide and 15' road along the St-Lawrence.
- they must mill their grain at the seigneuress' mill.
- fields are commonly held but they must mow them on their property.
- they must raise fences otherwise they are responsible for damage to their property.
- they must pay their tithe to the priest.

As settlement grew in the area, the village came to be known as L'Ange Gardien. This land is now located in the city of Boischatel on Royale street just east of Tardif street and comprises
civic numbers 5360-5364 on the even side and 5439 - 5451 on the odd side of the street.

At the 1666 census, Nicolas is described as a gamekeeper. His children are listed as Louis 7, Nicolas 5, Noël 3, and Marie-Jeanne Leroy 16 months. Another member of the household is Jean Brière, aged 24, described as a hired domestic and baker. Nicolas had 4 cattle and 7 "arpents" under cultivation.

The Côte de Beaupré was serviced by a missionnary priest. Noël's baptismal record has been lost. It is assumed that he was born between christmas 1662 or in the beginning of January 1663. Marie-Jeanne was baptized on August 17th 1664.

The 1666 census was judged to contain too many errors and had to be redone in 1667. This latter census shows that the household has a new baby Guillaume aged 2 months. His baptismal records have also been lost. When the census takers arrive at Guillaume Lelièvre's house on île D'Orléans several months later, they find him with his grand son Noël and Jean Brière who must have come for a visit.

Tragedy was to strike the family in 1669 and 1670. In the summer of 1669, Nicolas and Jeanne accused one of their neighbours Jacques Nourry of raping their daughter Marie-Jeanne aged only 4 1/2 years old at the time. After inquest, Nourry was sentenced to death on August 12th 1669.

Two of their children were killed in the burning of a house (presumably theirs) on July 6th 1670. Their daughter Anne had been baptized on February 9th 1668 and son Jean on October 12th 1669. Anne's body was found and buried on July 8th. That of her brother's on the 13th.

Two more children were born in L'Ange-Gardien. Élisabeth baptised on October 21st 1671 and Jean on July 8th 1674.

In 1677, the family moved to the south shore of the St-Lawrence. An undated draft document was found in the notes (notebook no 25 covering the period from July 27th to August 28th 1677)of notary Romain Becquet in which Nicolas Leroi (having lived for 1 year on said property) and the seigneur Olivier Morel de la Durantaye agreed to have Nicolas exploit the seigneur's property in exchange for rent. The lease was to begin in April and have a duration of 4 years. This lease was renewed by Olivier Morel's daughter in a document signed before notary Rageot on February 16th 1686.

The area was first known as the La Durantaye seigneury. When a church was built, it took the name of St-Michel de La Durantaye. Eventually the territory was split in two; the western part keeping the name of St-Michel and the eastern part taking on that of St-Vallier. It should be noted that the Roy family allways lived in what is now known as St-Vallier-de-Bellechasse.

This is where our ancestor Jean-Baptiste was born and baptized on October 21st 1678.

Nicolas Leroi deceased prior to November 3rd 1688 when a contract was signed between his sons Louis and Guillaume concerning a land sale. (Notary Rageot).

His wife married François Molinet on February 8th 1695 in St-Étienne de Beaumont. She was buried on January 11th 1728 aged about 88 years old. She had been found dead sitting in her chair.