François and Marie Belanger

François Belanger (1612-1685/87) 

& Marie Guyon (1624-1696)

Born in Normandy, France they became pioneers of the Beaupré coast and 

François became the first Lord of the Seigniory of Bonsecours at L'Islet. 

Our ancestor, François Belanger, was born on October 7, 1612, (son of François Belanger and Francoise Ruel Horlays) in St. Pierre de Sees, Touque, in the Normandy region of north western France. St Pierre is situated on the River Touques.  Normandy takes its name from the Vikings or the “Northmen” invaders who menaced large parts of Europe towards the end of the 1st millennium in waves and settled there between the years 790–930 AD. (More on the Vikings of Normandy can be found below)

At the age of 24, François joined a group of pioneers coming from Perche in the company of Robert Giffard; which included the families of Gasnier, Maheu, Boucher, Guyon, Drouin, Cloutier, Gagnon and more. Records show that this group arrived in New France (Quebec) between 1635 and 1636 via ship (the journey took 2-3 months) and quickly settled in Quebec.

Marie Guyon was born on March 18, 1624, the daughter of (Jean Guyon and Mathurine Robin) in St. Jean, Mortagne, Perche, France.  And at age 10, her entire family traveled to New France, on the same ship as François, in 1634, just 15-16 years after the English ship, the “Mayflower” landed in Plymouth 416 miles to the south.

On 12 July 1637, François Bélanger married Marie Guyon. Their wedding ceremony was shared by another couple thus making it the first double wedding in Quebec. These two became pioneers of the Beaupré coast and François became the first lord of the seigniory (Lord) of Bonsecours at L'Islet. With his masonry expertise and a dream of becoming a wealthy landowner, François built solid structures in New France with rock and mortar. His own home was considered very important as an example of safe structure for all inhabitants. François was an educated man, he could read and write which assisted him tremendously. New France faced a great many hardships prior to Belanger’s arrival. They were settling in a place where the accustomed shops and “general stores” barely existed and where attacks from the English and the natives was a constant threat.

Quebec in 1627 had a population of 100, with only a dozen women. They were attacked by Englishmen in 1628 and 60 of the 80 remaining population left for France. When the French returned to Quebec in 1632, they laid out new city plans and began to reconstructed the settlement in hopes of repopulating. However, Quebec remained an outpost until well into the 1650’s. The city contained 30 homes in 1650, and one hundred homes by 1663 for a total population of over 500. This is during this time period that François and Marie made their home, build their farm and raised 12 children.

In addition to being a mason by trade, François also cleared land and was a courageous colonist who, to assure the well being of himself and his family, transformed his land in Château-Richer (and their addition land at Bonsecours) into farmland. This occupied his time from 1634 to 1640. He cut, stumped, and cleared land only using the instruments available at the time which made every step gained a difficult task. All the time he was clearing land he had to be diligent of the native Iriquois and Agniers who came, attacked, and ransacked. A firearm always at the ready, this chore of land clearing took your ancestor many years. 

This farm life was not enough for François who became a public official. From 1653, François Belanger is more visible in public life. He quickly gained the confidence of his fellow citizens who named him, because of his administrative and management talents, agent (1653), merchant (1658-1662), Captain of the militia (1666), church warren, and even a land surveying consultant. By his participation in these institutions and in the community, he helped the development of the country, many future generations imitated him in social as well as political arenas.

Our ancestor was equally suited to present his ideas and defend them, to the notaries of the day, and before the Sovereign Council, the supreme court of law in matters of justice. Numerous encounters with his neighbors and many with other aspects of law resulted in his being a legendary character for it seems he loved to argue. Its safe to say that François was rarely without a good argument. In the city court records, between the years 1670 and 1674 are full of many such occurrences. In 1670, he was forced to reconciled accounts with his associate and brother in law, Simon Guyon, before the Sovereign Council who ordered him to pay his brother in law. His dealings with Masse Gravel his neighbor on the subject of his land boundaries shows him as a staunch defender of his rights but always respectful of authority.  He was a determined man who followed his convictions to the end, no matter the results. In 1670 one of his disputes with this neighbor, the Sovereign Council decided that as a punishment for his audacity the ordered François to apologize to him. François complied.

However he was also respected and beloved which is revealed by becoming a godparent at numerous baptisms and witnesses at weddings. This trait of his social standing crosses all sectors of society including political, economic, religious, and business. On September 18, 1674, it is Sir Louis de Buade of Frontenac, the Governor, who signs as witness on the French traditional marriage contract for his daughter Mathurine with Jean Maheu. Numerous others signed including Jacques de Chambly, notary and scribe Paul Vachon. The most influential merchant of the period, Charles Aubert de la Chesnaye, shows confidence in him and lends him monetary advances to embellish his home showing that his credit was excellent.

At the age of 64, the city leaders convey to François the Seigneurie of Bonsecours. A simple mason at his arrival in 1634, he has become a successful Seigneur (Lord) by July 1677.  The gesture and confidence of the King of France, through his intermediaries and representatives, was significant. François' value in money and possessions for himself and his family along with his descendants was a confirmation of his worth as a result of his social and political attributes.

Belanger Homestead

Additionally, the census of 1666, 1667 and 1681 records his goods and show him as a very financially secure person, given the criteria of the day. In 1666 he pays his daughter Mathurine's tuition at the Ursulines of Québec (a school for girls), and he hires two domestic servants. In 1667 he owns 13 bovines and land equal in value to 50 acres. In 1681 census, at the establishment of his Seigneurie at Bonsecours given to him in 1667, lists three servants, five guns, three cows, and acres of land value.  

While others obtained land grants by buying them received our ancestor received his by merit. His title is not one which is unique but represents an accomplishment much greater than could have been imagined at the start. François and Marie Guyon retire with their son Jacques in 1685. François died between this date of retirement and the winter of 1687. Marie was buried the first of September 1696 at Cap St-Ignace at the age of 78. François and Marie left behind a respectful heritage and family name.

(Click on images to enlarge)

Today the Belangers are spread throughout North America. This family line began with your ancestor himself. Ten of his twelve children had offspring. The first generation may be presented as follows:

1. Charles (1640-1692), was married in 1663 to Barbe Cloutier, the daughter of Zacharie Cloutier, Jr., and Madeleine Emard. They had 4 boys and 5 girls. Charles inherited a half of the Bonsecours fief.

2. Marie-Madeleine (1643-1670), married Seigneur Bertrand Chesnay de la Garenne in 1656. They had 2 boys.

3. Marguerite (1645-1703), married Antoine Berson dit Chatillon in 1663 . They had 2 girls. Marguerite remarried in 1666 to Louis Levasseur and they had 5 boys and 6 girls.

4. Jean-François OUR ANCESTOR (1648-1699), was married in 1671 to Marie Cloutier and settled at L'Islet. They had 3 boys and 2 girls. It was Jean-François who succeeded his father as a Captain of militia.

5. Françoise-Charlotte (1650-1707?), was married in 1665 to Jean Langlois dit Boisverdun. They had 11 children, 6 of whom were boys.

6. Mathurine (1652-1698), had three husbands: Jean Maheu in 1673, Antoine Deserre in 1674 and François Gregoire in 1688. She had a total of 10 children by her second and third husbands.

7. Louis (1655-1724), married in 1682 to Marguerite Lefrancois, was the first Seigneur of L'Islet. They had 13 children.

8. Louise (1657-1726), was married in 1679 to Jean Cloutier. They had 12 children.

9. Genevieve (1659-?), was married in 1682 to Guillaume Ferte. This family settled in L'Islet and had 3 children.

10. Guillaume, was born and died in 1661

11. Jacques (1662-1699), was married in 1691 to Elisabeth Thibault, als o a pioneer at L'Islet. They had 4 children, 3 of whom were boys.

12. Anne (1664-1665) lived only a little more than a year.

NAME VARIATIONS: Belanger was known as Bellenger in colonial days. Later variations were Belongia, Ballonger, Belenger, Bonsecours, Boulanger and Baker

****The lands of Quebec were arranged in long narrow strips called seigneuries or fiefs along the banks of the St. Lawrence River, its estuaries, and other key transit features. This physical layout of manorial property developed as a means of maximizing ease of transit, commerce, and communication by using natural waterways (most notably, the St. Lawrence river) and the relatively few roads. A desirable plot had to be directly bordering or in very close proximity to a river system, which plot-expansion was limited to one of two directions—left or right.^[4] 

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Vikings in Normandy

(hence its name)

Rollo of Normandy began life as a son of a powerful Viking ruler, a believer in the sword and the war god Odin, He ended his days as a French count, a Christian, and a leader of Viking settlers in Normandy, a region in northern France. Rollo, as he was known in France, or Hrólfr, as his Viking people called him, changed the course of history.

In 911, while commanding Viking Raiders on the Seine River, Rollo led a siege on the town of Chartres, southwest of Paris. But the ruler of West Francia, Charles III, had grown weary of warfare and bloodshed. He offered Rollo extensive lands in northern France if the Viking lord would agree to defend the region from other Viking attackers.

Accepting the offer and converting to Christianity, Rollo reworded his followers with estates and farmland in Normandy. Within a century, the Scandinavians had sunk deep roots in the region, becoming peaceful farmers. But Rollo’s lineage was more ambitious. In 1066, his descendant, William the Conqueror, let the Norman invasion of England. William claimed victory, and on Christmas Day 1066, Rollo’s offspring was crowned the King of England.

We have many ancestors from Normandy

.........Norman is short for "North Men" or Vikings

.........if you have watched “The Vikings” on the History Channel, you may be familiar with the character, Rollo is loosely based on Rollo of Normandy.