NICOLAS' death date and burial place are unknown.
NICOLAS was the son of CLEMENT LEBEL and Francoise Lagnel.
On Sunday, 13 May 1657, NICOLAS LEBEL appeared for the first time in our civil archives. At the home of Pierre Gagnon at Chateau-Richer, the notary Audouart and the witnesses Nicolas Verieul and Claude Auber surrounded their friend LEBEL. He would be one of them on the Beaupre Coast, since the master of the house willingly gave him as 'fin d'heritage' a half-arpent of frontal land which he detached from his own farm. Concessionaire LEBEL was committed to building his home in a year and to work there by the coming autumn.
Furthermore, at the same time, Jean Cauhon, junior, called 'Le Jeune,' still more generous, made a gift of two arpents of frontal land by a league-and-a-half in depth, bordering the half-arpent all expenses ceded. The conditions were the same. Each year NICOLAS LEBEL would pay cauchon 42 sols and 1 capon for the rents and cens owed to the seigneurs of Beaupre. He could not sell to other residents without the permission of the first owners, etc.
Why were Gagnon and Cauchon, old residents of the Coast, so magnanimous" Undoubtedly, because the immigrant was kind, hardworking and unpretentious. They appreciated him, and wanted to make him their excellent neighbor. The cause is unique in our annals, for that time, NICOLAS had undoubtedly worked for these two benefactors for more than two years. We can almost conclude that he arrived in New France in the summer of 1654.
NICOLAS LEBEL began working on his land at Chateau-Richer, located between friends and neighbors Gagnon and Cauchon. His property is today located nearly 22 arpents to the east of Sault a la Puce, civil number 8736 (?) on the Chemin du Roi.
At Work and In Affliction
In the winter of 1660, the zealous missionary Thomas Morel organized the well known ceremony of Confirmation at Chateau-Richer. Msgr de Laval, probably traveling on snowshoes, went to the small church in the countryside, where on 2 February, Chandeleur Day, he confirmed 173 people, including NICOLAS LEBEL, all decked out in their Sunday-best clothes.
After several years of preparation, NICOLAS could dream of starting a family. Marriageable girls were exceedingly rare. Near la Riviere aux Chiens lived a worthy family, that of ROBERT DROUIN and Marie Chapelier. NICOLAS courted Marie. The young girl had been baptized at Trois-Rivieres on 18 September 1650. On 27 September 1662, notary Claude Auber went to the DROUIN home to sign NICOLAS and Marie's marriage contract. The parents promised to give their eldest daughter a gift of 100 livres in cash, a milk cow, some clothes and some dishes. NICOLAS offered a generous dowry of 400 livres. The numerous witnesses were named: Etienne Racine, Francois Belanger, PIERRE MAHEU, Romain Trepanier, Nicolas Quentin, among others.
The next day, on Wednesday, 28 November, the nuptual blessing was given by Fr. Thomas Morel at the church of Chateau-Richer. Francois Belanger signed as witness with his initials.
The year 1663 was marked by an earthquake of a magnitude greater than that which we experienced on 25 November 1988. According to the 'Journal of the Jesuits,' the tremor lasted for a period of two minutes, beginning at 5:30 pl.m. on 5 February. All of New France felt the shock, particularly the Beaupre Coast. Various aftershocks were repeated until 15 March.
The supreme ordeal swooped down upon the LEBEL home on Friday, 2 May 1664. Marie Drouin probably spent the night at her parents' home, near la Riviere aux Chiens. Early in the morning, it seems, accompanied by her mother or one of her sisters, she was going towards the church of Sainte-Anne du Petit-Cap in order to 'to hear Holy mass on St. Jacques and St. Philippe day and with the intention of making her devotions.'
A Catastrophe! She fell into the icy waters of the stream and drowned. Great emotion on the Coast! The curate Morel, movingly wrote in the registry of Chateau-Richer 'I have buried a number of christians and children of the church.' In a single day, Ancestor LEBEL had seen all his dreams crumble like a house of cards.
Reconstruction
It was necessary to rebuild what the waters had carried away: a future. Widower NICOLAS LEBEL turned to the west and crossed the Riviere du Sault Montmorency. He stopped at Beauport. There he discovered the honorable family of JEAN MIGNAULT DIT CHATILLON, and of LOUISE CLOUTIER. Eight living children enlivened this happy home at that time. The eldest of the daughters, 14-years-old, was noticed by NICOLAS. THERESE had been baptized at Quebec on 15 September 1651, by the Jesuit Jerome Poncet. She had even attended the convent of the Ursulines of Quebec for awhile.
Gradually, the fabric of their love grew. On Sunday 29 March 1665, the solemn drafting of their marriage contract took place at the home of Uncle Jean Cloutier, a resident of Chateau-Richer. A large gathering of the MIGNAULT family and friends had been summoned. The notary Claude Auber presided. Pierre Gagnon and Jean Cauchon stood up for the groom. The MIGNAULTS made a gift of 150 livres to the couple, not counting the wedding dress, linens, dishes and other utensils. At the bottom of the contract, NICOLAS made his mark: an X in the middle of a circle. THERESE drew a heart or an apple with its stem.
NICOLAS the laborer and young THERESE had their three marriage banns published. The nuptual blessing at Chateau-Richer was celebrated on 2 April 1665, in the presence of the family, friends and Fr. Morel. The LEBEL home seemed destined for a generous future.
The censustakers for the year 1667 reported that the 35-year-old NICOLAS LEBEL and the 16-years-old THERESE MIGNAULT, owned one head of cattle and had 8 arpents of land under cultivation. It was not a mine with gold nuggets everywhere...NICOLAS had to earn his living by his wits, as well by his labor.
On 29 December 1668, our ancestor resold to Pierre Gagnon the half-arpent of land that he had received from him 11 years earlier. For this voluntary return, Gagnon paid 100 livres in principal and 10 livres 'for property and pins for the said wife,' THERESE MIGNAULT. In addition, he left the LEBELS the part of the land where their house was built, that is to say the space between the northwest of the royal road and the top of the first hill by a width of 5 perches, a half-arpent.
At that time, the LEBEL cradle was still empty.
La Pocatiere
About 1675, several people from the Beaupre Coast, Beauport and the Ile d'Orleans settled on the south bank. The regions of Riviere-Ouelle and the Grande Anse exerted a special attraction: fertile lands, forests abounding with wild game, clear streams and a river full of fish, as well as numerous available concessions. At the same time, father-in-law JEAN MIGNAULT and his three sons-in-law, Pelletier, Grondin and Lizot, moved to La Pocatiere.
NICOLAS LEBEL, perhaps at the same time as his brothers-in-law, obtained a concession at this place, lot number 18, 4 arpents of frontal land by 42 deep, a piece of land on which one day the College de Saint-Anne would be erected. But before moving, he had to sell his property at Chateau-Richer at a good price.
On 30 September 1676, Pierre Gagnon bought the LEBEL property with house, barn and 15 arpents of cleared land. The buyer immediately paid 500 livres of the 800 promised. However, the seller reserved for himself the right to live 'with his family and animals on the said homestead until the feast of pentecost of the next year.' The sale was signed by the notary Becquet in the hall of the Seminary of Quebec.
In the spring of 1677, the LEBEL family moved to La Pocatiere. Here is proof of it: Joseph Lebel, son of NICOLAS and THERESE, was born at Grande-Anse on 3 July. Father Thomas Morel baptized the child on the 9th of the same month, without mentioning, it's true, the parents' place of residence. But the baby's godfather and godmother were local people: Thomas Langlois and Madeleine Mignault, wife of Noel Pelletier (an aunt of the baby).
MIGNAULT-LEBEL Generation
NICOLAS and THERESE had only 4 children: Jean, ANGELIQUE, Nicolas and Joseph. The first 3 were born at Chateau-Richer; the last at La Pocatiere. All reached adulthood, founded families and MIGNAULT-OUELLET Generation
NICOLAS LEBEL died shortly after his family arrived at the Grande-Anse at the end of the year 1678 at the latest. What was the cause of his premature death? An accident? A drowning? A heart attack?? No registry and no notary can show us the answers. The missionary forgot to draw up the death certificate or to record it at Quebec or elsewhere. NICOLAS was about 47 years old and benevolently courageous.
(Our French Canadian Ancestors vol. 16 br Thos. Laforest)ave a respectable lineage.
NICOLAS was the son of CLEMENT LEBEL and Francoise Lagnel.
On Sunday, 13 May 1657, NICOLAS LEBEL appeared for the first time in our civil archives. At the home of Pierre Gagnon at Chateau-Richer, the notary Audouart and the witnesses Nicolas Verieul and Claude Auber surrounded their friend LEBEL. He would be one of them on the Beaupre Coast, since the master of the house willingly gave him as 'fin d'heritage' a half-arpent of frontal land which he detached from his own farm. Concessionaire LEBEL was committed to building his home in a year and to work there by the coming autumn.
Furthermore, at the same time, Jean Cauhon, junior, called 'Le Jeune,' still more generous, made a gift of two arpents of frontal land by a league-and-a-half in depth, bordering the half-arpent all expenses ceded. The conditions were the same. Each year NICOLAS LEBEL would pay cauchon 42 sols and 1 capon for the rents and cens owed to the seigneurs of Beaupre. He could not sell to other residents without the permission of the first owners, etc.
Why were Gagnon and Cauchon, old residents of the Coast, so magnanimous" Undoubtedly, because the immigrant was kind, hardworking and unpretentious. They appreciated him, and wanted to make him their excellent neighbor. The cause is unique in our annals, for that time, NICOLAS had undoubtedly worked for these two benefactors for more than two years. We can almost conclude that he arrived in New France in the summer of 1654.
NICOLAS LEBEL began working on his land at Chateau-Richer, located between friends and neighbors Gagnon and Cauchon. His property is today located nearly 22 arpents to the east of Sault a la Puce, civil number 8736 (?) on the Chemin du Roi.
At Work and In Affliction
In the winter of 1660, the zealous missionary Thomas Morel organized the well known ceremony of Confirmation at Chateau-Richer. Msgr de Laval, probably traveling on snowshoes, went to the small church in the countryside, where on 2 February, Chandeleur Day, he confirmed 173 people, including NICOLAS LEBEL, all decked out in their Sunday-best clothes.
After several years of preparation, NICOLAS could dream of starting a family. Marriageable girls were exceedingly rare. Near la Riviere aux Chiens lived a worthy family, that of ROBERT DROUIN and Marie Chapelier. NICOLAS courted Marie. The young girl had been baptized at Trois-Rivieres on 18 September 1650. On 27 September 1662, notary Claude Auber went to the DROUIN home to sign NICOLAS and Marie's marriage contract. The parents promised to give their eldest daughter a gift of 100 livres in cash, a milk cow, some clothes and some dishes. NICOLAS offered a generous dowry of 400 livres. The numerous witnesses were named: Etienne Racine, Francois Belanger, PIERRE MAHEU, Romain Trepanier, Nicolas Quentin, among others.
The next day, on Wednesday, 28 November, the nuptual blessing was given by Fr. Thomas Morel at the church of Chateau-Richer. Francois Belanger signed as witness with his initials.
The year 1663 was marked by an earthquake of a magnitude greater than that which we experienced on 25 November 1988. According to the 'Journal of the Jesuits,' the tremor lasted for a period of two minutes, beginning at 5:30 pl.m. on 5 February. All of New France felt the shock, particularly the Beaupre Coast. Various aftershocks were repeated until 15 March.
The supreme ordeal swooped down upon the LEBEL home on Friday, 2 May 1664. Marie Drouin probably spent the night at her parents' home, near la Riviere aux Chiens. Early in the morning, it seems, accompanied by her mother or one of her sisters, she was going towards the church of Sainte-Anne du Petit-Cap in order to 'to hear Holy mass on St. Jacques and St. Philippe day and with the intention of making her devotions.'
A Catastrophe! She fell into the icy waters of the stream and drowned. Great emotion on the Coast! The curate Morel, movingly wrote in the registry of Chateau-Richer 'I have buried a number of christians and children of the church.' In a single day, Ancestor LEBEL had seen all his dreams crumble like a house of cards.
Reconstruction
It was necessary to rebuild what the waters had carried away: a future. Widower NICOLAS LEBEL turned to the west and crossed the Riviere du Sault Montmorency. He stopped at Beauport. There he discovered the honorable family of JEAN MIGNAULT DIT CHATILLON, and of LOUISE CLOUTIER. Eight living children enlivened this happy home at that time. The eldest of the daughters, 14-years-old, was noticed by NICOLAS. THERESE had been baptized at Quebec on 15 September 1651, by the Jesuit Jerome Poncet. She had even attended the convent of the Ursulines of Quebec for awhile.
Gradually, the fabric of their love grew. On Sunday 29 March 1665, the solemn drafting of their marriage contract took place at the home of Uncle Jean Cloutier, a resident of Chateau-Richer. A large gathering of the MIGNAULT family and friends had been summoned. The notary Claude Auber presided. Pierre Gagnon and Jean Cauchon stood up for the groom. The MIGNAULTS made a gift of 150 livres to the couple, not counting the wedding dress, linens, dishes and other utensils. At the bottom of the contract, NICOLAS made his mark: an X in the middle of a circle. THERESE drew a heart or an apple with its stem.
NICOLAS the laborer and young THERESE had their three marriage banns published. The nuptual blessing at Chateau-Richer was celebrated on 2 April 1665, in the presence of the family, friends and Fr. Morel. The LEBEL home seemed destined for a generous future.
The censustakers for the year 1667 reported that the 35-year-old NICOLAS LEBEL and the 16-years-old THERESE MIGNAULT, owned one head of cattle and had 8 arpents of land under cultivation. It was not a mine with gold nuggets everywhere...NICOLAS had to earn his living by his wits, as well by his labor.
On 29 December 1668, our ancestor resold to Pierre Gagnon the half-arpent of land that he had received from him 11 years earlier. For this voluntary return, Gagnon paid 100 livres in principal and 10 livres 'for property and pins for the said wife,' THERESE MIGNAULT. In addition, he left the LEBELS the part of the land where their house was built, that is to say the space between the northwest of the royal road and the top of the first hill by a width of 5 perches, a half-arpent.
At that time, the LEBEL cradle was still empty.
La Pocatiere
About 1675, several people from the Beaupre Coast, Beauport and the Ile d'Orleans settled on the south bank. The regions of Riviere-Ouelle and the Grande Anse exerted a special attraction: fertile lands, forests abounding with wild game, clear streams and a river full of fish, as well as numerous available concessions. At the same time, father-in-law JEAN MIGNAULT and his three sons-in-law, Pelletier, Grondin and Lizot, moved to La Pocatiere.
NICOLAS LEBEL, perhaps at the same time as his brothers-in-law, obtained a concession at this place, lot number 18, 4 arpents of frontal land by 42 deep, a piece of land on which one day the College de Saint-Anne would be erected. But before moving, he had to sell his property at Chateau-Richer at a good price.
On 30 September 1676, Pierre Gagnon bought the LEBEL property with house, barn and 15 arpents of cleared land. The buyer immediately paid 500 livres of the 800 promised. However, the seller reserved for himself the right to live 'with his family and animals on the said homestead until the feast of pentecost of the next year.' The sale was signed by the notary Becquet in the hall of the Seminary of Quebec.
In the spring of 1677, the LEBEL family moved to La Pocatiere. Here is proof of it: Joseph Lebel, son of NICOLAS and THERESE, was born at Grande-Anse on 3 July. Father Thomas Morel baptized the child on the 9th of the same month, without mentioning, it's true, the parents' place of residence. But the baby's godfather and godmother were local people: Thomas Langlois and Madeleine Mignault, wife of Noel Pelletier (an aunt of the baby).
MIGNAULT-LEBEL Generation
NICOLAS and THERESE had only 4 children: Jean, ANGELIQUE, Nicolas and Joseph. The first 3 were born at Chateau-Richer; the last at La Pocatiere. All reached adulthood, founded families and MIGNAULT-OUELLET Generation
NICOLAS LEBEL died shortly after his family arrived at the Grande-Anse at the end of the year 1678 at the latest. What was the cause of his premature death? An accident? A drowning? A heart attack?? No registry and no notary can show us the answers. The missionary forgot to draw up the death certificate or to record it at Quebec or elsewhere. NICOLAS was about 47 years old and benevolently courageous.
(Our French Canadian Ancestors vol. 16 br Thos. Laforest)ave a respectable lineage.
NICOLAS' death date and burial place are unknown.
NICOLAS was the son of CLEMENT LEBEL and Francoise Lagnel.
On Sunday, 13 May 1657, NICOLAS LEBEL appeared for the first time in our civil archives. At the home of Pierre Gagnon at Chateau-Richer, the notary Audouart and the witnesses Nicolas Verieul and Claude Auber surrounded their friend LEBEL. He would be one of them on the Beaupre Coast, since the master of the house willingly gave him as 'fin d'heritage' a half-arpent of frontal land which he detached from his own farm. Concessionaire LEBEL was committed to building his home in a year and to work there by the coming autumn.
Furthermore, at the same time, Jean Cauhon, junior, called 'Le Jeune,' still more generous, made a gift of two arpents of frontal land by a league-and-a-half in depth, bordering the half-arpent all expenses ceded. The conditions were the same. Each year NICOLAS LEBEL would pay cauchon 42 sols and 1 capon for the rents and cens owed to the seigneurs of Beaupre. He could not sell to other residents without the permission of the first owners, etc.
Why were Gagnon and Cauchon, old residents of the Coast, so magnanimous" Undoubtedly, because the immigrant was kind, hardworking and unpretentious. They appreciated him, and wanted to make him their excellent neighbor. The cause is unique in our annals, for that time, NICOLAS had undoubtedly worked for these two benefactors for more than two years. We can almost conclude that he arrived in New France in the summer of 1654.
NICOLAS LEBEL began working on his land at Chateau-Richer, located between friends and neighbors Gagnon and Cauchon. His property is today located nearly 22 arpents to the east of Sault a la Puce, civil number 8736 (?) on the Chemin du Roi.
At Work and In Affliction
In the winter of 1660, the zealous missionary Thomas Morel organized the well known ceremony of Confirmation at Chateau-Richer. Msgr de Laval, probably traveling on snowshoes, went to the small church in the countryside, where on 2 February, Chandeleur Day, he confirmed 173 people, including NICOLAS LEBEL, all decked out in their Sunday-best clothes.
After several years of preparation, NICOLAS could dream of starting a family. Marriageable girls were exceedingly rare. Near la Riviere aux Chiens lived a worthy family, that of ROBERT DROUIN and Marie Chapelier. NICOLAS courted Marie. The young girl had been baptized at Trois-Rivieres on 18 September 1650. On 27 September 1662, notary Claude Auber went to the DROUIN home to sign NICOLAS and Marie's marriage contract. The parents promised to give their eldest daughter a gift of 100 livres in cash, a milk cow, some clothes and some dishes. NICOLAS offered a generous dowry of 400 livres. The numerous witnesses were named: Etienne Racine, Francois Belanger, PIERRE MAHEU, Romain Trepanier, Nicolas Quentin, among others.
The next day, on Wednesday, 28 November, the nuptual blessing was given by Fr. Thomas Morel at the church of Chateau-Richer. Francois Belanger signed as witness with his initials.
The year 1663 was marked by an earthquake of a magnitude greater than that which we experienced on 25 November 1988. According to the 'Journal of the Jesuits,' the tremor lasted for a period of two minutes, beginning at 5:30 pl.m. on 5 February. All of New France felt the shock, particularly the Beaupre Coast. Various aftershocks were repeated until 15 March.
The supreme ordeal swooped down upon the LEBEL home on Friday, 2 May 1664. Marie Drouin probably spent the night at her parents' home, near la Riviere aux Chiens. Early in the morning, it seems, accompanied by her mother or one of her sisters, she was going towards the church of Sainte-Anne du Petit-Cap in order to 'to hear Holy mass on St. Jacques and St. Philippe day and with the intention of making her devotions.'
A Catastrophe! She fell into the icy waters of the stream and drowned. Great emotion on the Coast! The curate Morel, movingly wrote in the registry of Chateau-Richer 'I have buried a number of christians and children of the church.' In a single day, Ancestor LEBEL had seen all his dreams crumble like a house of cards.
Reconstruction
It was necessary to rebuild what the waters had carried away: a future. Widower NICOLAS LEBEL turned to the west and crossed the Riviere du Sault Montmorency. He stopped at Beauport. There he discovered the honorable family of JEAN MIGNAULT DIT CHATILLON, and of LOUISE CLOUTIER. Eight living children enlivened this happy home at that time. The eldest of the daughters, 14-years-old, was noticed by NICOLAS. THERESE had been baptized at Quebec on 15 September 1651, by the Jesuit Jerome Poncet. She had even attended the convent of the Ursulines of Quebec for awhile.
Gradually, the fabric of their love grew. On Sunday 29 March 1665, the solemn drafting of their marriage contract took place at the home of Uncle Jean Cloutier, a resident of Chateau-Richer. A large gathering of the MIGNAULT family and friends had been summoned. The notary Claude Auber presided. Pierre Gagnon and Jean Cauchon stood up for the groom. The MIGNAULTS made a gift of 150 livres to the couple, not counting the wedding dress, linens, dishes and other utensils. At the bottom of the contract, NICOLAS made his mark: an X in the middle of a circle. THERESE drew a heart or an apple with its stem.
NICOLAS the laborer and young THERESE had their three marriage banns published. The nuptual blessing at Chateau-Richer was celebrated on 2 April 1665, in the presence of the family, friends and Fr. Morel. The LEBEL home seemed destined for a generous future.
The censustakers for the year 1667 reported that the 35-year-old NICOLAS LEBEL and the 16-years-old THERESE MIGNAULT, owned one head of cattle and had 8 arpents of land under cultivation. It was not a mine with gold nuggets everywhere...NICOLAS had to earn his living by his wits, as well by his labor.
On 29 December 1668, our ancestor resold to Pierre Gagnon the half-arpent of land that he had received from him 11 years earlier. For this voluntary return, Gagnon paid 100 livres in principal and 10 livres 'for property and pins for the said wife,' THERESE MIGNAULT. In addition, he left the LEBELS the part of the land where their house was built, that is to say the space between the northwest of the royal road and the top of the first hill by a width of 5 perches, a half-arpent.
At that time, the LEBEL cradle was still empty.
La Pocatiere
About 1675, several people from the Beaupre Coast, Beauport and the Ile d'Orleans settled on the south bank. The regions of Riviere-Ouelle and the Grande Anse exerted a special attraction: fertile lands, forests abounding with wild game, clear streams and a river full of fish, as well as numerous available concessions. At the same time, father-in-law JEAN MIGNAULT and his three sons-in-law, Pelletier, Grondin and Lizot, moved to La Pocatiere.
NICOLAS LEBEL, perhaps at the same time as his brothers-in-law, obtained a concession at this place, lot number 18, 4 arpents of frontal land by 42 deep, a piece of land on which one day the College de Saint-Anne would be erected. But before moving, he had to sell his property at Chateau-Richer at a good price.
On 30 September 1676, Pierre Gagnon bought the LEBEL property with house, barn and 15 arpents of cleared land. The buyer immediately paid 500 livres of the 800 promised. However, the seller reserved for himself the right to live 'with his family and animals on the said homestead until the feast of pentecost of the next year.' The sale was signed by the notary Becquet in the hall of the Seminary of Quebec.
In the spring of 1677, the LEBEL family moved to La Pocatiere. Here is proof of it: Joseph Lebel, son of NICOLAS and THERESE, was born at Grande-Anse on 3 July. Father Thomas Morel baptized the child on the 9th of the same month, without mentioning, it's true, the parents' place of residence. But the baby's godfather and godmother were local people: Thomas Langlois and Madeleine Mignault, wife of Noel Pelletier (an aunt of the baby).
MIGNAULT-LEBEL Generation
NICOLAS and THERESE had only 4 children: Jean, ANGELIQUE, Nicolas and Joseph. The first 3 were born at Chateau-Richer; the last at La Pocatiere. All reached adulthood, founded families and MIGNAULT-OUELLET Generation
NICOLAS LEBEL died shortly after his family arrived at the Grande-Anse at the end of the year 1678 at the latest. What was the cause of his premature death? An accident? A drowning? A heart attack?? No registry and no notary can show us the answers. The missionary forgot to draw up the death certificate or to record it at Quebec or elsewhere. NICOLAS was about 47 years old and benevolently courageous.
(Our French Canadian Ancestors vol. 16 br Thos. Laforest)ave a respectable lineage.
NICOLAS was the son of CLEMENT LEBEL and Francoise Lagnel.
On Sunday, 13 May 1657, NICOLAS LEBEL appeared for the first time in our civil archives. At the home of Pierre Gagnon at Chateau-Richer, the notary Audouart and the witnesses Nicolas Verieul and Claude Auber surrounded their friend LEBEL. He would be one of them on the Beaupre Coast, since the master of the house willingly gave him as 'fin d'heritage' a half-arpent of frontal land which he detached from his own farm. Concessionaire LEBEL was committed to building his home in a year and to work there by the coming autumn.
Furthermore, at the same time, Jean Cauhon, junior, called 'Le Jeune,' still more generous, made a gift of two arpents of frontal land by a league-and-a-half in depth, bordering the half-arpent all expenses ceded. The conditions were the same. Each year NICOLAS LEBEL would pay cauchon 42 sols and 1 capon for the rents and cens owed to the seigneurs of Beaupre. He could not sell to other residents without the permission of the first owners, etc.
Why were Gagnon and Cauchon, old residents of the Coast, so magnanimous" Undoubtedly, because the immigrant was kind, hardworking and unpretentious. They appreciated him, and wanted to make him their excellent neighbor. The cause is unique in our annals, for that time, NICOLAS had undoubtedly worked for these two benefactors for more than two years. We can almost conclude that he arrived in New France in the summer of 1654.
NICOLAS LEBEL began working on his land at Chateau-Richer, located between friends and neighbors Gagnon and Cauchon. His property is today located nearly 22 arpents to the east of Sault a la Puce, civil number 8736 (?) on the Chemin du Roi.
At Work and In Affliction
In the winter of 1660, the zealous missionary Thomas Morel organized the well known ceremony of Confirmation at Chateau-Richer. Msgr de Laval, probably traveling on snowshoes, went to the small church in the countryside, where on 2 February, Chandeleur Day, he confirmed 173 people, including NICOLAS LEBEL, all decked out in their Sunday-best clothes.
After several years of preparation, NICOLAS could dream of starting a family. Marriageable girls were exceedingly rare. Near la Riviere aux Chiens lived a worthy family, that of ROBERT DROUIN and Marie Chapelier. NICOLAS courted Marie. The young girl had been baptized at Trois-Rivieres on 18 September 1650. On 27 September 1662, notary Claude Auber went to the DROUIN home to sign NICOLAS and Marie's marriage contract. The parents promised to give their eldest daughter a gift of 100 livres in cash, a milk cow, some clothes and some dishes. NICOLAS offered a generous dowry of 400 livres. The numerous witnesses were named: Etienne Racine, Francois Belanger, PIERRE MAHEU, Romain Trepanier, Nicolas Quentin, among others.
The next day, on Wednesday, 28 November, the nuptual blessing was given by Fr. Thomas Morel at the church of Chateau-Richer. Francois Belanger signed as witness with his initials.
The year 1663 was marked by an earthquake of a magnitude greater than that which we experienced on 25 November 1988. According to the 'Journal of the Jesuits,' the tremor lasted for a period of two minutes, beginning at 5:30 pl.m. on 5 February. All of New France felt the shock, particularly the Beaupre Coast. Various aftershocks were repeated until 15 March.
The supreme ordeal swooped down upon the LEBEL home on Friday, 2 May 1664. Marie Drouin probably spent the night at her parents' home, near la Riviere aux Chiens. Early in the morning, it seems, accompanied by her mother or one of her sisters, she was going towards the church of Sainte-Anne du Petit-Cap in order to 'to hear Holy mass on St. Jacques and St. Philippe day and with the intention of making her devotions.'
A Catastrophe! She fell into the icy waters of the stream and drowned. Great emotion on the Coast! The curate Morel, movingly wrote in the registry of Chateau-Richer 'I have buried a number of christians and children of the church.' In a single day, Ancestor LEBEL had seen all his dreams crumble like a house of cards.
Reconstruction
It was necessary to rebuild what the waters had carried away: a future. Widower NICOLAS LEBEL turned to the west and crossed the Riviere du Sault Montmorency. He stopped at Beauport. There he discovered the honorable family of JEAN MIGNAULT DIT CHATILLON, and of LOUISE CLOUTIER. Eight living children enlivened this happy home at that time. The eldest of the daughters, 14-years-old, was noticed by NICOLAS. THERESE had been baptized at Quebec on 15 September 1651, by the Jesuit Jerome Poncet. She had even attended the convent of the Ursulines of Quebec for awhile.
Gradually, the fabric of their love grew. On Sunday 29 March 1665, the solemn drafting of their marriage contract took place at the home of Uncle Jean Cloutier, a resident of Chateau-Richer. A large gathering of the MIGNAULT family and friends had been summoned. The notary Claude Auber presided. Pierre Gagnon and Jean Cauchon stood up for the groom. The MIGNAULTS made a gift of 150 livres to the couple, not counting the wedding dress, linens, dishes and other utensils. At the bottom of the contract, NICOLAS made his mark: an X in the middle of a circle. THERESE drew a heart or an apple with its stem.
NICOLAS the laborer and young THERESE had their three marriage banns published. The nuptual blessing at Chateau-Richer was celebrated on 2 April 1665, in the presence of the family, friends and Fr. Morel. The LEBEL home seemed destined for a generous future.
The censustakers for the year 1667 reported that the 35-year-old NICOLAS LEBEL and the 16-years-old THERESE MIGNAULT, owned one head of cattle and had 8 arpents of land under cultivation. It was not a mine with gold nuggets everywhere...NICOLAS had to earn his living by his wits, as well by his labor.
On 29 December 1668, our ancestor resold to Pierre Gagnon the half-arpent of land that he had received from him 11 years earlier. For this voluntary return, Gagnon paid 100 livres in principal and 10 livres 'for property and pins for the said wife,' THERESE MIGNAULT. In addition, he left the LEBELS the part of the land where their house was built, that is to say the space between the northwest of the royal road and the top of the first hill by a width of 5 perches, a half-arpent.
At that time, the LEBEL cradle was still empty.
La Pocatiere
About 1675, several people from the Beaupre Coast, Beauport and the Ile d'Orleans settled on the south bank. The regions of Riviere-Ouelle and the Grande Anse exerted a special attraction: fertile lands, forests abounding with wild game, clear streams and a river full of fish, as well as numerous available concessions. At the same time, father-in-law JEAN MIGNAULT and his three sons-in-law, Pelletier, Grondin and Lizot, moved to La Pocatiere.
NICOLAS LEBEL, perhaps at the same time as his brothers-in-law, obtained a concession at this place, lot number 18, 4 arpents of frontal land by 42 deep, a piece of land on which one day the College de Saint-Anne would be erected. But before moving, he had to sell his property at Chateau-Richer at a good price.
On 30 September 1676, Pierre Gagnon bought the LEBEL property with house, barn and 15 arpents of cleared land. The buyer immediately paid 500 livres of the 800 promised. However, the seller reserved for himself the right to live 'with his family and animals on the said homestead until the feast of pentecost of the next year.' The sale was signed by the notary Becquet in the hall of the Seminary of Quebec.
In the spring of 1677, the LEBEL family moved to La Pocatiere. Here is proof of it: Joseph Lebel, son of NICOLAS and THERESE, was born at Grande-Anse on 3 July. Father Thomas Morel baptized the child on the 9th of the same month, without mentioning, it's true, the parents' place of residence. But the baby's godfather and godmother were local people: Thomas Langlois and Madeleine Mignault, wife of Noel Pelletier (an aunt of the baby).
MIGNAULT-LEBEL Generation
NICOLAS and THERESE had only 4 children: Jean, ANGELIQUE, Nicolas and Joseph. The first 3 were born at Chateau-Richer; the last at La Pocatiere. All reached adulthood, founded families and MIGNAULT-OUELLET Generation
NICOLAS LEBEL died shortly after his family arrived at the Grande-Anse at the end of the year 1678 at the latest. What was the cause of his premature death? An accident? A drowning? A heart attack?? No registry and no notary can show us the answers. The missionary forgot to draw up the death certificate or to record it at Quebec or elsewhere. NICOLAS was about 47 years old and benevolently courageous.
(Our French Canadian Ancestors vol. 16 br Thos. Laforest)ave a respectable lineage.
Family Members
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