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Jean Gélinas (1646 - aft. 1717)

Jean Gélinas aka Gélineau
Born in Saintes (St-Eutrope), Saintonge, Francemap
Ancestors ancestors
Son of and
Brother of , , [half] and [half]
Husband of — married 17 Oct 1667 in Trois-Rivières, Canada, Nouvelle-Francemap
Descendants descendants
Father of , , , , , and
Died after after age 71 in Canada, Nouvelle-Francemap
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Contents

Biography

Flag of France
Jean Gélinas migrated from France to New France.
Flag of New France
Drapeau identifiant les profils du Canada, Nouvelle-France
Jean Gélinas a vécu
au Canada, Nouvelle-France.

Charpentier[1] et Habitant

Contrat de mariage entre Jean Gélinart, du Cap, fils d’Estienne Gélinart et de Huguette Robert, du Saintonge, et Françoise-Charles de Mesni, fille de Robert de Mesni et de Marie Denis, de St-Maclou (17 octobre 1667). Notaire Jacques de La Tousche[2][3].

Death - After August 9 1717: Jean and his wife both made donations to their children Étienne and Anne and their spouses in July 1717, the 2 acts state that Jean and Françoise are separated in body and goods due to their great age. Jean's donation to Étienne includes the provision so they will keep him with them. On August 9th he and his wife made a sale of land to Marie Anne and her husband Pierre Rochereau, said contract ratified by their son Pierre. All 3 acts were before notary Pierre Poulin (last 3 acts in below listing)

He may have died in Yamachiche, he was residing with his son Étienne, per the notarial acts, Étienne was buried in 1720 in Trois-Rivières but was listed as resident of Petite Rivière Yamachiche.[4] Which probably did not yet have its own cemetery.

Enfants connus / Known children

  1. Étienne Gélina, né vers 1668 (13 ans en 1681); marié à Marguerite Benoit le 8 novembre 1701 à Trois Rivières.
  2. Jean Baptiste Gélina, né vers 1669 (Jean 12 ans en 1681); marié à Jeanne Boissonneau le 8 novembre 1700 à St-Jean, IO. (L'acte leur donne tous deux 29 ans)
  3. Benjamin, né vers 1671 (10 ans en 1681); aucune autre trace
  4. Pierre, né vers 1673 (8 ans en 1681) ; marié à Marie Madeleine Bourbaux le 2 juin 1704 Cap-de-la-Madeleine.
  5. Françoise, née vers 1677 (4 ans en 1681); aucune autre trace
  6. Marie Anne Gélina, née le 12 septembre 1678 baptisée le 13 à Trois Rivières. Marié à Pierre Rochereau dit Morisseau en date du 21/01/1702 à Trois Rivières.
  7. Marguerite Jeanne Geleinas, née le 19 juillet 1683, baptisée le 20 à Trois-Rivières; mariée à Pierre Duruau le 1 septembre 1707 à Trois-Rivières.[4]

Recensements / Censuses

  • Recensement 1666 Census, Les Trois-Rivières: Etienne Gelineau (Gelinas), 42, habitant ; Jean, 20.[5]
  • Recensement 1667 Census, Petit Cap de la Madeleine: :Etienne Gellyna, 42 ; Jean, son fils, 20 ; domestiques : Pierre Durant, 25 ; Nicolas Millye (Millet), 35 ; l tête de bétail, 20 arpents en valeur.[5]
  • Recensement 1681 Census,: Le Cap (de-la-Madeleine: :Jean Gelinas 37 ; Françoise de (Charmenil), sa femme, 29 ; enfants : Étienne 13, Jean 12, Benjamin 10, Pierre 8, Françoise 4, Anne 2 ; 1 fusil ; 6 bêtes à cornes ; 4 arpents en valeur.[6]


Actes notariaux/Notarial acts

Donation par Etienne Gelineau à Jean, son fils, de la moitié d ’une habitation en la seigneurie des Jésuites, au Cap de la Madeleine, de 2 x 25 arp. sur le bord de la rivière des T.-R., vis-à-vis l'île St-Christophe (2 mai 1666). Notaire Séverin Ameau[7][8]

Bail à ferme par Estienne Gélinart et Jean, son fils, du Cap, à Nicollas Gastineau-Duplessis, du Cap et Batiscan, de 2 vaches (30 novembre 1668). Notaire Jacques de La Tousche[9][10]

Accord entre Estienne Gélinart, du Cap, et Jean Gélinart, son fils, dudit lieu, au sujet d’une vache (4 février 1669). Notaire Jacques de La Tousche[11][12]

Don à titre de ferme par Nicollas Gastineau-Duplessis, du Cap, à Estienne Gélinaux et Jean Gélinaux, père et fils, de sa concession au Cap (3 février 1670). Notaire Jean Cusson[13][14]

Billet de concession par Nicolas Marsolet à Jean Gélineau (. . . juillet 1670). Notaire Séverin Ameau[15][16]

Accord entre Nicollas Gastineau-Duplessis et Estienne et lean Gelinaux, ses fermiers, au sujet de la culture de sa terre (28 août 1670). Notaire Jean Cusson[17][18]

Vente par Jean Gélinaux à Pierre Brandelet, d’une habitation de 4 arpents, sur le fleuve des Trois-Rivières (2 août 1672). Notaire Jean Cusson[19][20]

Remise de ferme par Jean Gélinaux, fermier de Nicolas Gastineau-Duplessis, à ce même Nicolas Gastineau-Duplessis (14 mai 1676). Notaire Jean Cusson[21][22]

Quittance réciproque entre Nicollas Gastineau-Duplessis, du Cap, et Jean Gélinaux, de leurs dettes jusqu’à ce jour (3 novembre 1676). Notaire Jean Cusson[23][24]

Vente par Jean Gélinaux et Françoise Chastenay, sa femme, à Nicolas Gastineau-Duplessis, du Cap, de la moitié d ’une concession leur ayant été donnée par Étienne Gélineau, son père, au Cap (22 novembre 1676). Notaire Jean Cusson[25][26]


Concession par Charles LeGardeur, seigneur de Villieu, à Jean Gélinaux, d’une terre de 2 arpents, proche du lac St-Paul (2 mai 1677). Notaire Jean Cusson[27][28]

Vente par Adrien Saillot dit Lacroix, du Cap, à Jean Gelinaux, de la seigneurie de Villieu, d’une terre de 2 arpents, près du lac St-Paul, dans ladite seigneurie (19 mars 1678). Notaire Jean Cusson[29][30]

Quittance de Catherine Jérémie, veuve de Jacques Aubuchon dit Dargis, à Jean Gelinaux, de la somme de 60 livres, restante sur le prix de sa concession (11 juin 1688). Notaire Jean Cusson[31][32]

Bail à ferme d’une terre et habitation en la seigneurie de Bécancour par Jean Gélineau, de Trois-Rivières, à Jean-François Foucault (29 mars 1695). Notaire Séverin Ameau[33][34]

Donation de Etienne Gélinas à Jean Gélinas, son frère (30 juin 1696). Notaire Antoine Adhémar[35][36]

Donation par Françoise Cherminie, femme séparée de corps et biens de Jean Gélinas, à cause de leur grand âge, de Bécancour, à Pierre Rochereau dit Morisseau et Anne Gélinas, de Bécancour, de la somme de 800 livres et un boeuf de trait (1 juillet 1717). Notaire Pierre Poulin[37][38]

Donation par Jean Gélinas, séparé de corps et biens, à cause de leur grand âge, de Françoise Cherminie, sa femme, à Etienne Gélinas, son fils, et Marguerite Génois, sa femme, de la somme de 800 livres, pour qu'ils le gardent avec eux (13 juillet 1717). Notaire Pierre Poulin[39][40]

Vente d'une terre de 3 arpents audit lieu par Jean Gélinas et Françoise Cherminie, sa femme de Bécancour à Pierre Rochereau dit Morisseau, leur gendre, et Marianne Gélinas, sa femme, dudit lieu. Contrat ratifié par Pierre Gélinas-Lacource le 9 août 1717 (9 août 1717). Notaire Pierre Poulin[41][42]

Sources

  1. ↑ Fichier Origine - Répertoire des actes des émigrants français et étrangers établis au Québec des origines à 1865 no.241732
  2. ↑ Roy, Pierre-Georges,, Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, Québec, R. Lefebvre, Éditeur officiel du Québec, 1942, 28 vol. ; 25-27 cm, Collections de BAnQ. (No. 295) Vol XXVI pg 237 (17 octobre 1667)
  3. ↑ Jacques de Latouche, 1664-1669, BAnQ Trois-Rivières, Fonds Cour Supérieure. District judiciaire de Trois-Rivières. Greffes de notaires, (04T,CN401,S28). images 1078 à 1082 suivi de la transcription 1083 à 1087 (17 octobre 1667)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1997 - Drouin IGD
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Recensements de 1666-1667 en Nouvelle-France, référant au chapitre IV du livre Histoire des Canadiens Français de Benjamin Sulte, compilés par Jean-Guy Sénécal le 17 mars 1998
  6. ↑ Wikisource Recensement 1681 Census selon Benjamin Sulte
  7. ↑ Roy, Pierre-Georges,, Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, Québec, R. Lefebvre, Éditeur officiel du Québec, 1942, 28 vol. ; 25-27 cm, Collections de BAnQ.(No. 153) Vol XI pg 79-80 (2 mai 1666)
  8. ↑ Actes de notaire, 1651-1702 Ameau Séverin. Trois-Rivières (Québec : district judiciaire). Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec 2 févr. 1651 - 11 nov. 1694 (2 mai 1666)
  9. ↑ Roy, Pierre-Georges,, Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, Québec, R. Lefebvre, Éditeur officiel du Québec, 1942, 28 vol. ; 25-27 cm, Collections de BAnQ. (No. 360) Vol XXVI pg 244 (30 novembre 1668)
  10. ↑ Jacques de Latouche, 1664-1669, BAnQ Trois-Rivières, Fonds Cour Supérieure. District judiciaire de Trois-Rivières. Greffes de notaires, (04T,CN401,S28). images 1347 à 1349 (30 novembre 1668)
  11. ↑ Roy, Pierre-Georges,, Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, Québec, R. Lefebvre, Éditeur officiel du Québec, 1942, 28 vol. ; 25-27 cm, Collections de BAnQ. (No. 378) Vol XXVI pg 245 (4 février 1669)
  12. ↑ Jacques de Latouche, 1664-1669, BAnQ Trois-Rivières, Fonds Cour Supérieure. District judiciaire de Trois-Rivières. Greffes de notaires, (04T,CN401,S28). images 1424 à 1426 (4 février 1669)
  13. ↑ Roy, Pierre-Georges,, Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, Québec, R. Lefebvre, Éditeur officiel du Québec, 1942, 28 vol. ; 25-27 cm, Collections de BAnQ. (No. 27) Vol XXVI pg 68 (3 février 1670)
  14. ↑ Jean Cusson, 1666-1700, BAnQ Trois-Rivières, Fonds Cour Supérieure. District judiciaire de Trois-Rivières. Greffes de notaires, (04T,CN401,S22). images 143 à 145 (3 février 1670)
  15. ↑ Roy, Pierre-Georges,, Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, Québec, R. Lefebvre, Éditeur officiel du Québec, 1942, 28 vol. ; 25-27 cm, Collections de BAnQ. (No 192. ) Vol XI pg 89 (. . . juillet 1670)
  16. ↑ Actes de notaire, 1651-1702 Ameau Séverin. Trois-Rivières (Québec : district judiciaire). Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec 2 févr. 1651 - 11 nov. 1694 (. . . juillet 1670)
  17. ↑ Roy, Pierre-Georges,, Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, Québec, R. Lefebvre, Éditeur officiel du Québec, 1942, 28 vol. ; 25-27 cm, Collections de BAnQ. (No. 36a) Vol XXVI pg 69 (28 août 1670)
  18. ↑ Jean Cusson, 1666-1700, BAnQ Trois-Rivières, Fonds Cour Supérieure. District judiciaire de Trois-Rivières. Greffes de notaires, (04T,CN401,S22). images 173 à 176 (28 août 1670)
  19. ↑ Roy, Pierre-Georges,, Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, Québec, R. Lefebvre, Éditeur officiel du Québec, 1942, 28 vol. ; 25-27 cm, Collections de BAnQ. (No. 128) Vol XXVI pg 78 (2 août 1672)
  20. ↑ Jean Cusson, 1666-1700, BAnQ Trois-Rivières, Fonds Cour Supérieure. District judiciaire de Trois-Rivières. Greffes de notaires, (04T,CN401,S22). images 503 à 505 (2 août 1672)
  21. ↑ Roy, Pierre-Georges,, Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, Québec, R. Lefebvre, Éditeur officiel du Québec, 1942, 28 vol. ; 25-27 cm, Collections de BAnQ. (No. 165) Vol XXVI pg 82 (14 mai 1676)
  22. ↑ Jean Cusson, 1666-1700, BAnQ Trois-Rivières, Fonds Cour Supérieure. District judiciaire de Trois-Rivières. Greffes de notaires, (04T,CN401,S22). images 649 à 651 (14 mai 1676)
  23. ↑ Roy, Pierre-Georges,, Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, Québec, R. Lefebvre, Éditeur officiel du Québec, 1942, 28 vol. ; 25-27 cm, Collections de BAnQ. (No. 181) Vol XXVI pg 83 (3 novembre 1676)
  24. ↑ images 716 à 718 (3 novembre 1676)
  25. ↑ Roy, Pierre-Georges,, Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, Québec, R. Lefebvre, Éditeur officiel du Québec, 1942, 28 vol. ; 25-27 cm, Collections de BAnQ. (No. 182) Vol XXVI pg 83 (22 novembre 1676)
  26. ↑ images 719 à 722 (22 novembre 1676)
  27. ↑ Roy, Pierre-Georges,, Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, Québec, R. Lefebvre, Éditeur officiel du Québec, 1942, 28 vol. ; 25-27 cm, Collections de BAnQ. (No. 194) Vol XXVI pg 84 (2 mai 1677)
  28. ↑ Jean Cusson, 1666-1700, BAnQ Trois-Rivières, Fonds Cour Supérieure. District judiciaire de Trois-Rivières. Greffes de notaires, (04T,CN401,S22). images 771 à 775 (2 mai 1677)
  29. ↑ Roy, Pierre-Georges,, Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, Québec, R. Lefebvre, Éditeur officiel du Québec, 1942, 28 vol. ; 25-27 cm, Collections de BAnQ. (No. 220) Vol XXVI pg 87 (19 mars 1678)
  30. ↑ Jean Cusson, 1666-1700, BAnQ Trois-Rivières, Fonds Cour Supérieure. District judiciaire de Trois-Rivières. Greffes de notaires, (04T,CN401,S22). images 913 à 917 (19 mars 1678)
  31. ↑ Roy, Pierre-Georges,, Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, Québec, R. Lefebvre, Éditeur officiel du Québec, 1942, 28 vol. ; 25-27 cm, Collections de BAnQ. (No. 352) Vol XXVI pg 100 (11 juin 1688)
  32. ↑ Actes de notaire, 1666-1700 Jean Cusson Trois-Rivières (Québec : district judiciaire). Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec [https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-P3V7-L9WX-N?i=129&cat=538059 26 mai 1686 - 1700 images 130 à 132 (11 juin 1688)
  33. ↑ Roy, Pierre-Georges,, Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, Québec, R. Lefebvre, Éditeur officiel du Québec, 1942, 28 vol. ; 25-27 cm, Collections de BAnQ. (No. 481a) Vol XXVI pg 20 (29 mars 1695)
  34. ↑ Actes de notaire, 1651-1702 Ameau Séverin Trois-Rivières (Québec : district judiciaire). Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec images 2425 et 2426 (29 mars 1695)
  35. ↑ Roy, Pierre-Georges,, Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, Québec, R. Lefebvre, Éditeur officiel du Québec, 1942, 28 vol. ; 25-27 cm, Collections de BAnQ. Vol V pg 253 (30 juin 1696)
  36. ↑ Antoine Adhémar dit Saint-Martin, 1668-1714, BAnQ Vieux-Montréal, Fonds Cour supérieure. District judiciaire de Montréal. Greffes de notaires, (06M,CN601,S2). [images 314 et 315 (30 juin 1696)]
  37. ↑ Roy, Pierre-Georges,, Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, Québec, R. Lefebvre, Éditeur officiel du Québec, 1942, 28 vol. ; 25-27 cm, Collections de BAnQ. (No. 101) Vol XXVI pg 178 (1 juillet 1717)
  38. ↑ Pierre Poulin de Saint-Maurice, 1708-1739, BAnQ Trois-Rivières, Fonds Cour Supérieure. District judiciaire de Trois-Rivières. Greffes de notaires, (04T,CN401,S76). images 129 à 132 (1 juillet 1717)
  39. ↑ Roy, Pierre-Georges,, Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, Québec, R. Lefebvre, Éditeur officiel du Québec, 1942, 28 vol. ; 25-27 cm, Collections de BAnQ. (No. 105) Vol XXVI pg 178 (13 juillet 1717)
  40. ↑ Pierre Poulin de Saint-Maurice, 1708-1739, BAnQ Trois-Rivières, Fonds Cour Supérieure. District judiciaire de Trois-Rivières. Greffes de notaires, (04T,CN401,S76). images 144 à 147 (13 juillet 1717)
  41. ↑ Roy, Pierre-Georges,, Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, Québec, R. Lefebvre, Éditeur officiel du Québec, 1942, 28 vol. ; 25-27 cm, Collections de BAnQ. (No. 111) Vol XXVI pg 179 (9 août 1717)
  42. ↑ Pierre Poulin de Saint-Maurice, 1708-1739, BAnQ Trois-Rivières, Fonds Cour Supérieure. District judiciaire de Trois-Rivières. Greffes de notaires, (04T,CN401,S76). images 187 à 193 (9 août 1717)
  • Bellemare, Raphael. Les bases de l'histoire d'Yamachiche
  • Désaulniers, F.L.. Les vieilles familles d'Yamachiche
  • Godbout, Archange. Nos ancêtres au XVII siècle.
  • Jetté. Dictionnaire généalogique
  • Nos Ancêtres
  • Landry, Yves. Les filles du Roy au XVII siècle, p. 133
  • Notarial minute-book documents: Louis chamballon, E. Veron, Étienne Jacob
  • Pellerin, J.A..: Yamachiche et son histoire
  • PRDH, pionnier
  • Tanguay, Cyprien. Dictionnaire généalogique des familles canadiennes depuis la fondation de la colonie jusqu'à nos jours, Québec, Canada: Eusèbe Senécal, 1871-1890.
  • Trudel, Marcel. Catalogue des Immigrants, 1632-1662, Cahiers du Quebec Collection Histoire. Montreal: Editions Hurtubise HMH, 1983. 569pages. p. 380

Notes

Emigrated from La Rochelle France may 11, 1658

According to the 1666 Census at Trois Rivieres, Jean & his father lived under the name Gelineau, in 1667 at Cap-de-la-Madeleine their names were listed as Gellyna. While his father kept the name Gelineau, Jean & his offspring used the name Gelinas. During his first two yrs in the New World, Jean & his father had many Iroquois attacks to contend with. When he left France, Jean stated that he did not know how to sign his name. The 1681 census showed Jean Gelinas owning 6 head of cattle, 1 gun & working 4 arpents of land.

In 1678, after ten years of marriage, Jean and Francoise left Cap-de-la-Madeleine with their five children and settled across the river in Bécancour where they had purchased some land. They remained there for nearly forty years. In 1717, Jean, then 71 years old, and his wife who was 66 years old, made a decision to sell their property at Becancour to Pierre Rocheleau, the husband of their daughter, Anne. They then did something which was quite rare between an old married couple. They divided their property in half. Their daughter, Anne was given one part and their son, Etienne, the other. The couple then separated with Francoise living with her daughter at Bécancour, and Jean crossing the river to spend his final years with his son, Etienne, in Yamachiche.

After a painful journey up the Grande-Riviere in loaded canoes, the Gelinas brothers, Etienne, Jean and Pierre, sons of Jean and Francoise, settled at Petite-Riviere in late 1704 as feudatories of Jean-Baptiste Lesieur-Desaulniers, son of Charles Lesieur, founder of the parish of Yamachiche. Jean Baptiste, then adopted the surname Bellemare whereas his brother Etienne kept the Gelinas name and Pierre adopted the surname Lacourse. The three brother are considered to be one of the founding families of the present day town of Yamachiche.


Adapted and translated from "Les ancêtres Gélinas" by Jacques Bellemare.

Originally published in "Au Pays des Chûtes"; Bulletin de la Société d'Histoire de Shawinigan-Sud; Vol. 3, no 2, Automne 1994
ISBN 1192-6430

The Gelinas brothers, sons of Jean and Françoise, who had without doubt obtained occupation agreement from lord Lambert Boucher in 1699 or thereabout, go to establish themselves at the Petite Rivière Yamachiche, west of Three-Rivers, Quebec, near the river shore, in the Grosbois seigniory. (3-6)

Until that time, nobody had settled in that seigniory - which had been in existence since 1656 - because of the ongoing war that raged between the french and the Iroquois nations; the main reason of that war being the differing interests of both sides in the fur trade. So, we can say that the Gélinas brothers were daring and not the shy types of persons, by settling far away from any protection that could be had in Three-Rivers or Cap-de-la-Madeleine where their father and grandfather had settled on arrival in New-France. It is only in 1701, when the "Great Peace Treaty" was signed with more than 30 indigenous nations, that the country was finally at peace, after almost 100 years. (2-3-6)

They probably arrived at the Petite Rivière Yamachiche (litt. Small Yamachiche River) during spring, soon enough to clear up sufficient space to hastily build a shack for next winter, and sow some cereals or grains between the tree stumps to help them survive until harvest time at next year's autumn. When the basic necessities had been cared for, the time had now come for them to look up for spouses in order to found new families.

Jean-Baptiste, of whom I will tell more later, married on November 18, 1700 with Jeanne Boissonneau. His brother Étienne marries Marguerite Benoit on November 8, 1701. As for Pierre, he married later, on June 2, 1704, with Madeleine Bourbeau; a few years earlier, in 1693 and 1695, he had "gone west" (1), which means he had been hired as a coureur de bois, a "wood runner", a very lucrative occupation, but extremely hard physically. Now, at the onset of the 18th. century, those things were finished for him. But to clear a new concession, make it productive and found a new family would require of him and his wife a lifetime of relentless labor. Finally, in May 1706, at the request of the seigneuress widow Boucher, before notary Étienne Veron, the three Gélinas brothers acquired official papers for their concessions. (4)

In the meantime, Étienne Gélinas and his wife Marguerite Benoit had the first child born in Yamachiche: Étienne, on October 8, 1704. This first child was ondoyé, "baptised", by his own father, as the nearest priest was at Three-Rivers. The second child born at Yamachiche, on March 3, 1705, is Jean-Baptiste Gélinas-Bellemare, son of Jean-Baptiste Gélinas dit Bellemare et Jeanne Boissonneau. He was also "baptised" by his father. (3-6)

Note: it was the catholic custom that a child in danger of death be given lay baptism. Priests would perform supplemental rites and register the children in the church registry.

The first chapel in Yamachiche was built in 1711, and it is to be noted that, in 1709, there were only 6 families, with a total of 16 inhabitants, in the whole parish. These families have the names of Bourgainville (Héroux), Gélinas, Blais, Lacerte, and Pinot dit Laperle. (3-6)

It is a certainty that the Gelinas children had often heard about the old country (France) from their father and their grandfather, and also from their mother, who had lived there 34, 12 and 16 years respectively. So, these stories must have made them curious about a country so mysterious and so different from theirs.

This may be the reason that one of Jean's sons, Jean-Baptiste, made a long trip in 1700 to Île d'Orléans, to marry Jeanne Boissonneau dit Saintonge. (Her father, Vincent Boissonneau dit Saintonge had been a soldier in the Carignan-Salières regiment that arrived in New-France in September 1665. He was from the region of Saintes, France, the same region as the Gelinas' father and grandfather. After leaving the army, he had settled in Ste-Famille, Île d'Orléans, had married Anne Colin in 1669, and had begotten 12 children.) Jean-Baptiste married Jeanne-Marie, their second child (born on January 23 and baptised February 1, 1672, in St-Jean, Isle of Orléans) on November 18, 1700. By this marriage, he recreated for himself symbolic ties with his ancestors' country. He went to live in Yamachiche with his wife, and from this union were born 10 children. (1-7-8)

But that's not all!

On November 16, 1707, Jeanne-Marie's younger brother, Jean boissonneau (born on the 21st and baptised on June 24, 1679) married with Marguerite Choret and they went to Yamachiche to Jeanne-Marie who had been living there with her husband Jean-Baptiste for seven years. A few days earlier, on November 6, 1707, the newlyweds had obtained a concession in this seigniory in view of establishing themselves there. (1-3-4-6-7)

Even at that time the world was small! But in the 1709 land registry and in the 1723 census, Jean Boissonneau and his wife cannot be seen anywhere in the Grosbois seigniory, which means that the family had moved somewhere else; but for what reason?

What we do know is that on August 1, 1707, Vincent Boissonneau had given his son Jean, before notary Louis Chamballon, 2 out of 3 arpents of the land that he had acquired from Guy Boidin dit Saint-Martin 33 years earlier. The father now being about 72 years old, his intention was clearly, by giving two thirds of his land, with house and cattle, that his son took care of him in his old age (No old age benefits at the time!). This donation had been done before his son's marriage with Marguerite Choret but, no matter, the newlyweds went to Yamachiche to settle there and found a family. (7-8-4)

Now, I'll be making assumptions, for lack of documentation, but let's see what the reasons may be why things went the way they did. It may be that the newlyweds arrived too late in the season in Yamachiche to start clearing the land and build a shack for the winter. We know that at the time people generally got married during autumn or winter because there was too much work to be done (5) during the other seasons; On virgin land, everything had to be done before winter came. However, because of the fact that they had married in Isle of Orléans in November and that their concession dates from the same month, makes us almost certain that they arrived in Yamachiche soon after, before winter set in. It is logical then to believe that they had come to Yamachiche at the invitation of Jean-Baptiste Gelinas-Bellemare and his wife Jeanne Boissonneau, to spend the winter with them, and so be able to start clearing the land as soon as next spring had arrived.

During winter, when all activities take place in the house, the two couples, while working, get to know each other better, and eventually a solid friendship develops between them. More so as Jean Boissonneau's wife is pregnant.

Virtually prisoners in the house for the duration of winter, the young couple has time to think about the future. A choice is offered to them: when spring comes, they can go nearby to their new concession and, by force of sweat and work, clear some land, uproot stumps, plow, sow and build everything from scratch, or: return to the land that the father had just given them, a beautifull and fat land that already produced well, and, at the same time, ensure the wellbeing and peace of their parents. We do not know where the child was born, but it is probably during the time they lived at the Gélinas-Boissonneau's, and here is why: the time of birth approaching, they make the decision to go back to the Isle of Orléans to settle on the land that their father had given them and to reunite together, by this fact, child, parents and grandparents.There is no priest in Yamachiche and they have to baptise the child as soon as possible. The parents think that they might never see their hosts again, and in recognition for their hospitality, the solid friendship and the family ties which link them, they name their son in honor and recognition of these facts and give to the child the name of Jean-Baptiste. The baptismal certificate of this child not having ever been found, one can suppose that the parents set out of Yamachiche before the priest missionary could go there, and that, once arrived at the Isle of Orléans, they quite simply forgot to go to the church to have him baptized officially. We do not have any idea of the date at which the new grooms and their child did go back to the Isle of Orléans, but we are certain that they definitively established themselves there, as the register of baptisms for the 11 other children whom they had shows, from 1712 to 1730. (1)

On June 26, 1902, at the time of the bicentenary of the foundation of the parish of Yamachiche, a memorial was set up on the ancestral ground of the Bellemare family, whose official possession of the land has been continuous, from father to son, since 1703 until today. The first owner was Jean-Baptiste Gélinas dit Bellemare (son of Jean Gélinas-Gellineau and Françoise Charlemesnil) and Jeanne Boissonneau. It should be remembered however that semi-officially the three Gélinas brothers had started to clear the land and build houses in 1699 or a little before, but the evidence of this fact is only circumstantial, because once they had their official concession papers, there was no reason for them to keep their temporary papers of occupation.


A few years ago I talked on the telephone with the current owner of this piece of land that had always belonged to a descendant of Jean-Baptiste and Jeanne, and he told me this about the origin of the Bellemare patronym: Jean-Baptist Gélinas had an ox. The southern side of his land extended down to the shore of Lake St-Pierre and thus, a good part of the ground was marshy and it was an ideal place for the reproduction of mosquitos. Come summer, these biting insects constantly badgered the animal and it had adopted the practice to go and take refuge in a pond of water (or mud) to reduce its sufferings. Thus it was often necessary that Jean-Baptiste seek his ox at this pond, and his neighbors, after a while, seeing him making the trip so often, started to tease him by saying to him: "belle mare!" "beautiful pond!". Soon, everybody called him "Bellemare", and this surname became his son's official patronym. Jacques Bellemare

In 1678, 10 years after their marriage, Jean and Francoise left Cap-de-la-Madeleine with their five children and settled across the river in Becancour where they had purchased some land. They remained there for nearly 40 years. In 1681 the census showed Jean owning 6 head of cattle, 1 gun and working 4 arpents of land. In 1717, Jean, then 71 yrs. and Francoise, 66yrs., decided to sell their Becancour property to their son-in-law, Pierre Rocheleau, husband to their daughter, Anne. Then they did something most unusual. They divided their property in half. Half was given to their daughter, Anne and the other half was given to their son, Etienne. Then they separated with Francoise living with Anne and Jean living with Etienne.





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It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Jean by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Jean:

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Bourque-573 Cindy (Bourque) Cooper
Gelinas-448 and Gélinas-15 appear to represent the same person because: Same name, same birth year (both are estimated), same birth place. Same father (no mother on new profile). Same spouse is mentioned in new profile. Same death timeframe is mentioned in new profile. No inconsistencies.
posted by Cindy (Bourque) Cooper
Liard-1 Danielle Liard
see http://www.fichierorigine.com/recherche?numero=241732 for more exact data on his arrival, profile still needs cleaning up some more, and the text cited whose author is Jacques Bellemare should have permission to use noted.
posted by Danielle Liard

Featured National Park champion connections: Jean is 16 degrees from Theodore Roosevelt, 20 degrees from Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger, 16 degrees from George Catlin, 17 degrees from Marjory Douglas, 23 degrees from Sueko Embrey, 17 degrees from George Grinnell, 27 degrees from Anton Kröller, 18 degrees from Stephen Mather, 19 degrees from Kara McKean, 18 degrees from John Muir, 13 degrees from Victoria Hanover and 28 degrees from Charles Young on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.

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Categories: Migrants de Saintonge au Canada, Nouvelle-France