Sieur Nicolas Crevier de Belleville (1647-post 1709) & Louise Lecoutre (c. 1648-post 1709)
This document details the lives of Sieur Nicolas Crevier de Belleville (also known as Bellerive), a settler and son of a notable family, and his wife, Louise Lecoutre, one of the Filles du Roi (King's Daughters).
Sieur Nicolas Crevier de Belleville
Origins and Title
- Parents: Sieur Christophe Crevier de la Mêlée and Jeanne Évard.
- Birth/Baptism: Born in 1647 in Rouen, Normandy, France. He was baptized on February 17, 1647, in the parish of Saint-Candé-le-Jeune.[^1]
- Residence: Settled in Trois-Rivières, Cap-de-la-Madeleine, and Batiscan.
- Death: He died sometime after 1709 in Cap-de-la-Madeleine.[^10]
Census Records
| Year | Location | Details | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1666 | Trois-Rivières | Aged 25; listed with wife Louise (18), daughter Marie-Barbe (3 months), and servant Jacques Jullien (23). | [^3] |
| 1667 | Trois-Rivières, Cap, or Touche-Champlain | Aged 22; listed with wife Louise Le Comte (sic), 19; reported 5 arpents in cultivation. | [^3] |
Louise Lecoutre (Fille du Roi)
Origins and Immigration
- Aliases: Known by Lecoutre, Leloutre, Le Loutre, and Le Comte (sic).
- Born: Circa 1648 (aged 18 in the 1666 census). Her exact place of origin in France is unknown, though the name is common in Upper Normandy and Picardy.
- Immigration: She arrived in Quebec on October 2, 1665, aboard the ship Le St-Jean-Baptiste from Dieppe, as one of the Filles du Roi.[^4]
- Marriage: She married Nicolas Crevier de Belleville around 1665, likely in Cap-de-la-Madeleine. No marriage record or contract has survived.
- Death: She died sometime after 1709 in Cap-de-la-Madeleine. She was not listed as deceased on the marriage records of two of her children in 1711 and 1715.
Notable Notarial Transactions
Louise Lecoutre was party to several land and financial transactions recorded by royal notaries:
- 1666 (August 8): Purchase of a house in the village of Ste-Marie (Cap-de-la-Madeleine) from Michel Rochereau (Notary Jacques de La Tousche).[^6]
- 1669 (May 22): Sale of a 2-arpent piece of land at Cap-de-la-Madeleine to Noël Charpentier (Notary Jean Cusson).[^6]
- 1678 (March 11): Land exchange in Batiscan with Jean-Baptiste Crevier, Sieur Duverné (Notary Jean Cusson).[^6]
- 1684 (May 16): An obligation to lodge and feed her daughter, Marguerite-Louise Crevier, during the journey of her husband, Laurent Bodet (Notary Séverin Ameau).[^6]
- 1702 (July 6): Sale of property to Joseph Prou (Notary J.B. Pottier).[^6]
Children of Nicolas Crevier and Louise Lecoutre
The couple had at least eleven known children, born across Trois-Rivières, Cap-de-la-Madeleine, and Batiscan.
| Name | Birth/Baptism Date | Key Event(s) & Spouse(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marie-Barbe | c. 1666 | Mentioned in the 1666 census at 3 months old. | Absent from the 1667 census. |
| Marie-Catherine dite Belleville | c. 1675 | 1st Marriage: Michel Deserre/Serre (1702); 2nd Marriage: Jean-Baptiste Forville dit Tetard (1715). | |
| Thomas | Born May 11, 1673 (Batiscan) | Baptized June 11, 1673, in Trois-Rivières. | |
| Marie-Anne | c. 1677 | Died and buried July 20, 1683 (age 6), Cap-de-la-Madeleine. | |
| Michel | Born February 15, 1680 (Batiscan) | ||
| Nicolas | Baptized August 10, 1683 | Baptized at Cap-de-la-Madeleine. | |
| Marguerite Louise dite Bellerive | ? | 1st Marriage: Laurent Baudet (1684); 2nd Marriage: Robert Groton. | |
| Madeleine de Bellerive | ? | Married Charles Lemaitre (1689, Montréal). | |
| Marie-Jeanne | Born February 12, 1689 | Became Sister Sainte-Hélène (nun); died 1726. | |
| Jean-Baptiste | Born June 2, 1687 | ||
| Claude | ? | 1st Marriage: Marie Jeanne Petit (1706); 2nd Marriage: Catherine Jutra (1711). |
Genealogical and Historical Notes
Louise Lecoutre: The Fille du Roi Context
The non-surviving marriage record of Louise Lecoutre is a common issue for many Filles du Roi. Historian Silvio Dumas notes that while the couple does not appear in the 1681 census, the baptism of their child in 1687 confirms their continued presence in the colony. Louise Lecoutre's role as a Fille du Roi was crucial to the settlement of New France, providing stability and population growth.
Research Notes
Genealogical research on this couple contains several caveats:
- Parentage of Louise Lecoutre: There is no documented evidence for the parentage of Louise Lecoutre; claims connecting her to André LeLoutre and Rachel Berthelot have been disproven and removed from records.
- Geographical Inaccuracy: Some online sources (e.g., Rootsweb) contain unverified claims, such as Marie Catherine Crevier being born in Neuville, which contradicts the family's established location in Trois-Rivières, Cap-de-la-Madeleine, and Batiscan. Researchers should treat such information with extreme caution.
Credits and Licensing
Compiled by Mark Rabideau, Opa & Professional Genealogist.
All materials licensed: CC BY-ND 4.0 by eirenicon llc.
Sources
[^1]: Archives départementales de Seine-Maritime, Rouen (paroisse Saint-Cande-le-Jeune), Baptêmes 1619-1661, image 61/85. [^2]: Gilles Parenteau, La Seigneurie de la Rivière Saint François. [^3]: Recensements de 1666-1667 en Nouvelle-France, compiled by Jean-Guy Sénécal. [^4]: Navires Migrations - Arrival of Le St-Jean-Baptiste (1665). http://www.migrations.fr/lestjeanbaptistededieppe1665.htm. [^5]: Recensements de 1666-1667-1681 en Nouvelle-France, compiled by Jean-Guy Sénécal. [^6]: BAnQ Notarial acts index - Inventaire des greffes des notaires du régime français. http://collections.banq.qc.ca/ark:/52327/2431906. [^7]: Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1997. [^8]: FamilySearch - Quebec, registres paroissiaux catholiques, 1621-1979, Cap-de-la-Madeleine. [^9]: FamilySearch - Quebec, registres paroissiaux catholiques, 1621-1979, Cap-de-la-Madeleine. [^10]: Histoire des Canadiens Français by Benjamin Sulte (via census transcription).