Noël Morin

     Noël was born in 1609 in Brie-Comte-Robert, Seine-et-Marne, Ile-de -France, France, at the parish of St-Etienne. This village is just outside the city of Paris. He was the son of Claude Morin and Jeanne Moreau. He immigrated from Ile de Paris in France to Quebec somewhere around the year 1637.² A contract for the marriage of Noël and Hélène Desportes was signed on 27 December 1639 in ville de Quebec, Quebec, Canada. The contract was written by Martial Piraube. It states that Noel's parents were Claude Morin and Jeanne Moreau and that he was born in the parish of St-Etienne, Comte Robert, Brie. The contract also gives Helene's parents as Pierre Desportes and Francoise Langlois and that she was the widow of Guillaume Herbert. It also states that Helene was a native of Notre Dame Quebec before the English takeover.³ Noël married Hélène Desportes, daughter of Pierre Desportes and Francoise Langlois, on 9 January 1640 in ville de Quebec at the Basilica of Notre Dame. He gave his bride a dowry of 200 livres.⁴ After their marriage, Noel and Helene moved into the house measuring 24 by 18 feet that Helene brought to the marriage. The couple lived there with Noel practicing his profession as a cartwright until 26 April 1645 when he was granted 50 arpents of land on the Sainte Genevieve Coast. Over the next 20 years he built “three frame dwellings, two of which had a heated room each, cellar and attic, the third serving as a shop and attic above, with a barn and two-and-a half arpents enclosed with stakes and serving as a barn.” All of this was later sold for 800 livres. On 6 February 1650, he signed a contract to build a house 30 by 20 feet with 6 feet under the beams there at Sainte Genevieve Coast. The couple and their family remained there for the rest of their lives. In 1653, the governor of New France ceded to Noel a large property. This land grant included a title, Sieur de Saint Luc, with Noel being a fief to the West Indies Company. On 4 January 1671, Noel and Helene recorded their intentions that all their possessions, real and personal, to be divided between their two sons, Charles and Alphonse. They, in turn, are to support their parents and give their sister, Madeleine, 300 livres when she married. 1666, Noël and Hélène were listed on the Canadian Census in Comte de Quebec, Quebec, Canada. Enumerated in this household were Noel Morin [57 years], his wife: Helene Desportes [46 years], Nicolas [22 years], Jean-Baptiste [21 years], Charles [11 years], Alphonse [15 years], Marie-Madeleine [9 years], Marie-Charlotte Depoyctiers [25 years][widow], her husband: Joseph Hebert [deceased] & Jean Ballie [26 years].⁵ 1667, Noël and Hélène were listed on the Canadian Census at Comte de Quebec. Enumerated in this household were Noel Morin [58 years], his wife: Helene Desportes [48 years], Alphonse [17 years], Charles [13 years], Marie-Madeleine [10 years], Zacharie Jolly [17 years] & Jean Ballier [28 years].⁵ Noël's wife, Hélène, died on 24 June 1675 in the parish of St-Thomas, Montmagny, Montmagny County, Quebec, Canada, leaving him a widower; She died at the home of her son Alphonse.⁶ Noël departed this life on Saturday, 10 February 1680 in Montmagny at the parish of St-Thomas at age 71 years. He died at the home of his son, Alphonse. He was buried at ville de Quebec, Quebec, Canada, in the Notre Dame Cemetery.⁷