MARSOLET DE SAINT-AIGNAN, Nicolas
1601 - 1677 (75 years)
Set As Default Person 
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Name MARSOLET DE SAINT-AIGNAN, Nicolas Birth 7 Feb 1601 Rouen, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France 
Gender Male Differentiator Among the first 17 families that settled Quebec City (New France); contemporaries and acquaintances of Samuel Champlain Death 1677 Quebec City, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Person ID I15250 My Genealogy Last Modified 15 Jul 2024
Father Living Relationship natural Mother Living Relationship natural Family ID F13777 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family LEBARBIER, Marie, b. 20 May 1619, Rouen, Basse-Normandie, France d. 1688 (Age 68 years)
Marriage 19 Mar 1637 Rouen, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France Children 1. MARSOLET, Louise, b. 17 May 1640, Quebec City, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada d. 18 Apr 1712, Quebec City, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada (Age 71 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]▻ LEMIRE, Jean m. 20 Oct 16532. MARSOLET, Jean Sieur De Bellechasse, b. 20 Apr 1651, Quebec City, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada d. 1715 (Age 63 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]3. MARSOLET, Geneviève, b. 10 Aug 1644, Quebec City, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]4. MARSOLET, Joseph, b. 1642, Quebec City, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada d. Bef 1666 (Age < 23 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]5. MARSOLET, Louise, b. 30 Sep 1648, Quebec City, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada d. Bef 1666 (Age < 17 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]6. MARSOLET, Anne, b. 1653, Quebec City, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada d. Bef 1666 (Age < 12 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]7. MARSOLET, Elisabeth, b. 29 Sep 1655, Quebec City, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada d. Bef 1666 (Age < 10 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]8. MARSOLET, Marie, b. Abt 1661 d. 1677, Quebec City, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada (Age 16 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]9. MARSOLET, Marie, b. 22 Feb 1638 [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] Family ID F12244 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 15 Jul 2024
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Event Map 
Birth - 7 Feb 1601 - Rouen, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France 
Marriage - 19 Mar 1637 - Rouen, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France 
Death - 1677 - Quebec City, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada = Link to Google Earth Pin Legend 
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Photos 
Marsolet Nicolas - 1601-1677 GénQc La vie de Nicolas Marsolet Marsolet Nicolas - réplique de sa maison Marsolet Nicolas - Journal des Jésuites pg 386 Marsolet Nicolas - décès 1677
Documents 
Nicolas Marsolet de Saint-Aignan - Wikipedia
Albums Founding Families of New France (2)
New France, or Nouvelle-France in French, was an extensive area in North America colonized by France. It began with Jacques Cartier's exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in 1534 and ended in 1763 when it was ceded to Great Britain and Spain under the Treaty of Paris. The territory stretched from Newfoundland to the Rocky Mountains and from Hudson Bay to the Gulf of Mexico, including the Great Lakes and the Mississippi Valley.
The most developed part of New France was Canada, divided into Québec, Trois-Rivières, and Montreal districts. The French colonization was driven by trade (notably fur), religious missions, and the ambition to expand France's influence. The French Crown significantly shaped New France's development, particularly in 1663 when King Louis XIV integrated it into the royal domain and established the French West India Company.
New France operated under the seigneurial system, where settlers farmed land granted by a seigneur and paid dues. Despite its vast territory, New France's population was sparse compared to English colonies, partly due to limited economic reasons for French peasants to emigrate and the French Crown's focus on other colonies.
Culturally, New France was predominantly French-speaking and Catholic, maintaining its civil code and religious practices even after British conquest. This heritage strongly influenced the culture of Quebec, blending European traditions with North American elements and emphasizing the preservation of the French language and identity.
There were 17 families settled in Quebec City from the establishment of the city by Samuel de Champlain in 1608 until his death in 1635. This era marks the formative years of New France and the foundation of French-Canadian culture. By the end of 1636 there were 47 families living in the colony. We can trace our ancestry directly to 10 of the original 17 (58%) families and a total of 18 of the 47 (38%).
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Notes - HIGHLIGHTS:
Was one of the very first interpreters between the French and the indigenous people, particularly the Montagnais and Algonquin.His experience and knowledge of Indigenous languages and cultures made him an important figure in the development of New France.
After he married, he became a clerk for the Company of One Hundred Associates and later operated his own trading business. His influence in the fur trade earned him the nickname "the little king of Tadoussac
CONNECTIONS:
Michelle's 10th GGF on the Laviolette side.
LIFE STORY:
Nicolas Marsolet, born in Rouen in 1601, was among the first and most influential interpreters in New France. His arrival in the colony, likely in 1613 with Samuel de Champlain, marked the beginning of a long and complex career that spanned the formative years of French settlement in North America.
As one of the earliest interpreters, Marsolet played a crucial role in bridging the cultural and linguistic gap between the French and Indigenous peoples, particularly the Montagnais and Algonquin. His activities took him to various key locations in New France, including Tadoussac, Quebec, Trois-Rivières, and Algonquin villages along the Ottawa River.
Marsolet's reputation was not without controversy. Champlain accused him of living among the Indigenous people "in the greatest licence" and pursuing profits at any cost. These accusations culminated during the Kirke brothers' occupation of Quebec from 1629 to 1632, when Marsolet chose to remain and work with the English. Displeased by this 'treachery', Champlain met Marsolet at Tadoussac and, according to Champlain's diary, Marsolet and another interpreter and also deserter, Étienne Brûlé, both said, "We know quite well that if they had us in France they would hang us; we are very sorry for that, but the thing is done; we have mixed the cup and we must drink it, and make up our minds ever to return to France; we shall manage to live notwithstanding" While Champlain viewed this as betrayal, some historians, like Dionne, suggest that Marsolet's decision may have been motivated by a desire to maintain continuity in the colony's development rather than abandon it entirely.
A notable incident involving Marsolet occurred when he intervened in Champlain's plan to take two Indigenous girls, Charité and Espérance, to France. Marsolet conveyed a request from Indigenous elders to return the girls to their village, likely agreeing that a life in Paris would not be in their best interests. This action, while angering Champlain, demonstrated Marsolet's deep understanding of and respect for Indigenous cultures.
After the French regained control of Quebec, Marsolet initially maintained his distance from the colonial authorities and missionaries. He was known for his reluctance to share his linguistic knowledge, with the Jesuit Paul Le Jeune noting in 1633 that Marsolet had sworn never to teach the "Savage tongue" to anyone. This stance reflected the complex dynamics between fur traders, settlers, and missionaries in the colony.
However, following Champlain's death in 1635, Marsolet's approach changed. He began to settle into colonial life, marrying Marie Le Barbier in 1637 and receiving the seigneury of Bellechasse. Over time, he acquired numerous land grants, though his primary focus remained on the fur trade and commerce.
Marsolet's career continued to evolve. He became a clerk for the Company of One Hundred Associates and later operated his own trading business. His influence in the fur trade earned him the nickname "the little king of Tadoussac." Despite his commercial success, Marsolet showed little interest in developing most of his land grants, with the exception of his property on the Sainte-Geneviève hill.
Throughout his life, Marsolet maintained his role as an interpreter, a skill that remained valuable to both civil and religious authorities. His experience and knowledge of Indigenous languages and cultures made him an important figure in the development of New France.
Nicolas Marsolet died in Quebec City on May 15, 1677, leaving behind a complex legacy. As one of the last living links to the earliest days of French settlement in Canada, his life story embodies the challenges, contradictions, and adaptations required of those who bridged two worlds in the creation of New France. Despite the controversies surrounding some of his actions, Marsolet's contributions as an interpreter and his role in the early fur trade were instrumental in shaping the foundations of French-Indigenous relations in North America.
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