OUR ANCESTOR FRANÇOIS NAU
IN FRANCE (1646 - 1666)
Traces of NAUs in FRANCE disappear in the 16th Century. The center of the original patrimony seems to be located in west-central France. From there diffusion to various regions and countries of Europe occurred.
It is in this region, in the small village of TURQUANT, which is located in the ancient French province of Anjou, that our ancestor François Nau, son of Jean Nau, wine maker, was born in 1646.
Turquant still exists today. It is located on the south shore of the La Loire River and just a few kilometers east of Saumur. It is a pleasant village of wine makers with its town square full of large trees and its church dating back to the 15th Century. It is in this church dedicated to Saint-Aubin, an ancient bishop of Angers, that François was baptized on Sunday 14 January 1646.
Jean, François' father, died on 11 December 1656 of an "oppression of the chest". His mother, Urbanne Marie Pillet, died on 21 October 1657. What happened then to François, and to his sister Madeleine who was baptized on 25 October 1647? They were orphans aged 11 and 10 respectively. Were they adopted by relatives or friends? In what conditions did they live? We do not know anything of this period , but we do know that, at the age of 20, François decided to leave his birthplace to settle in New-France.
In 1666, he boarded the sail boat Le Saint Jean-Baptiste with 34 other passengers and 35 crew members. The ship, piloted by Captain Pierre Fillye, sailed for the new world from the port of LA ROCHELLE on 17 May 1666.