Individual Details

Michel Bourg I
Birth Date: May 1, 1666
Death Date: Before November 18, 1721

The Life of Michel Bourg I: An Acadian PioneerEarly Life in Port-Royal (1666–1688)

Michel Bourg (often recorded as Michel Michaud Bourg or Bourque) was born on May 1, 1666, in the pioneer settlement of Port-Royal, Acadia (present-day Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia). He was born to François Bourg and Marguerite Boudrot during the formative decades of French colonial settlement in North America.
Growing up along the banks of the Annapolis Basin, Michel experienced the turbulent realities of borderland frontier life. On September 16, 1684, an 18-year-old Michel joined other local Acadians in giving a official court deposition against James Taylor, a Boston merchant who had raided local property.

Marriage and the Move to Beaubassin (c. 1689–1710)

Around 1689, Michel married Élisabeth (Isabelle) Melanson, daughter of Charles Melanson and Marie Dugas. Shortly after starting their family, Michel and Élisabeth joined the pioneer movement northward, establishing a homestead at Beaubassin (located near present-day Amherst, Nova Scotia, near the border with New Brunswick).
Colonial censuses from Beaubassin record the steady growth of Michel's farm and household over two decades. By 1698, Michel maintained 16 arpents of cultivated land, a firearm, and livestock consisting of cattle, sheep, and hogs. Over time, Michel and Élisabeth raised eleven children in Beaubassin: Marguerite, Michel II, Marie, Madeleine, François, Pierre, Élisabeth, Marie-Anne, Jean-Baptiste, Joseph, and Alexandre.

Imperial Transition and Final Years (1710–1721)

Following the 1710 Siege of Port-Royal, Acadia officially passed into British control under the Treaty of Utrecht, becoming Nova Scotia. On March 28, 1715, Michel Bourg was recorded among the male inhabitants of Beaubassin who gathered to hear the official proclamation of King George I.

Michel Bourg I died between 1715 and November 18, 1721, in the Beaubassin region. Through his surviving sons—most notably Michel II and Jean-Baptiste—Michel Bourg I became the direct patrilineal ancestor of the prominent Bourque families across southeastern New Brunswick.

References and Sources

• White, Stephen A. (1999). Dictionnaire généalogique des familles acadiennes. Moncton, N.B.: Centre d'études acadiennes, Université de Moncton, pp. 223, 232–234.
• Library and Archives Canada. Acadian Census Records (1671–1752), Microfilm C-2572.
• Library and Archives Canada. Proclamation of the King of England at Beaubassin (March 28, 1715), Nova Scotia Original Correspondence (CO217), LAC Image #651.
• WikiTree Acadian Project:
○ WikiTree Profile for Michel dit Michaud Bourg (c. 1666 – 1721)

Birth	1 May 1666	Port-Royal, Acadia, New France
Marriage	Abt 1689	Beaubassin, Acadia, New France - Élisabeth Melanson
Death	Bef 18 Nov 1721	Beaubassin, Nova Scotia, British Colonial America
Burial	Bef 18 Nov 1721	Beaubassin, Nova Scotia, British Colonial America
Related2Me.ca	4 Aug 2026	https://related2me.ca/2026/08/04/michel-bourg-may-1-1666-before-november-18-1721/

Spouse	Élisabeth Melanson (1673 - 1724)
Child	François Bourque (1698 - 1771)

Father	François Bourg (1644 - )
Mother	Marguerite Boudrot (1648 - )