La grande partie des informations généalogiques présentées dans ce site sont le fruit de recherches faites par le Père franciscain Justin-M. (Armand) Bellerose (1903-2001). Il a compilé de nombreuses données dans quatre documents inédits dont des copies ont été distribuées à de nombreux membres de la famille Bellerose. Nous lui en sommes très reconnaissants.
Journal intime de la famille Rival-Bellerose et Journal intime de la famille Rivat-Bellerose (Volumes II, III et IV).

Nous avons les quatre volumes en format PDF, si ça vous intéresse, laissez-nous savoir.

John Bellerose (8ième génération), Rita Bellerose (9ième génération) et Roger John Bellerose Jr. (10ième génération) du New Hampshire aux États-Unis d’Amérique ont aussi fait beaucoup de recherche généalogique sur notre ancêtre Jean. Ils sont des descendants d’Alexandre Rival dit Bellerose, le premier fils et deuxième enfant de Jean et Angélique. Ils nous ont gracieusement fourni l’information qui suit à laquelle j'ai ajouté quelques liens.

Jean Rival our Emigrant Ancestor

He was born the 21st of MARCH [1734], in FRAMBOIS, DEPARTMENT OF MEURTHE, DISTRICT OF GENNEVILLER, DIOCESE OF TOUL, IN THE PROVINCE OF LORRAINE, FRANCE.

He enlisted in the active MILITIA the 15th of MARCH 1753, at the age of 18.

He was a GRENADIER in the regiment of BERRY.

He embarked at BREST, FRANCE on 11 APRIL 1757 and arrived at Louisbourg on the 20th of JUNE 1757.

The BERRY REGIMENT [flag of regulatoion (drapeau d'ordonnance) has 4 squares in each corner] consisting of:

1 band of brownish gray between
2 bands of violet, running perpendicular with the staff

The Berry regiment uniform consisted of:

White pants
Red collar and cuffs
Yellow buttons
Double pockets with 3 buttons on each side
5 buttons on the sleeves
Hat was bordered with gold

He was a lieutenant and under General Montcalm. He fought in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in Quebec. Both General Montcalm and General Wolfe died in this battle.

He served the King of France for 10 years.

After the Peace Treaty was signed in 1759, Jean, fearing the ocean voyage back to France and also desirous of dying in Canada, went into hiding in the home of an Irishman named McDonald in Berthier. Soon after he received his discharge from the King of France.

He continued to be a part of and associate himself with the affairs of the militia long after the Battle of the Plains of Abraham.

A report in the Quebec Gazette dated 10 September 1794 which report on a reunion of the Military Chiefs of the Berthier region, we note the name Jean Rival as a signer.

The article reads as follows: Berthier en haut, Warwick County August 25, 1794: On the 15th and 19th of this month, the Militia of this Parish, and that of St Cuthbert Parish, were reviewed and inspected by the Honorable

Paul Roc of St-Ours, esquire
J.H. Arvieux(Harvieux), Majors;
Gaspard de Lenoudiere, Captain and Major-aide.

The writer of the newspaper article in the Gazette added: "This quaint piece, which one must read twice before comprehending its import, was signed by:
Pierre Pellan
Joseph Rock
Louis Vadenais, Captains

Antoine Vadenais
Jean Rival
Antoine Guignard, Lieutenants

Pierre Coulombe
Pierre Sulpice-Saint George, sons

Pierre Beaupré
C.F. Hayhemand, esquires

The Jean Rival who signed this document, is the Bellerose ancestor, but it will be noted that he only signed his French name "Rival" and not his surname Bellerose. This signifies that the change of the name of Rival to Bellerose was made slowly.

Records show that his name we he enrolled in the army was Rivau dit Bellefleur. The regiment only allows one of a kind "dit" name and where there already was a "dit" name of Bellefleur, Jean changed his to Bellerose.
No explanation as to the reason for the change from Rivau to Rival. It was also spelled Rivot on some documents!

Jean was born and baptized on the 21st of March 1734. He married a Canadian girl named Angélique Joly on 4 October 1760.
They had 12 children.
He lived in Berthier in Canada all his life.
He died on 4 June 1821, at the age of 87.
His descendants took root in places neighboring Berthier, relocated to Montreal and also spread out to the United States of America.

Jean's brothers and sisters:

                                        BORN
CATHERINE            06 OCT 1730
JEAN                        21 MAR 1734
NICOLAS                08 MAY 1737
CLAUDE                  27 JUN 1745
FRANÇOIS              [07 OCT 1748]      [DECEASED] 07 OCT 1748
ANNE                       07 OCT 1748       [DECEASED] 22 OCT 1748