We don't know the exact date that Florent Bellingan left France for the Netherlands, but we do know that his only child, Noach, was born in Driel, near Arnhem in 1618. Florent would have been 50 at the time.
The family lived in and around Driel for the next two centuries or so. We also don't know the exact date that Floris Noach (last in the line born in the Netherlands) left for South Africa, but he was born in Driel on 25 November 1799, christened a few days later on 1 December.
The family of Florent Bellingan settled at Zaltbommel, on the Waal River, halfway between Dordrecht and Nijmegen, in the department of Gelderland.
The only son, Noach (1618 - 1691) became a teacher of French and German at Hellouw in 1641, and worked in Uitwijk from 1646, Woudrichem from 16 January 1649, and finally from around 1673, in Driel.
Noach and his wife Maaijken Abrahamsen Rosa, had three children.
The oldest, Florus (1643 - 1721) took on the role of record keeping in the family bible.
His younger sister Mariken (1646 -1673) married Ds. Henricus van Holt(e) and had two children. She died at the age of 27, one year less than her mother's age at death.
The youngest child Abraham (1647 - 1649) was only two when he died.
Maaijken Abrahamsen died on 16 November 1648 , and Noach married Jeneke Jansd de Bie (1629 - 1673) on the 25 June 1649. No record of any children from this union.
Noach's eldest son, Florus (or Floris) Bellingan (1643 - 1721), married Margriet van Hauselt (1648 - 1727) on the 6 December 1668 at Rossum, and they had 10 children.
Trouwinschrijving Margriet van Hauselt en Floris Bellingan, 06-12-1668. Regionaal Archief Rivierenland, Tiel, Nederland
It is interesting that on several of their childrens' christening registrations, Florus writes his name as Floran, which is closer to the french pronunciation of Florent. The image below is for their first child, Kruijnier (Cuijneira).
Doopinschrijving Kruijnier, 12-09-1669. Regionaal Archief Rivierenland, Tiel, Nederland
V=Vader, M=Moeder, K=Kind
