I am reseaching Nicolas Bodin dit Miragouin, an early settler of Mobile, Ala. and Nicolas Bodin dit MIragouin was the owner of Miragouiin Plantation, which means Muskeeter Plantation, and he had a 14,000 arpent land grant which included the present site of Bellingrath Gardens in Mobile, Ala, and he also owned Mon Louis Island off of the Ala. coast, which Nicolas Bodin dit Miragouin named for Mon Louis, France his homeplace in France, Nicholas Bodin dit Miaragouin also called himself, Knight of the Mosquito because when Gov LaMonthe Cadillac ordered that all citizens of the Province of Louisiana prove their titles there was sort of a squabble between the Governor and Nicholas, but it was all patched up and Nicholas Bodin dit Miragouin remained on friendly terms with Governor Cadillac, Nicholas Bodin dit Miragouin was the husband of Francoise Pallie, whom he probably married in France before coming to the Province of Louisiana, and they were the parents of Marie JOsephe Bodin dit Miragouin who became the wife of Andre Claude Boutte, dit LaLime, and there was another daughter who was married to a Mr. Alexander, and some other children. Nicholas Bodin dit Miragouin died prior to 1764 when the Ala. territory of the Louisiana Proveince was ceded to Spain.
There has been some speculation that Nicholas Bodin dit Miragouin was the son or grandson of Jean Bodin, who served as counselor to the King of France and was a very emmient economist in France, but no concluding proof has been found yet. Then the term, miragouin, could translate into musketeer and it is very possible that prior to coming to the Province of Louisiana that Nicholas Bodin dit Miragouin was a member of the King's household calvery and friends with the ruler of France and that explains why Nicholas Bodin dit Miragouin received such a vast land grant in the Louisiana colony. I know that another famous musketeer, D'Artgun, had a plantation in Cannes Brulle near New Orleans, in fact in present day Kenner, La., so it is very possible that the His Most Catholic Majesty the King of France rewarded members of his household calvary with large land grants in the Louisiana colony for being in his service. Any information would be greatly appreciated, thank you very much.
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