http://www.oricom.ca/fidrat/Pages/pionniers.html

Jacques Tardif was born on 22 March, 1645, in Saint-Candé-le-Vieil, archdiocese of Rouen, France. He was the son of Pierre Tardif and Barbe Bourguignon. His name is recorded in the censuses of 1666 and 1667 and he resided on the Island of Orleans where he worked. On 6 October, 1669, in Notre-Dame-de-Quebec church,, he married Barbe d'Orange, daughter of Pantaléon and Jeanne Nepveu, natives of Saint-Saturnin, archdiocese of Chartres, Orléanais. She was probably born in 1637, since her age is given as 44 years at the time of the 1681 census. She died on 14 September, 1717, at the age of 79 and was buried the next day in Beauport. Jacques Tardif died and was buried on 3 November, 1724, in Beauport; he too was aged 79.

It has been possible to find a few notarial deeds in his name, which reveal the transactions he made throughout his life. For example, he signed his marriage contract on 28 September, 1669, in the presence of Romain Becquet, notary. On 2 June, 1667, he received a land grant from Mgr de Laval, in St-Jean, Island of Orleans. On 22 September, 1668, Joseph Lemarié transferred to Letardif a concession of twenty acres of land, and received a concession from Letardif in exchange. A few months later, on 10 December, 1668, he received from Joseph Giffard, Seigneur of Beauport, a concession two acres wide in the seigniory of Beauport, for a seigniorial rent and annuity of 50 sols. The same day he sold to Michel Lecourt a forty-acre lot, with all accessories and outbuildings, in the village of Fargy. A few months later, on 22 July, 1669, judgement was rendered between Marie Regnouard, widow of Robert Giffard, sieur of Beauport, and many inhabitants of the village of Fargy, including Jacques Tardif, concerning the parcelling of the land, the siting of fences, etc. The complete document relating to this matter is contained in "Jugements et délibérations du Conseil Souverain" vol 1, pp 563-565. By 1681, he was established in Beauport and possessed 17 acres of cultivated land.

He was generally known by the name Tardif although in two deeds he is called Letardif. He signed Tardif. At the fifth generation this name changed to Tardy. The first generations were extablished in the village of Beauport but by the fifth generation, the descendants had definitely settled in Rivière-des-Prairies near Montréal.