 Noel, Noue, Cristoff, Crijin, Cretien, Gristyn, Guislain) Many languages were spoken in the region, Old French (Flemish-French), Dutch, German, and Corsican since Flanders area was part of the Spanish Netherlands.He was the father of three Protestant French-speaking immigrants to colonial New York.One of these, Louis Dubois, was among the founders of New Paltz, New York, in the late 1600s.