Nicholas Austin Nicholas Austin was an exceptional man. He had a vision of a new society. Austin was a fifth-generation Quaker and came from a family of New Hampshire merchants and farmers, a family which had prospered in spite of the Puritan establishment's persecution of religious dissidents. As the persecution continued after the American Revolution, Austin decided to try and realize the Quaker vision of a tolerant society in the Eastern Townships of Québec. To this day there are still descendants of Nicholas Austin inhabiting his land on the western shore of beautiful Lake Memphremagog. Neighbours of all political and religious stripes are inspired by the Austin spirit to preserve a haven of tolerance and peace.