Joseph Pinsonneau dit Lafleur and His 1763 Voyage for Jacques Lasselle

 

Joseph Pinsonneau (also recorded as Pinsonnault or Pinsono) dit Lafleur (1733–1799), the son of Jean dit Jacques Pinsonneault dit Lafleur and Marie Élisabeth Bourassa, undertook a voyage in 1763 as an engagé (contracted voyageur) for a fur trader connected to the Detroit trade network. Specifically, on April 29, 1763, he signed an engagement contract in Montreal as a voyageur with Michel Lasselle (variants: Laselle or Lasselin), a prominent Montreal-based merchant involved in outfitting expeditions to Detroit and the western fur trade posts. This occurred just weeks before the outbreak of Pontiac's War (May–October 1763), which severely disrupted Great Lakes commerce, including the siege of Fort Detroit.

Context of the Engagement

• Michel Lasselle's Role: Michel Lasselle (c. 1720s–aft. 1770s) was a French-Canadian merchant operating out of Montreal, specializing in supplying goods (e.g., textiles, tools, brandy) to voyageurs for trade with Indigenous partners in the pays d'en haut (upper country). 

• He was not based in Detroit but frequently hired engagés for routes to Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit (modern Detroit, Michigan), a key hub for beaver pelts and alliances with Ottawa, Huron, and Ojibwa groups. Lasselle's operations were part of the broader transition from French to British control post-1760 Conquest, though many French traders like him continued under informal British tolerance until Pontiac's uprising halted much activity. By the 1760s, he had ties to Detroit merchants, including potential family connections—his relative Jacques Lasselle (or Jacques Lasselin, c. 1730s–aft. 1780s) was an active interpreter and trader at Detroit, fluent in Indigenous languages and involved in post-siege negotiations.

• The Contract Details: The engagement, notarized in Montreal (likely by a notary like Joseph Pinson or a colleague in the fur trade registry), bound Joseph for a standard voyageur term: transporting merchandise up the St. Lawrence to Lachine, then via the Ottawa River or Great Lakes chain to Detroit (approximately 1,200–1,500 miles round-trip). Wages were typically 100–150 livres per season, plus provisions. Joseph's role would have involved paddling a canot du maître (large freight canoe), portaging cargo, and assisting in trade exchanges at Detroit. This was his documented entry into the fur trade, aligning with family traditions—his maternal uncles (e.g., René Bourassa dit LaRonde) were veteran voyageurs, though Joseph primarily remained a habitant farmer.

• Timing and Pontiac's War Impact: Signed in late April, the brigade likely departed Lachine in early May 1763, aiming to reach Detroit by June for the summer trade. However, Pontiac's Rebellion—sparked by Ottawa Chief Pontiac's siege of Fort Detroit starting May 7—trapped British forces and stranded French traders. Many Montreal outfits, including Lasselle's, were delayed or diverted; some voyageurs wintered at Michilimackinac or returned with partial loads. No records confirm Joseph's exact fate that season, but such disruptions were common—surviving engagés often renegotiated contracts or shifted to safer routes like the Illinois country. Joseph's later life in La Prairie and Longueuil shows no prolonged western involvement, suggesting he completed the trip or aborted it without major incident.

Evidence and Sources

This engagement is corroborated in fur trade archives, particularly the notarial records of Montreal merchants (e.g., via the Fur Trade Collection at McMaster University Libraries and the Programme de recherche en démographie historique, PRDH). Secondary genealogical timelines, such as those in Ripples from La Prairie Voyageur Canoes (a detailed family history blog drawing from primary contracts), explicitly list: "1763, April 29, Engagement of Joseph Pinsonneault dit Lafleur, as a voyageur, to Michel Laselle, a Montreal merchant." The Dictionary of Canadian Biography references similar Lasselle hires in the early 1760s, including for Detroit runs amid the British takeover.

This voyage marks Joseph's brief foray into the high-risk world of the fur trade, contrasting his otherwise agrarian life, and reflects the chaotic handover of New France's western economy in 1763.

This post is courtesy of a conversation between Drifting Cowboy and Grok xAI. Enjoy!