Updated Vielle (Viel) dit Cossé Family History

 

Our history on the Vielle dit Cossé family is already detailed and well-sourced from voyageur contracts and biographical notes on figures like Alexander Mackenzie. Based on recent searches (as of December 22, 2025), there isn't a wealth of entirely new primary documentation on Joseph or Michel Vielle dit Cossé beyond the contracts and speculations already noted—much of the online content echoes our own blog posts and family research shared in genealogy forums.  However, some additional context can be incorporated to flesh out earlier generations, clarify roles in the fur trade, and provide minor refinements (e.g., exact contract dates and canoe positions for related family members). The speculated link to David Thompson in 1797 remains unconfirmed in historical records—no direct evidence ties Joseph to Thompson's surveying expedition, though it's plausible given NWC activities that year.  I've reorganized the outline for clarity, using an indented generational structure similar to previous responses, and highlighted new additions in bold for easy reference.

Generation 1: Origins in France

• Pierre Viel (Vielle) dit Cossé (ca. 1690–?) and Renée Dudouet (ca. 1695–?) (6th great-grandparents)
• Limited details; resided in Cossé, Mayenne, Pays de la Loire, France. Pierre was likely an artisan or laborer; the "dit Cossé" surname originates from this locale.

Generation 2: Immigration to New France

• Michel Vielle dit Cossé (1724–1805) (5th great-grandfather)
• Son of Pierre Viel dit Cossé and Renée Dudouet.
• Birth: ~1724, Cossé, Mayenne, Pays de la Loire, France.
• Death: 1805, Québec (exact location unclear; buried in Chambly or nearby).
• Marriage: 6 February 1758 in Chambly, Québec, to Marie Elisabeth Marier (1740–1785), daughter of Jacques Marié (Marier, Lemarié) dit Cordonnier (1687–1742) and Marie-Angélique Desroches (Desrochers) (1700–1784).
• Military Service: Served as a soldier in the Régiment de la Reine (Queen's Regiment), a French colonial infantry unit active in New France during the mid-18th century, likely involved in the Seven Years' War (1756–1763). This service may have influenced his sons' adventurous paths in the fur trade. It remains unknown if he was left-handed, a minor detail speculated in some family lore.
• Occupation: Settler and farmer in Chambly; supported family during British transition post-Conquest.
• Children: At least 10, including Joseph (1767–?), Michel (1771–1810), and Marie-Louise (1780–1813).
• Spouse: Marie Elisabeth Marier (1740–1785) (5th great-grandmother)
• Birth: 9 February 1740 (baptized same day), Pointe-aux-Trembles, Montréal, Québec.
• Death: 1785, Chambly, Québec.
• Role: Managed household in a frontier setting; her family's local ties (Marier and Desroches lines) anchored the Vielle dit Cossé descendants in the Richelieu Valley.

Generation 3: Voyageurs in the Fur Trade Era

This generation highlights the family's shift to the fur trade, with multiple siblings engaging as voyageurs for the North West Company (NWC), a Montréal-based rival to the Hudson's Bay Company. The NWC, controlled by firms like McTavish, Frobisher & Company, dominated western routes in the 1790s. Voyageurs like the Vielle brothers were essential for transporting goods via canoe, enduring harsh conditions for wages around 600–1,000 livres per contract.

• Joseph Vielle dit Cossé (1767–?) (5th great-uncle)
• Birth: 26 January 1767, St-Joseph, Chambly, La Vallée-du-Richelieu, Québec.
• Death: Unknown (no records post-1797; possibly died in the Northwest or returned unrecorded).
• Unmarried; no known children.
• Occupation: Voyageur (bowman/avant—front guide in the canoe, responsible for navigation and spotting hazards).
• Key Events:
• 14 February 1797: Signed a 3-year contract with McTavish, Frobisher & Company (NWC), represented by Alexander Mackenzie, to travel to the Northwest, Nipigon, and Lake Superior. Likely accompanied Mackenzie to Grand Portage (now Minnesota), a key NWC depot for rendezvous and trade.
• Contract Details: Engaged as an "avant" for routes potentially extending beyond Grand Portage, given the 3-year term. While unconfirmed, his timing aligns with NWC expeditions, including possible involvement in boundary surveys post-Jay Treaty (1794), though no direct link to David Thompson's 1797 Mississippi River headwaters trip is documented.
• Legacy: Represents the family's expansion into the pays d'en haut (upper country); his disappearance from records after 1797 is common for voyageurs lost to the frontier.

• Michel Vielle dit Cossé (1771–1810) (5th great-uncle)
• Birth: 17 September 1771, St-Joseph, Chambly, La Vallée-du-Richelieu, Québec.
• Death: 21 June 1810, La Prairie de la Madeleine, Québec (buried locally; cause unknown, possibly trade-related hardships).
• Unmarried; no known children.
• Occupation: Voyageur (bowman/avant, similar to his brother).
• Key Events:
• 18 March 1793: Signed a multi-year contract with McTavish, Frobisher & Company (NWC) to venture into the far Northwest (dans le Nord-Ouest du Canada), likely involving Athabasca or Red River routes.
• Returned to Québec by 1810, where he died young, perhaps from exhaustion or illness common among voyageurs.
• Legacy: His earlier contract (at age 22) shows the family's early involvement in NWC operations, predating Joseph's.
• Marie-Louise Vielle dit Cossé (1780–1813) (4th great-grandmother)
• Birth: 1780, Chambly, Québec.
• Death: 1813, Québec (exact location unclear).
• Marriage: 1802 in Chambly, Québec, to Gabriel Pinsonneau (Pinsono) (1770–1807), son of Joseph Pinsonneau (Pinsono) (1733–1799).
• Role: Connected two voyageur families; managed household after Gabriel's early death.
• Children: Included descendants linking to your line.

Related Family: Pinsonneau (Pinsono) Connections

The marriage of Marie-Louise to Gabriel intertwined the Vielle dit Cossé with another fur trade family from La Prairie, Québec.

• Joseph Pinsonneau (Pinsono) (1733–1799) (5th great-grandfather)
• Birth: 10 April 1733, La Prairie, Québec (baptized same day).
• Death: 8 August 1799, La Prairie, Québec (buried 9 August).
• Marriage: 21 February 1757 in La Prairie, Québec, to Marie-Anne Dupuis (1738–1797).
• Fur Trade Legacy: Early voyageur and trader in the upper Great Lakes; his sons, including Gabriel, continued this path, emphasizing the intergenerational nature of the trade in the region.
• Children: At least 12, including Gabriel (1770–1807).
• Gabriel Pinsonneau (Pinsono) (1770–1807) (4th great-grandfather)
• Birth: 1770, La Prairie, Québec.
• Death: 1807, Québec (possibly trade-related; young age suggests frontier risks).
• Marriage: 1802 to Marie-Louise Vielle dit Cossé.
• Occupation: Voyageur (milieu—middle paddler in the canoe brigade, handling rhythm and cargo balance).
• Key Events:
• 11 August 1797: Signed a contract to travel to Michigan (likely Detroit or Mackinac areas) for the trading company of brothers Jacques and François Laselle (sometimes spelled Lasselle), French-Canadian merchants based in Detroit who dealt in furs, provisions, and Indigenous trade networks post-American Revolution. The Laselle brothers operated independently but aligned with British interests until the Jay Treaty shifted borders.
• Legacy: His Michigan route complemented the Vielle brothers' northwestern paths, illustrating diverse fur trade networks from Québec.

Thank you to Grok xAI for enhancements and editing.