Frontiers of Fur and Faith: The Perras dit La Fontaine Legacy in New France

 

In the salty air of La Rochelle's bustling port, where ships groaned under loads bound for distant horizons, Pierre Perras dit La Fontaine was baptized on August 21, 1616, in the Sainte-Marguerite chapel.  Son of a baker, Pierre Perras, and Jeanne L'Asnier, he grew up amid the aromas of fresh bread and the whispers of New World adventures. With sisters Marie and Catherine, his early life in Aunis province was modest, honing skills as a tonnelier—a master cooper crafting wooden barrels essential for shipping wine, gunpowder, and provisions. But the pull of opportunity across the Atlantic proved irresistible. By the 1650s, Pierre had arrived in Ville-Marie (Montreal), a fortified outpost besieged by Iroquois raids and sustained by fur trade dreams.

There, fate intertwined with Denise Lemaitre, a resilient Parisian orphan born around 1635 on rue St-Antoine.  Daughter of Denys-David Lemaitre and Catherine Deharme, Denise lost her mother young and was raised at the Hôpital de La Pitié, earning a midwife's certificate as a Fille du Roi—the King's Daughter, sponsored by Louis XIV to bolster the colony's population. Sailing from La Rochelle on the plague-ridden St-André in July 1659, she endured a harrowing voyage with Jeanne Mance and Marguerite Bourgeoys, arriving in Quebec on September 7 amid sickness and rationed biscuits crushed by cannonballs.  Paddling to Montreal by canoe, Denise briefly engaged to pioneer André Heutibise, only to nurse him as he died from Iroquois wounds in December 1659.

Grief was fleeting in the harsh colony; on January 10, 1660, Denise signed a marriage contract with Pierre, wedding on January 26 in the presence of Jeanne Mance and others.  They settled in La Prairie, south of Montreal, where Pierre's barrels supported trade, but farming and fur beckoned. In 1667, he acquired a 24-arpent farm along the St-Pierre River, neighbors to Pierre Mallet and Jacques Beauchamp. By the 1681 census, their 40-arpent holding boasted 10 cultivated acres and six cattle, but with ten children, needs grew.  Pierre and sons ventured as coureurs de bois—unlicensed woods runners—paddling birch-bark canoes laden with trade goods into the pays d'en haut, bartering beads and kettles for beaver pelts with Ottawa and Huron allies amid mosquito swarms and portages.

Their sons embodied this voyageur spirit. Jean, baptized August 26, 1668, in Montreal, married twice—first Marguerite Testu in 1698, then Madeleine Roy in 1701—and fathered descendants like Joseph.  In 1692, Jean hired out to Nicolas Laurens dit Lachapelle for a voyage to Ottawa Indian territories, navigating the St. Lawrence's rapids.  By 1694, alongside Pierre Mallet and others, he canoed to Michilimackinac, a strategic fur hub at the Great Lakes' crossroads, evading Iroquois ambushes for pelts that fueled France's hat industry.

Younger brother Pierre, born June 24, 1674, in Côte Saint-Lambert, married Marguerite Diel in 1696 and plunged into the fur trade, his brief life marked by wilderness risks.  Dying at 25 on July 31, 1699, in La Prairie, he left a legacy of adventure, his exploits noted in fur trade records.  The family's trade persisted through Jean's son Joseph, born March 13, 1714, in La Prairie. Marrying Anne Deneau in 1733, Joseph engaged on May 13, 1734, with Charles Nolan for the Volant Brothers, voyaging to Fort Pontchartrain (Detroit)—paddling a merchandise-laden canoe westward, returning with pelts amid French expansion into the Ohio Valley.  Joseph died May 23, 1753, in Longueuil, his journeys echoing the Perras' enduring frontier bond.

Tragedy shadowed prosperity. Pierre died April 30, 1684, leaving Denise with farms, a barn, stable, 11 cattle, and six pigs—but insufficient for her brood.  She traded furs with Catholic Iroquois at La Prairie, remarried François Cazel in October 1684, only to widow again in 1687. Resuming midwifery, Denise met a martyr's end on October 29, 1691, massacred by Iroquois in Côte St-Lambert at age 55.  Through peril and paddle, the Perras family—coopers turned coureurs—wove their resilience into New France's fabric, their descendants carrying the dit La Fontaine name across generations.

Enhanced Notes on the Perras dit La Fontaine Family

These notes build on our provided details, incorporating genealogical confirmations from reliable sources like WikiTree, Geni, and FamilySearch to resolve discrepancies (e.g., Pierre's birthplace: sources consistently cite La Rochelle, not Rouen; baptism date Aug 21, 1616). Added context on fur trade engagements, family migrations, and historical events (e.g., Iroquois wars, Filles du Roi program). The "dit" name La Fontaine likely derived from a family trait or location, common in 17th-century France for distinction.

Pierre Perras dit La Fontaine (1616-1684)

• Birth and Origins: Baptized August 21, 1616, in Sainte-Marguerite chapel, La Rochelle, Aunis (now Charente-Maritime), France; son of Pierre Perras (baker, 1590-1660) and Jeanne L'Asnier (or Lanier, 1595-1660).  Siblings: Marie and Catherine. Parents deceased before his marriage.
• Migration and Trade: Arrived in New France by 1650s; master tonnelier (cooper), apprenticed 7 years.  Signed marriage contract Jan 10, 1660; wed Jan 26 in Montreal.
• Family and Settlement: Married Denise Lemaitre (1635-1691); 10 children, including Marguerite (1665, our 8th great-grandmother), Jean (1668), Pierre (1674). Acquired 24-arpent farm Aug 25, 1667, in La Prairie (Côte St-Lambert); expanded to 40 arpents by 1681. 
• Fur Trade Involvement: In 1670s, with sons and sons-in-law, engaged as coureurs de bois; sons absent in 1681 census for fur trading in forests.  Family wealth grew through furs, ships, cattle.
• Death: April 30, 1684, La Prairie; buried there. Estate: Two farms, barn, stable, 11 cattle, 6 pigs. 

Denise Lemaitre (1635-1691)

• Birth and Early Life: Born c.1635, Paris (St-Paul parish, rue St-Antoine); daughter of Denys-David Lemaitre (1617-1660) and Catherine Deharme (1613-1660).  Orphaned young; raised at Hôpital de La Pitié (King's Hospital); trained as midwife. Fille du Roi, recruited by Jeanne Mance.
• Migration: Sailed July 2, 1659, on St-André from La Rochelle; arrived Quebec Sep 7 amid plague. Canoed to Montreal; engaged to André Heutibise (died Dec 2, 1659, Iroquois wound).
• Marriages and Family: Married Pierre Perras Jan 26, 1660; 10 children. After Pierre's death, married François Cazel (or Cahel) Oct 9, 1684; widowed Nov 18, 1687.
• Later Life and Trade: Post-1684, traded furs with Catholic Iroquois at La Prairie for income.  Resumed midwifery.
• Death: October 29, 1691, massacred by Iroquois in Côte St-Lambert village, La Prairie; age 55/56. 

Jean Perras dit La Fontaine (1668-1736)

• Birth: Baptized August 26, 1668, Notre-Dame-de-Montréal. 
• Marriages: (1) Marguerite Testu, 1698; (2) Madeleine Roy (1684-1726), 1701; children include Joseph (1714).
• Fur Trade: 1692: Hired by Jacques de Lamarque for Nicolas Laurens dit Lachapelle to voyage to Ottawa (8ta8ois) Indians; notary Antoine Adhémar.  1694: With Charles Legardeur sieur de L’Isle, hired alongside Pierre Mallet, Pierre Tessier, Jean Brunet dit Létang for Michilimackinac voyage.  Part of family fur interests. 
• Death: Buried October 13, 1736, La Prairie. 

Pierre Perras dit La Fontaine (1674-1699)

• Birth: June 24, 1674, Côte Saint-Lambert, La Prairie.
• Marriage: Marguerite Diel (1678-1715), 1696.
• Fur Trade: Active in 1690s fur trade; family preferred trade over farming.  Noted in military/expedition families. 
• Death: July 31, 1699, La Prairie; age 25.

Earlier file: Peras (Perras) Family

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2017/03/ripples-chapter-three-perras-family.html

Thank you to Grok xAI for updated information and enhancements.