Frontiersmen of Faith and Fur: The Amiot Legacy in New France

 

In the shadow of ancient cathedrals in Soissons, Picardie, France, where the Aisne River wound through verdant fields, Philippe Amiot (also spelled Amyot) dit Villeneuve was born around 1602, son of Georges Elie Amyot and Louise Chichon.  A man of humble roots, perhaps a tradesman or farmer, he married Anne Convent in 1625, daughter of Guillaume Convent and Antoinette De Longral. The couple welcomed sons Jean (about 1630) and Mathieu (1628) in France, before the call of adventure drew them across the Atlantic. In the summer of 1635, amid the Jesuit-driven push to evangelize and colonize New France, Philippe embarked with his family on a perilous voyage to Quebec, a raw outpost of wooden forts and Indigenous alliances.  There, in 1636, their third son, Charles, entered the world—the first Amiot born on Canadian soil, baptized with the governor, Chevalier Charles Huault de Montmagny, as godfather.

Philippe's life in the colony was one of grit and exploration. Evidence suggests he ventured as a coureur de bois near Trois-Rivières, those unlicensed fur traders who paddled deep into the wilderness, forging ties with Huron and Algonquin nations amid birch forests and roaring rapids.  The fur trade was the lifeblood of New France, beaver pelts funding the fragile settlement against Iroquois raids and harsh winters. But Philippe's time was cut short; he died on August 26, 1639, in Quebec, leaving Anne a widow at 34.  She remarried twice—first to Jacques Maheu, then Etienne Blanchon Larose—ensuring stability for her sons, who would carry the Amiot name into legend. Anne passed on Christmas Day 1675, buried in Quebec, her resilience echoing through generations.

The sons, orphaned young, found purpose under Jesuit wings, blending faith, trade, and frontier survival. Jean, the eldest, became an interpreter and indentured servant to the Jesuits among the Hurons.  From the mid-1640s, he immersed in Huron country—learning languages, bridging cultures in smoke-filled longhouses. Known as "Antaïok" to the Indigenous peoples, Jean was a prodigious athlete, outrunning young warriors on foot or snowshoes in Quebec tournaments.  In 1647, he captured an Iroquois linked to Father Isaac Jogues' martyrdom. But tragedy struck; on May 23, 1648, just before his planned marriage, Jean drowned off Trois-Rivières with François Marguerie. His body washed ashore at Sillery, buried at 18, his brief life a testament to the perils of cultural exchange.

Mathieu, sieur de Villeneuve, mirrored his brother's path as a Jesuit interpreter, working at their Trois-Rivières house and in Huron lands during the 1640s.  Marrying Marie Catherine Miville in 1650, he fathered a large family, including Pierre (1653) and Daniel Joseph (1665). Mathieu transitioned to seigneurial life, acquiring lands and engaging in trade, dying in Quebec on December 18, 1688.  His legacy extended through sons like Daniel, who in 1686 joined Henri de Tonti's expedition down the Mississippi in search of La Salle, paddling from Illinois to the Gulf, claiming lands for France amid swamps and hostile tribes.  Daniel's voyages continued into the 1710s, trading at Michilimackinac and marrying Ottawa woman Domitilde Oukabé in 1709, blending French and Indigenous bloodlines. 

Youngest Charles, born in Quebec, was educated at the Jesuit college and, at just 14, served Father Francesco Giuseppe Bressani in Huron country in 1650.  Evolving into a fur trader and merchant, he specialized in eel fishing and bartered with Papinachois Indians along the north shore. From 1663, he accompanied Father Henri Nouvel on arduous missions—wintering at Lake Matapédia, portaging to Lake Manicouagan, preaching and trading furs.  Marrying Geneviève de Chavigny in 1660, Charles balanced family and frontier until his death on December 10, 1669, in Cap-Saint-Ignace.

The Amiot spirit persisted in descendants like Jean Baptiste (1693-1763), son of Pierre and grandson of Mathieu, who became Michilimackinac's blacksmith before 1724.  Employed by Jesuits, he forged tools essential for trade—axes, tomahawks, gun parts—amid Ottawa and Ojibwa communities. A 1737 dispute with Father Pierre Du Jaunay led to his firing, but Commandant Pierre-Joseph Céloron intervened, recognizing his value.  Marrying Marie Anne Kitoulagué around 1715, Jean Baptiste navigated poverty, training son Augustin, and repairing arms post-1763 Pontiac's Rebellion. He moved to La Baye (Green Bay), where a quarrel ended in his stabbing death after 1763.  Through faith, fur, and forge, the Amiots wove their thread into Canada's tapestry, their descendants numbering thousands today.

Enhanced Notes on the Amiot Family

These notes expand our originals with additional details from historical biographies, genealogical records, and scholarly sources. Grok xAI resolved discrepancies (e.g., Philippe's death date: notes say Sep 26, 1639, but some sources cite Aug 26 or before Sep; prioritized primary records indicating before Sep 1639). Added context on roles, voyages, and family connections, drawing from Dictionary of Canadian Biography (DCB), WikiTree, and French-Canadian Heritage Society of Michigan (FCHSM) compilations by Diane Wolford Sheppard. 

Philippe Amiot dit Villeneuve (c.1602-1639)

• Birth and Origins: Born c.1602 in Soissons, Aisne, Picardie (or possibly Épieds, Aisne), France; son of Georges Elie Amyot (1570-1620) and Louise Chichon (1580-1610).  Some sources suggest St-Médard parish; family ties to Chartres region via relatives like nephew Toussaint Ledran. 
• Marriage and Family: Married Anne Convent (c.1605-1675) in 1625, France. Children: Jean (c.1630-1648), Mathieu (1628-1688), Charles (1636-1669). Arrived in Quebec summer 1635; Charles born there Aug 26, 1636. 
• Life in New France: Likely a coureur de bois near Trois-Rivières by 1636, engaging in fur trade without official license.  Mentioned once in records: at Charles' baptism. Died before Sep 1639 in Quebec (exact Aug 26 per some; cause unknown, possibly disease or accident).  First Amiot in New France; descendants number thousands.
• Wife's Later Life: Anne remarried Jacques Maheu (Sep 26, 1639) and Etienne Blanchon Larose; died Dec 25, 1675, Quebec. 

Jean Amiot (c.1630-1648)

• Birth and Early Life: Born c.1630, France; arrived Quebec 1635.
• Career: Interpreter and Jesuit donné (indentured servant) among Hurons from early 1640s; lived Trois-Rivières from 1645.  Called "Antaïok" by Hurons/Iroquois; captured Iroquois in 1647 linked to Jogues' death. Renowned athlete, winning races against Indigenous youths. 
• Death: Drowned May 23, 1648, off Trois-Rivières with François Marguerie; body recovered Jun 10 at Sillery. Unmarried. 

+ Mathieu Amiot sieur de Villeneuve (1628-1688)

• Birth and Early Life: Born May 23, 1628, Estrees, Soissons, France; arrived Quebec 1635. 
• Career: Jesuit interpreter 1640s at Trois-Rivières and Huron country.  Later seigneur, trader; acquired Maure seigneury.
• Marriage and Family: Married Marie Catherine Miville (1632-1702) in 1650; 15 children, including Pierre (1653-1714) and Daniel Joseph (1665-1725). 
• Death: Dec 18, 1688, Quebec. 

Charles Amiot (1636-1669)

• Birth: Aug 26, 1636, Quebec; godfather Gov. Montmagny. 
• Career: Jesuit-educated; servant to Father Bressani in Huron country at 14 (1650).  Fur trader, merchant; eel fishing, Papinachois trade. Accompanied Father Nouvel 1663-1665: winters at Matapédia/Mitis, portages to Manicouagan, establishing Saint-Barnabé mission.  Partners included Guillaume Couture, Noël Jérémie.
• Marriage: Geneviève de Chavigny (1645-1724) in 1660; children included several sons.
• Death: Buried Dec 10, 1669, Cap-Saint-Ignace. 

Daniel Joseph Amiot dit Villeneuve (1665-1725)

• Birth: Oct 4, 1665, Quebec; son of Mathieu and Marie Miville.
• Career: 1686: Joined Tonti's Mississippi expedition from Fort St. Louis (IL) to Gulf, searching La Salle; claimed mouth Apr 13.  1690: Hired by François Daupin de LaForest for Illinois voyage (500 livres salary).  1694: Michilimackinac fur hunts for Nicolas Perrot. 1710: Obligations for Michilimackinac/Pontchartrain voyages. 
• Marriage: Domitilde Oukabé (Kapiouapnokoué), Ottawa sister of Chief Nissowaquet, Sep 2, 1709, Montreal (witnesses: Pierre Biron, etc.). 
• Death: c.1725, Michilimackinac.  Detailed in FCHSM's "Michilimackinac Families." 

Jean Baptiste Amiot (1693-after 1763)

• Birth: Dec 24, 1693, Neuville, Quebec; son of Pierre Amiot (1653-1714) and Louise Renard Dodier (1651-1724).
• Career: Blacksmith at Michilimackinac before 1724, Jesuit-employed; forged guns, axes, tomahawks, traps, hoes, firesteels.  1737: Fired after dispute with Father Du Jaunay; reinstated with royal support via Ottawa intercession to Gov. Beauharnois. Worked fort 1740s; inventories show gun repairs (screws, sights, etc.), trade items.  Post-1761 English control: Repaired Ottawa guns after Pontiac's Rebellion.  Moved to Green Bay after 1763.
• Marriage: c.1715 to Marie Anne Kitoulagué (Sauvagesse, 1700-1758); 8 children, including Augustin (trained as blacksmith).
• Death: After 1763, Green Bay; stabbed in bed during quarrel with Indian Ishquaketa.  Buried Michilimackinac? Records lost.

Sources include DCB, FCHSM (Sheppard compilations), Jesuit Relations, notarial records (Adhémar, Chambalon), and genealogical sites like WikiTree. 

2017 Notes: 

Philippe Amiot dit Villeneuve (1602-1639) (9th great-grandfather)

• 1636, Coureurs de bois near Trois-Rivières.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2020/03/my-pioneer-ancestors-of-quebec-they.html

Thank you to Grok xAI 1/4/26.