Jacques Deneau dit Destaillis: Runner of the Woods and Frontier Trader

 

In the raw, untamed cradle of New France, where the St. Lawrence River whispered promises of fortune and peril, Jacques Deneau dit Destaillis was born on November 2, 1660, in Montréal, to Marin Deneau dit Destaillis and Louise Therese LeBreuil. As the son of early settlers who had braved the Atlantic crossing, Jacques grew up amid the bustling outposts of the colony, where survival hinged on ingenuity and alliances with Indigenous nations. By his twenties, he had plunged into the fur trade, a world of birchbark canoes slicing through rapids, laden with trade goods bound for distant Indigenous territories in exchange for coveted beaver pelts.

Jacques's early forays as a voyageur—a licensed canoe man navigating the waterways for merchants—began in earnest. On July 5, 1688, he and his brother Charles Marin Deneau dit Destaillis were hired by Claude Greysolon, Sieur de LaTourette, for a voyage to the Outaouais (Ottawa Indians), a contract notarized by Antoine Adhémar.  This expedition would have taken them deep into the Great Lakes region, forging paths through dense forests and forging bonds with Indigenous traders. The Deneau family was no stranger to this life; records show 19 family members, including Jacques, Charles, and descendants like Etienne and another Charles, embarking on 69 documented voyageur contracts, often departing from La Prairie de la Madeleine.  These trips spanned destinations like Sault Ste. Marie, Michilimakinac, and Fort Pontchartrain, but the lists exclude countless unlicensed excursions as coureurs des bois—independent "runners of the woods" who evaded royal monopolies to trade freely, risking fines or imprisonment for greater profits.

Amid these adventures, Jacques found stability in marriage. In 1690, he wed Marie Rivet in La Prairie, and together they raised children, including daughter Marie Francoise Deneau, born in 1698. Family ties extended into his work; by 1716, on May 9, Jacques and his son Etienne Deneau dit Destaillus engaged Claude and Joachim Deno for a voyage to Missilimakinac (Michilimackinac), again under Adhémar's notary seal.  This trading post at the straits of Lakes Huron and Michigan was a vibrant hub of French-Indigenous commerce, where pelts from the interior flowed in exchange for European wares. Etienne, born in 1691 and later married to Catherine Bisaillon, followed in his father's footsteps with his own contracts, such as a 1713 engagement to François Rivard Lorange for the Strait of Lake Erie to Fort Pontchartrain.  Meanwhile, nephew Charles (son of brother Charles Marin) undertook multiple trips in the 1720s and 1730s, serving as a guide and handler of furs to Michilimakinac.  The Deneaus exemplified the intergenerational pull of the fur trade, with La Prairie residents alone accounting for 736 voyageur contracts, underscoring the community's role in sustaining New France's economy.

Yet, the frontier's lawlessness caught up with Jacques in 1719, when he was accused of illegally selling brandy—"water of life"—to two Iroquois from Sault-Saint-Louis.  This violation of strict regulations against intoxicating Indigenous peoples allegedly led to tragedy: the intoxicated men murdered two-year-old Pierre Gagné by gutting him during their return journey.  A judicial inquiry ensued from February 22 to 25, 1719, involving witnesses like René Bourassa, Pierre Pinsonnault, and notary Guillaume Baret dit Courville, all from La Prairie.  Found culpable, Jacques was fined 300 pounds, a stark reminder of the colonial authorities' efforts to control trade and prevent such escalations amid tense French-Indigenous relations.  This incident highlighted the blurred lines between commerce and contraband in an era when alcohol was a potent, if forbidden, bargaining tool.

Jacques's life drew to a close on June 29, 1720, in La Prairie-de-la-Madeleine, where he had rooted his family. His legacy endured through descendants who carried the spirit of exploration and resilience. Daughter Marie Francoise wed and bore Marie Madeleine Duquet (1734-1791), who continued the line to Gabriel Pinsonneau (1770-1807), then his son Gabriel (1803-1877), and finally to Lucy Pinsonneau (1836-1917), a 2nd great-grandmother whose story reflects the enduring echo of her voyageur ancestor's daring paths through the wilderness. Jacques Deneau dit Destaillis embodied the grit of New France's frontiersmen—paddling toward opportunity, navigating peril, and leaving ripples across generations.

Earlier file & documents: Jacques Deneau dit Destaillis — Voyageur Grandfather

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