Rapids and Resolve: Gabriel Lemieux's (fils) Voyageur Legacy on the Frontier

 

In the fortified enclave of La Prairie-de-la-Magdeleine, where the St. Lawrence River's currents whispered of distant fortunes, Gabriel Lemieux was baptized on September 4, 1663.  Son of voyageur Gabriel Lemieux and Marguerite Leboeuf, he entered a world of wooden stockades and Indigenous alliances, shadowed by the Beaver Wars' violence. Orphaned young—his mother died in 1671—Gabriel grew amid the smoke of trade fires, learning the paddle's rhythm from his father. By 1690, he married Jeanne Robidoux in La Prairie, a union that produced children including Marie Anne Lemieux (1706-1777), our 7th great-grandmother. Their home in this strategic seigneury buzzed with fur traders, a launchpad for expeditions into the pays d'en haut.

Gabriel's life mirrored the untamed rivers he traversed, as a seasoned voyageur guiding canoes through foaming chutes and dense forests. In 1734, at age 71, he signed a one-year overwintering contract on May 28 with Eustache Gamelin before notary Jean-Baptiste Adhémar de La Ferté, to voyage to the "poste des associés" at Kamanistigouia (Fort Kaministiquia) on Lake Superior's north shore.  As a middleman—paddling amidships, guiding novices—he pledged to lead a merchandise-laden canoe westward, guard goods and pelts, hunt, fish, chop wood, and return with furs. Earning 350 livres plus mittens, breeches, shirts, and half his game proceeds, Gabriel braved the Ottawa River's rapids, portaged around Kakabeka Falls on the Kaministiquia River, and wintered at the fort near present-day Thunder Bay, Ontario. Amid blizzards and Indigenous negotiations with Ojibwe and Cree, he traded for beaver pelts that fueled Montreal's merchants.

Three years later, in 1737, Gabriel engaged again on May 6 with Charles Ruet d'Auteuil before notary Michel LePailleur, for a voyage to Fort Pontchartrain (Detroit).  At 74, he committed as a middleman for 100 livres—33 livres 6 sols 8 deniers in silver upon return, the rest in merchandise—plus a barrel of drink, no trading allowed. Paddling to Detroit's straits, he navigated Lake Erie's tempests and Huron alliances, embodying the voyageur's endurance. These late-life treks, amid family networks of coureurs de bois, highlight his role in sustaining the fur economy.

Gabriel died September 18, 1739, in La Prairie at 76, buried in the soil he tilled between voyages. His grit rippled through descendants: daughter Marie Anne to Marie Josephe Poupart, Pierre Barette dit Courville, and down to Lucy Passino. From La Prairie's shores to Superior's wilds, Gabriel's paddle strokes bridged generations, etching a path in New France's expansive history.

Enhanced Notes on Gabriel Lemieux

These notes expand our originals with additional historical insights from reliable sources, verifying and adding depth (e.g., contract details from notary archives; Kamanistigouia as Fort Kaministiquia, a 1730s French post near Thunder Bay for Lake Superior trade). Resolved age/discrepancies: Born 1663 (baptism Sep 4); voyages at advanced ages (71/74) unusual but documented for experienced guides. Cross-referenced with Société historique du Saguenay (SHSB) Voyageurs database, BANQ notaries, and genealogical sites.

Personal Details

• Birth and Origins: Baptized Sep 4, 1663, Notre-Dame-de-La Prairie-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec; son of Gabriel Lemieux (1626-1700, voyageur) and Marguerite Leboeuf (1636-1671).  Mother died young; raised in fur trade milieu.
• Marriage and Family: Married Jeanne Robidoux (1673-1736), 1690; children include Marie Anne (1706-1777, our 7th great-grandmother). Resided La Prairie, key voyageur hub.
• Death: Sep 18, 1739, La Prairie; age 76.

Career and Fur Trade Role

• Professions: Voyageur, coureur de bois (unlicensed trader). Middleman role: Paddled mid-canoe, guided, hunted/fished, maintained gear. Overwintered (hivernant) at posts.
• Fur Trade Context: Son of voyageur; family legacy from 1690s (father's Michilimackinac/Sault Ste. Marie trips). La Prairie as staging ground for Ottawa/Superior voyages amid Beaver Wars aftermath. Contracts formalized post-1681 amnesty for coureurs.

Key Voyages (from SHSB/BANQ):

May 28, 1734

Hired by Eustache Gamelin for Kamanistigouia (Fort Kaministiquia, Lake Superior associates' post). 1-year overwinter; guide canoe up/down, care goods/pelts, hunt/fish/chop.

Notary/Source: Jean-Baptiste Adhémar de La Ferté (Lepailleur); BANQ M620/1426; SHSB Voyageurs DB.

Notes: 350 livres + mittens/breeches/shirts/ammo; half game proceeds. Route: Ottawa River, portages to Superior; overwintered with Ojibwe/Cree.

May 6, 1737

Hired by Charles Ruet d'Auteuil for Fort Pontchartrain (Detroit). Middleman; no trading.

Notary/Source: Michel LePailleur; BANQ M620/1427; SHSB Voyageurs DB.

Notes: 100 livres (33 livres 6 sols 8 deniers silver on return; rest merchandise) + drink barrel. Route: St. Lawrence, Lake Ontario/Erie; Huron alliances.

Lineage (Confirmed and Extended)

• Gabriel Lemieux (1663-1739) — 8th great-grandfather.
• Marie Anne Lemieux (1706-1777) — Daughter; married Pierre Poupart.
• Marie Josephe Poupart (1725-1799) — Daughter; married Pierre Barette dit Courville.
• Pierre Barette dit Courville (1748-1794) — Son.
• Marie Angelique Barette dit Courville (1779-1815) — Daughter; married Jean Baptiste Mignier Lagassé.
• Marie Emélie Meunier dit Lagacé (1808-1883) — Daughter.
• Lucy Passino (Pinsonneau) (1836-1917) — Daughter; 2nd great-grandmother.

Sources include user's notes, SHSB Voyageurs DB (translations refined for accuracy; Google Translate noted as imperfect), BANQ notaries, and genealogical sites (Geni/FamilySearch) for consistency. 

Earlier file & documents: Gabriel Lemieux (fils) — Voyageur Grandfather

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2019/04/gabriel-lemieux-voyageur-grandfather_9.html

Thank you to Grok xAI for updated information and details.