Unearthing a Shiny Piece of History: Narcisse Roy, the Montreal Silversmith Extraordinaire

 

Picture this: It's the turn of the 19th century, and the fur trade is booming across North America. Trappers, traders, and Native Americans are swapping pelts for all sorts of goodies. Enter Narcisse Roy, a masterful silversmith from Montreal who's cranking out silver bling that's not just pretty—it's a currency of alliances and adventure. Let's dive into this fascinating tale, starting with a standout artifact that's got history buffs drooling.

The Star of the Show: A Hudson's Bay Trade Silver Cross

Back around 1800, Narcisse Roy crafted this stunning Native American trade silver cross. It's museum-quality stuff, folks—complete with hallmarks that scream authenticity: a crown for Quebec, "HB" for the Hudson's Bay Company, another crown over "V" confirming it's sterling silver, and Roy's own "N.R." touch mark.

The front features a clever setting with glass (or maybe a gem) that magnifies the "HB" hallmark like a built-in loupe. Hanging from a 32-inch necklace strung with red faceted glass beads and brass trade beads from the late 1700s or early 1800s, this cross measures 4 1/4 inches tall by 3 1/8 inches wide. When it was acquired, its provenance traced back to the Bryce Hathcock Collection. Talk about a relic with roots!

Who Was Narcisse Roy? A Silversmith's Saga

Narcisse Roy (1765–1814) wasn't just any artisan; he was a powerhouse in Montreal's silversmith scene from 1797 until his death. Born on November 27, 1765, in Montreal to Jacques Roy and Marie-Françoise Prud’homme, he likely apprenticed under someone like Robert Cruickshank (their marks are eerily similar) or one of the era's many silver wizards.

Married in 1787 to Marie-Joseph Jérôme dit Latour (who brought a tidy dowry), they settled on Rue Saint-Laurent and raised 12 kids. Roy was all about family—housing his mom and mingling with fellow silversmiths like Nathan Starns. He was a godfather, appraiser, and networker in the trade.

But business? Oh, he was shrewd. Roy snapped up properties in the faubourg Saint-Laurent, often paying in... you guessed it, trade silver! One deal in 1790 involved 2,000 ear pendants as payment. By 1794, he'd bought more land, sometimes settling debts with "silverware for the Indians." He built houses, invested wisely, and raked in prosperity.

Roy trained five apprentices over the years: Jean-Baptiste Lapointe (1793), Charles-Olivier Lepage (1796), Antoine Delisle (1797), Louis Tribaut dit Laffriquain (1801), and François Leclair (1802). His big gigs? Massive orders for the North West Company—45,000 pieces of trade silver from 1801 to 1804, including brooches, earrings, crosses, bracelets, and more. That's £1,500 in era money, a fortune!

He pivoted from religious silver to fur trade goodies as demand exploded. While peers like Cruickshank and Huguet dabbled in domestic wares, Roy specialized in trade silver, ranking him among the top producers alongside the Huguets, Cruickshanks, Arnoldis, Rousseaus, and Schindlers.

(Sourced from the Dictionary of Canadian Biography and other historical gems—check out http://www.biographi.ca for the full scoop.)

The Allure of Trade Silver: Bling with a Purpose

Trade silver wasn't just jewelry; it was a bridge between cultures. When European traders met Native Americans, they needed portable, desirable items to swap for furs. Glass beads and silver fit the bill perfectly.

Silver symbolized friendship and alliances, especially in colonial wars and fur deals. Traders gifted it to chiefs as tokens of goodwill, echoing Native traditions like wampum exchanges. From 1725 to 1825, it dominated the trade.

Crafted from melted coins or hammered sheets, these pieces were made thin for easy transport and cost savings. Big names like Cruickshank, Arnoldi, Huguet, Schindler, and our guy Roy produced them in Montreal, Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, and St. Louis. Larger items got hallmarks; smaller ones often didn't.

Northeastern tribes prized specific styles—brooches, rings, earrings. By the 1800s, "German silver" (a cheap alloy) crept in, but real sterling ruled until mid-century.

Dating these artifacts? Tricky. Basic designs (plain crosses, simple rings) hail from the early 1700s, while ornate ones with cutouts popped up later. The Hudson's Bay Company resisted silver at first (too pricey), but competition from the North West Company forced their hand in 1796. After merging in 1821, silver was the first to go from trade lists.

(Insights from the Encyclopedia Dubuque—props to Marshall Cohen for the deep dive.)

granger.com

A Family Tie: Narcisse Roy, Distant Kin?

Here's where it gets personal—Narcisse Roy is a distant relative! Okay, it's a stretch: He's the grand-nephew of the wife of my 9th great-uncle. Genealogy fans, buckle up.

Tracing back to my 2nd great-grandmother, Lucy Pinsonneau (1836–1917):

• Lucy's mom: Marie Emélie (Mary) Meunier Lagassé (1808–1883)
• Her mom: Marie Angelique Baret (Barette) dit Courville (1779–1815)
• Her dad: Pierre Barette dit Courville (1748–1794)
• His mom: Marie Josephe Poupart (1725–1799)
• Her dad: Joseph Poupart (1696–1726)
• His mom: Marguerite Perras dit La Fontaine (1665–1708)
• Her mom: Denise Lemaitre (1635–1691)
• Denise's son: Jean Perras dit Lafontaine (1668–1736) — my 9th great-uncle
• Jean's wife: Madeleine Roy (1684–1726)
• Madeleine's mom: Catherine Ducharme (1657–1719)
• Catherine's grandson: Jacques Roy (1718–1773)
• His son: Narcisse Roy (1765–1814)

Whew! Family trees can be wilder than the wilderness these traders roamed.

Extra Nuggets: Addenda on Narcisse

Born November 27, 1765, in Montreal. His grandma, Marguerite French, was captured from Deerfield, Mass., in 1707 and raised by nuns in Montreal. Married Marie Josephte Gerome Latour in 1787—tied to other silversmiths.

Roy's mark: "NR" in a scripted cartouche on Indian ornaments and some household silver. North West Company records show epic orders in 1801: 2,000 brooches, 1,500 small crosses, arm bands, earbobs, gorgets, heart broaches, wrist bands, beaver effigies, double crosses... the list goes on!

He passed March 23, 1814 (wait, sources say 18th or 23rd—history's fuzzy sometimes).

(From "The Old Silver of Quebec" by Ramsay Traquair and "Indian Trade Silver" by Marius Barbeau.)

Treasures of  My Own: A Beaver Effigy Pendant

This delightful beaver effigy and the extraordinary string of mixed trade beads were obtained from Leo Hakola, ‘The Bead Man,’ circa 1985.

Living with a 'Fur Trade' Collection -- my artistic and emotional connection to the past

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2020/10/living-with-fur-trade-collection-my.html

Thank you to Grok xAI for the updated information.