Sir Alexander Mackenzie, Scottish fur trader and explorer, was my 7th cousin

 

Sir Alexander Mackenzie, fur trader and explorer, was born 1764, in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland. He died March 12, 1820, near Dunkeld, Scotland. 

He is best known for his overland crossing of what is now Canada to reach the Pacific Ocean in 1793.

After immigrating to North America, he became a partner in the North West Company, a rival of the Hudson’s Bay Company. 

He was based in Montréal from 1794 to 1799, but had travelled to Grand Portage, New York, and Philadelphia on company business. 

In 1788, in what is now the province of Alberta, Mackenzie and a cousin set up a trading post, Fort Chipewyan, on Lake Athabasca. 

This was the starting point of his expedition of 1789, which followed the 1,100-mile course of Mackenzie River from the Great Slave Lake to the river’s delta on the Arctic Ocean. 

In 1793 Mackenzie crossed the Rocky Mountains from Fort Chipewyan to the Pacific coast of what is now British Columbia. 

These journeys together constitute the first known transcontinental crossing of America north of Mexico. 

In 1799, Alexander Mackenzie severed ties with the North West Company (owing in part to conflict with Simon McTavish) and sailed for England. The next year he joined a rival company, the XY Company or New North West Company (which quickly became known as Alexander Mackenzie and Company).

His book, "Voyages from Montreal, on the River St. Laurence, Through the Continent of North America to the Frozen and Pacific Oceans, in the Years 1789 and 1793" was published in 1801. The book garnered him considerable public and literary attention. 

United States President Thomas Jefferson presented an American edition of Mackenzie’s book to Meriwether Lewis, who would carry it to the Pacific on his famed expedition with William Clark in 1804-6.

Alexander Mackenzie was knighted in 1802 and lived in Scotland after 1812.

Alexander Mackenzie co-signed uncle Joseph Vielle dit Cossé’s voyageur contract

In 1797, my 5th great-uncle, Joseph Vielle dit Cossé signed a three-year contract and engaged as a voyageur to go to Nord Ouest [North West], Nipigon and Lac Superieur for traders McTavish, Frobisher and Company aka North West Company, the Company Representative was Alexander Mackenzie who co-signed the contract. 

Joseph Vielle’s contract states he is a bowmen (Avant) the man located in the front (or bow) of the canoe who acted as the guide.

Perhaps Joseph was also with explorer David Thompson, who in 1797, was sent south by the North West Company (NWC) to survey part of the Canada-US boundary along the water routes from Lake Superior to Lake of the Woods to satisfy unresolved questions of territory arising from the Jay Treaty between Great Britain and the United States.

NOTE: Joseph Vielle’s sister Marie-Louise Vielle (1780-1813), my 4th great-grandmother, married Gabriel Pinsonneau (1770-1807), my 4th great-grandfather. Gabriel Pinsonneau was also a voyageur who travelled to Michigan in 1797, for a trading company owned by brothers Jacques and Francois Laselle.

LINEAGE:

Sir Alexander MacKenzie V 1764-1820 -- 7th cousin 9x removed

Kenneth MacKenzie 1731-1780 -- Father of Sir Alexander MacKenzie V

Donald MacKenzie 1700-_ -- Father of Kenneth MacKenzie

Roderick MacKenzie 5th of Fairburn 1605-1683 -- Father of Donald MacKenzie

Hector MacKenzie 4th of Fairburn 1577-1662 -- Father of Roderick MacKenzie 5th of Fairburn

Alexander MacKenzie 2nd of Fairburn -- Father of Hector MacKenzie 4th of Fairburn

Murdoch MacKenzie 1st of Fairburn 1525-1590 -- Father of Alexander MacKenzie 2nd of Fairburn

Rory Mor MacKenzie 1st of Achilty 1487-1533 -- Father of Murdoch MacKenzie 1st of Fairburn

Kenneth MacKenzie 7th of Kintail 1454-1492 -- Father of Rory Mor MacKenzie 1st of Achilty

(Kenneth MacKenzie 7th of Kintail — my 15th great-grandfather, Alexander’s 6th great-grandfather)

John MacKenzie 9th of Kintail 1483-1561 -- Son of Kenneth MacKenzie 7th of Kintail

Kenneth na Cuirc 'of the whittle' MacKenzie 10th of Kintail 1513-1568 -- Son of John MacKenzie 9th of Kintail

Elizabeth Mackenzie + 1539-1580 -- Daughter of Kenneth na Cuirc 'of the whittle' MacKenzie 10th of Kintail

Henry Urquhart 1564-1587 -- Son of Elizabeth Mackenzie

Sir Thomas Urquhart Sheriff of Cromarty 1582-1642 -- Son of Henry Urquhart

James Urquhart Minister, Covenanter in Moray and Ross 1632-1701 -- Son of Sir Thomas Urquhart Sheriff of Cromarty

John Urquhart of Newhall immigrant 1658-1731 -- Son of James Urquhart Minister, Covenanter in Moray and Ross

Margaret Urquhart 1675-1720 -- Daughter of John Urquhart of Newhall immigrant

Elizabeth Wright 1703-1785 -- Daughter of Margaret Urquhart

Jacob Weeks DNA proved 1735-1791 -- Son of Elizabeth Wright

Simon Weeks 1768-1840 -- Son of Jacob Weeks DNA proved

Maria (Mariah) Weeks 1810-1890 -- Daughter of Simon Weeks

John Galloway Brown 1833-1915 -- Son of Maria (Mariah) Weeks -- 3rd Great-Grandfather

Here’s a to video link a delightful biography for Alexander Mackenzie from Historica Canada…

“The Canadians: Alexander Mackenzie”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OGyKka62zo&t=11s

Holy Smoke! Maybe Our Voyageur Ancestors Were Actually Vikings

Last fall (2020) ancestry(dot)com updated my DNA Ethnicity Estimate and suggested I was at least 47%, and perhaps as high as 61% Scottish.

Not only did that send me off on new family history quests, but it also left me feeling somewhat disappointed when ancestry(dot)com also advised me that my French Ethnicity only ranged from 3 to 7%. 

All of that was a big let down for a guy who has spent the past decade of his life researching and writing about his French Voyageur ancestors.

Now after several months of studying and adding hundreds of new found Scots ancestors I’ve learned some of those Scots were actually of ‘Norman’ descent.

In fact two of my more interesting — and famous — Scots ancestors were Robert the Bruce and Prince Henry Sinclair, both of which are descendants of Rollo the Viking.

The region of Normandy (France) had been part a Frankish Kingdom until it was raided by Rollo or Gaange Rolf a Viking chieftain (860-932), and my 32nd great-grandfather, who became its founder and first ruler.

All of that set me to thinking about our La Prairie Voyageur Ancestors, a great many of who were originally from Normandy, France.

My Norman immigrant ancestors to New France included the Leber, Testard, Godefroy, Cavelier, Cusson, Foubert, Godé, Gadois, Beauchamp, Cloutier, Côté, Masse-Gravelle, Tavernier, Crevet, Rondeau, Pallereau, Juin, Barette, Gagne, Lemieux and Diel families -- all had voyageurs in their family.

Holy Smoke! Maybe our voyageur ancestors were actually Vikings.

 

Far vel (Goodbye)

 

The Lament of Jean Cadieux

 

“The Lament of Cadieux” or “Petit rocher de la haute montagne” was one of the most popular ballads played in French-Canada throughout the 18th century. It was originally a poem about a French-Canadian coureur des bois named Jean Cadieux who lived in Ontario with his Algonquin wife Marie. 

In 1709 Jean, his wife, children and several Indian companions were paddling downstream with a load of furs bound for Montreal.  At a stop near L'Île-du-Grand-Calumet (the seven falls at Grand Calumet Island), a scout discovered a group of Iroquois warriors who were preparing an ambush just ahead of them.

Cadieux decided that he and one of the younger Algonquin companions would create a diversion and attract the Iroquois war party while the rest of the Cadieux’s party would risk running the rapids with their fully loaded canoes.

Cadieux and the young brave began shooting at the Iroquois from various positions hoping to make the Iroquois believe that more people were involved in the fight. Eventually they drew the ambushers away from the river. 

After the first shots rang out Jean’s family, and his Algonquian friends, launched their canoes and ran the rapids while the enemy tribe was preoccupied with the snipers in the woods.

The Algonquians miraculously survived the rapids unscathed and they paddled their heavy canoes as hard as they could for two days straight to reach the fort at Two Mountains Lake, two hundred miles away. Supposedly the Virgin Mary guided the canoe through the rapids, which were generally portaged. 

Later a party was sent back to rescue Jean Cadieux and the young Algonquin brave. 

When the rescue party reached the island they found the young Indian companion dead, but it was three days before they found Cadieux, wounded and very near death. 

He lay in a shallow grave which he had dug for himself and in his hand he clutched a of piece birch bark upon which he had scrawled a poem with his own blood – his death poem. 

“The Lament of Cadieux” or “Petit rocher de la haute montagne”

Shortly after these events the poem was put to song and was called Jean Cadieux’s Lament.  It became one of the most popular tunes amongst the Voyageurs, and is known to have been sung (and most likely also fiddled) at Rendezvous in Grand Portage in the years between 1716 and 1803.

Sources: 

• http://www.fiddlemn.com/the-french-connection.html

• Carolyn Podruchny, Making the Voyageur World: Travelers and Traders in the North American Fur Trade. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln 2006

• https://leveillee.net/ancestry/jeancadieux.htm

• https://niche-canada.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/chapter5-Podruchny.pdf

• https://www.electriccanadian.com/transport/hudsonbay/chapter31.htm

• http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/garvin/poets/mie-cadieux.html

• https://sites.ustboniface.ca/francoidentitaire/ontario/texte/T0203.htm

• http://www.bgcp.ca/grand-calumet.html

Jean Cadieux was our distant relative

Jean Cadieux 1671-1709 — brother-in-law of our 1st cousin 9x removed

Jean Cadieux (Cadieu) 1629-1681 — Father of Jean Cadieux

Jeanne Cadieu 1663-1696 — Daughter of Jean Cadieux (Cadieu)

Antoine Martin dit Montpellier Beaulieu 1654-1715 — Husband of Jeanne Cadieu

Denise Sevestre 1632-1700 — Mother of Antoine Martin dit Montpellier Beaulieu

Marie Pichon (Plichon) 1605-1661 — Mother of Denise Sevestre

Catherine Gauthier de la Chesnaye 1626-1702 — Daughter of Marie Pichon (Plichon)

Jean Duquet dit Desrochers 1651-1710 — Son of Catherine Gauthier de la Chesnaye

Etienne Duquet dit Desrochers 1695-1754 — Son of Jean Duquet dit Desrochers

Marie Madeleine Duquet 1734-1791 — Daughter of Etienne Duquet dit Desrochers

Gabriel Pinsonneau (Pinsono) 1770-1807 — Son of Marie Madeleine Duquet

Gabriel Pinsonneau1803-1877 — Son of Gabriel Pinsonneau (Pinsono)

Lucy Passino (Pinsonneau) 1836-1917 — Daughter of Gabriel Pinsonneau — our 2nd great-grandmother

More Fur Trade stories in my blog...

Ripples from La Prairie Voyageur Canoes -- My Voyageur Ancestry

http://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2017/10/ripples-from-la-prairie-voyageur-canoes.html

Uncle Antoine voyageur for René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur De La Salle

 

In 2019 I made an extraordinary discovery — a copy of a voyageur contract between two of our ancestral relatives JACQUES NEPVEU (NEVEU) (1ST COUSIN 9X REMOVED), and ANTHOINE DUQUET MADRI [aka Antoine Duquet dit Madry] (8TH GREAT-UNCLE) and the famous explorer RENÉ-ROBERT CAVELIER, SIEUR DE LA SALLE

The voyageur contract, dated Sept. 27, 1684 in Quebec, between Henri de Tonty, governor of Fort St. Louis de la Louisianne under the authority of * De La Salle, and two voyageurs, JACQUES NEPVEU (NEVEU) (1ST COUSIN 9X REMOVED), AND ANTHOINE DUQUET MADRI (8TH GREAT-UNCLE).

According to the terms of the agreement, Neveu and Madri will travel by canoe to the fort, where they will trade merchandise for beaver skins. Tonty, as outfitter, will provide all merchandise, canoes, provisions, ammunition, and any other necessary items. 

The two voyageurs can trade at the fort for as long as they desire, and will then transport all beaver skins back to Quebec. After the expenses of the trip are deducted, the remaining profits will be divided into halves, with Tonty receiving one half, and the remaining half to be shared between the two voyageurs. 

In addition, the voyageurs will receive payment in pelts equal to the sum of 150 livres, as well as the right to carry a rifle, two "capots" three shirts, and a blanket to trade for their own profit. 

They also receive a bonus of 10 beavers. The contract, which had originally included two other voyageurs, brothers Guillaume and Gilles Boissel, whose names are crossed out, is signed by Tonty, Madri, Neveu, and notary Pierre Duquet, in the presence of two witnesses Jacques Turet and Hippolyte Theberge.

NOTES:

ANTHOINE DUQUET MADRI (aka Antoine Duquet dit Madry) (8th great-uncle) (1660-1733)

son of Denis Duquet (1605-1675) and Catherine Gautier (1625-1702)

BIRTH 18 NOV 1660 • Québec, Quebec, Canada

DEATH 20 MAY 1733 • Lachenaie, Québec, Canada

Marriage (1) 1690 to Madeleine Ducharme (2) 1694 to Marie Tetard (1667–1754)

JACQUES NEPVEU (NEVEU) (1st cousin 9x removed) (1663–1722)

Son of Philipe Neveu (Nepveu) (1634-1720) and Denise Sevestre (1632–1700)

BIRTH ABT. 1663 • Montréal, Quebec, Canada

DEATH 1722 • kaskaskia, Illinois, USA

Marriage 1695 to Michelle Chauvin (1670–1722)

* RENÉ-ROBERT CAVELIER, SIEUR DE LA SALLE was a 17th century French explorer and fur trader in North America. He explored the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada, the Mississippi River, and the Gulf of Mexico. SEE his biography http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/cavelier_de_la_salle_rene_robert_1E.html?fbclid=IwAR3Vid5Bt2dC-VbcBvQeYdJLT_VZDhJFNoU2pj7LamBfCBcthrgLKIzbeHg

A Glimpse in Time - Fort Frontenac, 7 September 1677

Frontenac on way to Cataraqui by John Henry de Rinzy

Fort Frontenac was a French trading post and military fort built in 1673 at the mouth of the Cataraqui River where the St. Lawrence River leaves Lake Ontario (at what is now the western end of the La Salle Causeway), in a location traditionally known as Cataraqui. It is the present-day location of Kingston, Ontario, Canada. 

The original fort, a crude, wooden palisade structure, was called Fort Cataraqui but was later named for Louis de Buade de Frontenac, Governor of New France (Count Frontenac), who was responsible for building the fort. The fort, however, was still often referred to as Fort Cataraqui. 

The British destroyed the fort in 1758 during the Seven Years' War and its ruins remained abandoned until the British took possession and reconstructed it in 1783. The fort was turned over to the Canadian military in 1870–71 and it is still being used by the military. 

Frontenac took a census of Fort Frontenac on 7 September 1677

Many of the men who would accompany La Salle on his future voyages were residents of the Fort. 

By this time, La Salle had made most of his improvements to the fort. 

Following are names of the individuals recorded in the census: 

La Salle (governor), 

François Daupin, sieur de LaForest (major), 

Louis Hennepin (a Récollet), Luc Buisset (a Récollet), 

Sieur Jean Péré. 

SOLDIERS: 

La Fleur (sergeant) (could this be François Pinsonneau dit Lafleur 1646-1731, 7th great-grandfather???), 

Duplessis, La Boise,

Jean Baptiste Fafard dit Macons/Macouce,

Meunier/Meusnier dit Laliberté (could this be André Meunier (Mignier, Migner, Meignier) (Lagasse) Lagacé 1641-1727, 8th great-grandfather???),

Jean Michel,

André Hunault, Deslauriers,

Antoine Brossard (ordered to go to meet the Onondaga),

Lévéille (gone down to Montréal to bring up the carpenter disembarked lately),

Gabriel Barbier dit LeMinime/Mimine (ordered into the brigantine),

Jacques Bourdon, sieur d’Autray (ordered into the brigantine),

Maheu (ordered into the brigantine),

Jean la Rouxelière/ Rouxcel de Larousselière (surgeon absent on duty),

Cauchois/Cochois (a servant of sieur de La Salle, ordered into the brigantine),

Fontaine (a pilot of the barque called Le Frontenac). 

WORKERS: 

Olivier Quesnel (an armorer),

Moïse Hilaret (ship’s carpenter gone down to make a shallop in Lac St. Sacrament),

Jean Fontaine (ship’s carpenter gone down to make a shallop in Lac St. Sacrament),

Laforge (the blacksmith gone to take them),

Pierre Lecellier, Jolycoeur,

Louis Méline,

Jean Baptiste Brossard,

Dubois (tailor gone down to Montréal ten days ago, sick),

Joseph (joiner gone down to Montréal ten days ago, sick), 

Louis Douceregnié, Larose/La Rosée (mason), 

Jean Baptiste Caron/Colon/Coron dit La Violette de Paris (mason)(could this be Jean Baptiste Caron 1641-1706, 9th great-uncle), Thomas Brésil (mason), 

René Gervais (mason), 

Pierre Perrault/Perot (carpenter),

Pierre Perrault/Perot (his son), 

Jean Barraud, 

Antoine Alain. 

HABITANTS: 

Curaillon, 

Jean Michaud (has his wife and four children), 

Jacques de LaMétairie, 

Mathurin Grégoire (wife and three children). 

In addition to the individuals named in the census, the following men brought supplies to Fort Frontenac: 

ENGAGES: 

Lavigne, Bourbonnais, 

Charles Diel (Charles Diel dit Le Petit Breton 1652-1702 8th great-grandfather), 

Picard (could this be Hugues Jacques Picard dit la Fortune 1618-1707 9th great-grandfather), 

Pigoret, 

Larivière de Tours, 

Charles Ptolomée, 

Nicolas Bonhomme, 

Nicolas Gagné/Gaigner (Nicolas Gagne (Gasnier) 1651-1687, 9th great-uncle), 

Laforge, Charlier 

SOURCE: 

French-Canadian Exploration, Missionary Work, and Fur Trading in Hudson Bay, the Great Lakes, and Mississippi Valley During the 17th Century – Part 6 – 1674 to December 1681 Diane Wolford Sheppard© 2010, 2014, FCHSM

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

Honoring my French-Canadian Voyageur Grandfathers

From the "Psychology of collecting," we learn the common reasons people collect things include: Knowledge and learning. Relaxation and stress reduction. Personal pleasure (including appreciation of beauty, and pride of ownership)

For me the value of my collection is not monetary but emotional.

Collecting allows me to connect to a historical period I am fascinated with.

For the past forty years I have relentlessly studied fur trade history, then after discovering an ancestral connection a decade ago, I stepped up my collecting of fur trade related objects.

Part of my collection is housed in a bookcase filled with books about Voyageurs, Coureurs de bois, Fur trade History, New France, and Mountain Men.

There’s even some great historical fiction by Agnes Christina Laut, Grace Lee Nute, Constance Lindsay Skinner, George Tracy Marsh, James Willard Schultz, Frank Bird Linderman, and others.

I’ve collected everything from Buffalo and Bows to Trade Beads and Silver

Hudson Bay trade silver cross made by Narcisse Roy c.1800

Replica North West Company 1820 token (worth one made beaver) and trade beads: yellow French cross, red white hearts, and small blue padre beads.

Iroquois Silver Cross

Trade silver beaver effigy pendant and mixed trade beads

Trade silver Montreal cross and trade beads (Lewis and Clark with small blue padre beads)

HBC Trade Silver Beaver Effigy

Voyageur Contracts (prints) of my Great Grandfathers and Great Uncles

1763, Apr 29, Engagement of Joseph Pinsonneau dit Lafleur (1733-1779) (5th great-grandfather) voyageur, to Michel Laselle, a Montreal merchant, to go to Detroit. Notary Hadiesne.

Jean-Baptiste Mignier (Meunier) Lagasse (Lagace) (1749-1828) (5th great-grandfather) • 1778, Ezechiel Solomon hired Jean-Baptiste Meunier, voyageur de La Prairie de la Magdeleine to go to Mississippi, and spend the winter, Notary Antoine Foucher.

1793, Mar 18, Michel Vielle dit Cossé (1771-1810) (5th great-uncle) Engaged as a voyageur to go to dans le Nord-Ouest du Canada (far north west) for traders McTavish, Frobisher and Company aka North West Company. The contract states he is a Bowmen (Avant) who acted as the guide.

1797, August 11, Engagement of Gabriel Pinsonneau (1770-1807) (4th great-grandfather) of La Prairie, to Jacques & François Laselle to go to Detroit. Notary Louis Chaboillez.

1797, Feb 14, Engagement of Joseph Vielle dit Cossé (1767-_) (5th great-uncle) voyageur, to go to Nord Ouest [North West], Nipigon and Lac Superieur for traders McTavish, Frobisher and Company aka North West Company. Hired by company representative Alexander Mackenzie. The contract states he is a Bowmen (Avant) the man located in the front (or bow) of the canoe who acted as the guide.

Jean-Baptiste Meunier (Mignier, Minier) Lagasse (Lagace) (1776-1835) (4th greatgrandfather) • 1803, Oct 6, McTavish, Frobisher & Co. (North West Company) hired Jean-Baptiste Meunier voyageur de St-André-d’Argenteuil to go to Lac De La Pluie (Rainy Lake), notary Louis Chaboillez).  Contract Notes: Go through Michilimakinac if required, make two trips from Kamanatiguià Fort to Portage de la Montagne, and give six days of drudgery, and help carry the three canoes in the land.

Mountain Men and Voyageurs Knife Replicas

Green River’ skinning knife & plains Indian style sheath

Forged Trade Knife & Iroquois Beaded Sheath

Woodland Indian Patch Knife with deer skin sheath

Woodlands patch knife with quilled neck sheath

Voyageurs and First Nations Canoe Cups

Atikamekw Indian canoe cup with incised trout carving

Atikamekw Indian burl canoe cup bottom

Carved burl canoe cup

Moose canoe cup

Dated 1899, Minnesota Canoe Cup or Belt-Cup - top

1899, Minnesota Canoe Cup or Belt-Cup - bottom

That’s all for now folks — Au revoir

Final thoughts…

It's time for me to start selling some of my collectibles, so my kids don't have to deal with them. If you see something that really appeals to you make me a fair offer and we'll see what happens. The best way to reach me is email: wtrails (at) cowboyup (dot) com.

Good luck.