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