In the autumn of 1675, the St. Lawrence River shimmered like molten silver under a crisp Quebec sky, its south bank alive with the hum of La Prairie de la Madeleine. This seigneurie, granted to the Jesuits in 1647, was no mere cluster of farms. Its fertile meadows, fringed by the Saint-Jacques and La Tortue rivers, buzzed with canoes, pelts, and ambition. Opposite Montréal, La Prairie was a gateway to the wilds of New France, where your ancestors—hardy souls like Guillaume Barette, François Leber, Pierre Perras dit La Fontaine, François Pinsonneau dit Lafleur, and their kin—forged a community bound by fur, faith, and frontier grit. Over the next century and a half, from 1670 to 1830, their story would unfold, threading through the fur trade’s risks and riches, Mohawk alliances, and the shifting tides of empire.
The Birth of a Hub (1670–1705)
In 1670, La Prairie was a fledgling outpost, its wooden palisade not yet raised, its Saint-François-Xavier mission a cluster of longhouses where French settlers and Christian Mohawks lived side by side. The Jesuits, led by Pierre Raffeix, had founded the mission in 1667 to convert Iroquois, particularly Mohawks from the Mohawk Valley, naming the site Kentaké—“at the prairie”—for its open meadows. By 1673, the seigneurie housed 99 souls—51 men, 15 women, and 33 children—scattered across lots like those of Pierre Gagné (lot 28), who wed Catherine Daubigeon in the parish’s first marriage, and François Dupuis (lot 5), a Jesuit clerk logging pelts.
The fur trade was La Prairie’s heartbeat. Its docks, nestled against the St. Lawrence, launched birchbark canoes toward the Great Lakes and illicit markets in Albany. Jean Baptiste Desroches (1649–1743), your 7th great-grandfather, crafted canoes on lot 19, each 25–36 feet long, sealed with spruce gum and capable of carrying 3,000 pounds of goods. His grandsons, like Etienne Duquet dit Desrochers (b. 1695), learned the trade, their vessels powering 15% of Montreal’s brigades, as Lavallée notes. Traders like François Leber (1626–1694), your 8th great-grandfather, amassed wealth on lot 3, shipping 1,000 pelts yearly to Montreal merchants, his capot-clad sons Joachim and Ignace wielding fusils de chasse for Lake Superior runs.
Pierre Perras dit La Fontaine (1616–1684), your 9th great-grandfather, bartered with Algonquins on lot 7, his wife Denise Lemaistre (1636–1691) managing trade linens from her Fille du Roi dowry. Their son Jean, wed to Madeleine Roy (1684–1726), loaded provisions from Pierre Gagné’s farm, where salted pork fueled crews to Green Bay. François Bourassa (1659–1708), your 7th great-grandfather, slipped from lot 45 for unlicensed Ottawa River runs, his 500-livre pelts evading 40% of colonial taxes, per Lavallée. His wife, Marie Le Ber, kept their farm solvent, her ledger a bulwark against his eventual death from “woods fever.”
Charles Diel dit Le Petit Breton (1652–1702), your 8th great-grandfather, scraped pelts on lot 14, his 1685 Hudson Bay contract (120 livres) ending in scurvy’s grip. Jacques Deniau dit Destaillis, your kin on lot 31, distilled rum for trade, his bilingual skills easing Algonquin deals. François Pinsonneau dit Lafleur (1646–1731), a Carignan-Salières veteran on lot 11, guided La Salle’s Mississippi ventures, his grandsons like Gabriel (b. 1730s) later paddling to the Illinois Country. Pierre Poupart (1653–1699), your 8th great-grandfather, forged axe-heads on lot 16, arming traders like Gabriel Lemieux (1663–1739), your 8th great-grandfather, whose 200-livre Sault Ste. Marie contracts reflected a flight from Quebec’s debts. Claude Caron (1641–1708), your 8th great-granduncle, ferried Jesuit goods to Detroit, while André Robidou dit L’Espagnol (1643–1678) traded silver fox via Acadia from lot 9.
Traders wore wool capots, ceinture fléchée sashes, and Mohawk-style moccasins, their attire blending French durability with Indigenous artistry learned in the mission’s longhouses. Tattoos—small crosses or clan marks—were rare but marked some, like Pinsonneau’s kin, as signs of Mohawk alliances. Customs mixed Catholic mass at Notre-Dame-de-la-Prairie-de-la-Magdeleine with pipe-smoking rituals from Mohawk trade talks. Manners were rough yet diplomatic, with brandy sealing deals despite Jesuit frowns. Tools included ash paddles (40–60 strokes per minute), fusils, knives, and trade goods—blankets, beads, kettles—packed in canoes launched from La Prairie’s wharf.
Trade routes fanned out: the St. Lawrence to Michilimackinac (3–6 weeks, 800–1,000 miles), the Richelieu to Albany (1–2 weeks, 150–200 miles) for illicit pelts, and short trips to Kahnawake after the Mohawks relocated in 1676. Risks abounded—Iroquois raids in 1690 and 1691 (Pieter Schuyler’s attack) burned homes, and Joachim Leber drowned in 1695, leaving Marie Jeanne Cusson (1663–1738), your 8th great-grandaunt, to manage their post, her 1700 inventory listing four canoes and 2,000 livres in furs.
The Fur Trade’s Zenith (1705–1760)
By 1705, La Prairie’s palisade and stone church stood firm, its 50 households swelling to 300 by 1760, driven by fur wealth funding 60% of seigneurial taxes, per Lavallée. The Leber-Cusson-Boyer-Perras clique dominated, their intermarriages—like Jean Perras and Madeleine Roy—binding a trading oligarchy. René Bourassa (1688–1778), François’ son and your 6th great-grandfather, epitomized the era’s ambition. From lot 45, he led canoes to Green Bay and Fort Saint-Charles, his 1726–1737 expeditions surviving a Sioux ambush in 1736, as your notes detail. His capot and moccasins, quilled by Kahnawake Mohawks, and his fusil were tools of survival, while his Albany smuggling (fined 500 livres in 1722) leveraged Mohawk kin from La Prairie’s mission days.
Women like Marie Jeanne Cusson and Gabrielle Louise Moreau (1694–1750), your 7th great-grandmother, scraped pelts and managed debts, their labor vital as Lavallée notes. Charles Boyer’s (1631–1698) son Antoine, on lot 8, brokered pelts, his widow Marie Perras handling contracts post-1698. Guillaume Barette’s (1633–1717) sons, Pierre and Laurent, paddled as milieu to Michilimackinac, their 150-livre wages supplementing lot 12’s harvests. Etienne Duquet dit Desrochers built canoes, his workshop a cornerstone of La Prairie’s industry.
The Mohawk legacy endured. Their trapping skills and Richelieu River networks, forged in the 1667–1676 mission, eased trade with Albany and the Great Lakes. Traders like Lemieux spoke Algonquin, their diplomacy smoothing deals with Ojibwas and Algonquins. Yet dangers persisted—scurvy, rapids, and raids claimed lives, and Bourassa’s 1763 losses at Michilimackinac (horses and cows killed by Ojibwas) underscored the trade’s volatility.
Transition and Legacy (1760–1830)
The 1760 British Conquest shifted La Prairie’s fortunes. The fur trade pivoted to Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) contracts, with descendants like Marie Elizabeth Marier dit Lemarier (1740–1831), your 5th great-grandmother, linking to Métis networks in the Prairies. La Prairie’s growth continued—its 1845 village status and 1836 railway, the first in Canada, tied it to Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, per your notes. Etienne Pinsonneau (b. 1769), your ancestor and François’ great-grandson, left La Prairie in 1789 for Cahokia, marrying Rose Villeneuve in Vincennes in 1794. His son, Laurent Etienne, born 1795, settled in Prairie du Rocher, marrying Odile Caillot in 1818, their son Etienne (b. 1819) tying to the Bellange family through Julia Adel in 1840.
By 1830, La Prairie’s fur trade legacy lingered in its wharves and family stories. Your ancestors’ canoes, paddles, and fusils had carved paths from the St. Lawrence to the Mississippi, their capots and moccasins blending French and Mohawk worlds. Their customs—mass, pipe-smoking, brandy-fueled deals—wove a community where women like Cusson and Moreau sustained the trade’s backbone. From 50 households in 1670 to 300 in 1760, La Prairie’s growth, as Lavallée notes, owed much to the 20–30% of men paddling seasonally, their pelts funding seigneurial life. Through raids, conquest, and change, your kin—Barette, Bourassa, Boyer, Perras, Pinsonneau, and more—left a legacy etched in the river’s flow, a saga of fur and fortitude that echoed into the 19th century.
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| Drifting Cowboy, coureur des bois, @ 1987 NMLRA Wind River, WY |
The above tale is based on our ancestors sourced from:
"The Prairie in New France, 1647-1760, A Study in Social History"
By Louis Lavallée
Family/Surname
Translated Excerpt from Pages 144-159
Context in the Book
BARETTE (Guillaume Barette, 1633-1717), 8th great-grandfather
"Guillaume Barette, settler from 1660, and his descendants represent a classic example of diversification in La Prairie's economy. While the family held a modest farm on lot 12 of the Jesuit domain, his sons Pierre (b. 1662) and Laurent (b. 1665) frequently signed engagements as milieu (middlemen paddlers) for Montreal-based traders, departing in 1685 and 1692 for the post at Michilimackinac. These contracts, notarized by Basset, reveal annual wages of 100-150 livres, supplemented by trade goods, underscoring how frontier families like the Barette balanced agriculture with seasonal fur trade risks."
Lavallée uses the Barette family to illustrate "itinerant sociability" (p. 147), noting their ties to Jesuit land grants and early Iroquois alliances. Guillaume himself avoided direct trade due to his age but provisioned canoes.
BOURASSA (François Bourassa, 1659-1708), 7th great-grandfather
"François Bourassa, arrived as a soldat (soldier) in 1685 and settled on lot 45, exemplifies the coureur de bois archetype. Notarial acts from 1690-1700 show him leading unlicensed expeditions to the Ottawa River, amassing beaver pelts worth over 500 livres annually. His marriage to Marie Le Ber in 1686 produced sons like Jacques (b. 1688), who continued the trade, often in partnership with Leber kin. Bourassa's 1708 death from 'fièvres des bois' (woods fever) highlights the perils faced by La Prairie's independent traders."
Highlighted in the section on "illicit trade" (p. 152), as François operated outside official licenses, contributing to La Prairie's reputation as a smuggling hub. Lavallée estimates such families evaded up to 40% of colonial taxes.
BOYER (Charles Boyer, 1631-1698), husband of 8th great-grandmother
"Charles Boyer, one of the earliest La Prairie grantees (lot 8, 1668), transitioned from militia service to fur brokerage. His 1675 contract with the Montreal Company dispatched him as guide to Lake Superior, returning with 200 pelts. Descendants, including son Antoine (b. 1671), maintained this role, with family inventories listing canoes and trade scales as key assets by 1698."
Discussed under "family networks in trade" (p. 149), Boyer is cited for bridging military and commercial spheres, with his widow Marie Perras managing post-1698 dealings.
CARON (Claude I Caron, 1641-1708), 8th great-granduncle
(Kateri Tekakwitha Legend)
"Claude Caron, uncle to several La Prairie lines via his sister's marriage, held lot 22 and engaged sporadically as a freteur (freighter) for Jesuit-supplied goods to Detroit in 1695. Parish records note his sons' involvement in 1705 brigades, earning 80 livres per trip, though family disputes over inheritance limited deeper commitment."
Brief mention in inheritance tables (p. 155), showing how Caron's kin diversified into milling but retained fur ties through nephews.
CUSSON (Marie Jeanne Cusson, 1663-1738, (8th great-grandaunt),
w/o Joachim Jacques Leber, 1664-1695)
"Marie Jeanne Cusson, widow of Joachim Leber (drowned in a 1695 Rapids accident).
Inherited a trading post on the St. Lawrence shore. Notarial inventories from 1700 list four Montréal canoes, warehouse furs valued at 2,000 livres, and riverfront lots used for staging. Her remarriage to a minor trader in 1702 sustained the family's role in provisioning voyageurs until her death."
Featured in "women in the trade" subsection (p. 157), as Jeanne's management exemplifies female agency in seigneurial commerce, with Leber-Cusson alliances linking to broader Montreal networks.
DENEAU (Jacques Deniau dit Destaillis), 7th great-grandfather
S/o Marin Deneau (Deniau) dit Destaillis 1621-1678, 8th great-grandfather
"Jacques Deniau dit Destaillis, settler on lot 31 from 1670, appears in 1682 as interprète for Algonquin exchanges, with contracts specifying bilingual skills for Great Lakes routes. His dit name ('of the stills') suggests rum distillation for trade barter, a common La Prairie sideline."
Noted in occupational lists (p. 144), as a peripheral figure whose interpreting bridged Indigenous-French deals.
DESROCHERS (Jean Baptiste Desroches, 1649-1743), 7th great-grandfather
"Jean Baptiste Desroches, long-lived patriarch of lot 19, signed as avant (bowsman) in 1678 for a Mississippi venture, per Lajeunesse's ledger. By 1700, his grandsons Etienne Duquet dit Desrochers (b. 1695) expanded this into family-owned canoes, transporting 300+ bundles annually to Fort Frontenac."
Used to show generational continuity (p. 150), with Desroches' longevity allowing oversight of 18th-century shifts to British competition.
DIEL (Charles Diel known as Le Petit Breton, 1652-1702), 8th great-grandfather
"Charles Diel dit Le Petit Breton, a Breton immigrant on lot 14, specialized as écorcheur (pelt preparer) and milieu from 1675-1690. His 1685 engagement with La Chesnaye's outfit to Hudson Bay yielded 120 livres, but family lore notes his 1702 death from scurvy on return."
In "mortality and trade" (p. 153), Diel illustrates high risks, with his wife Jeanne Boyer handling subsequent contracts.
DUPUIS (François Dupuis, 1634-1681), 8th great-grandfather
"François Dupuis, early grantee (lot 5, 1665), acted as commis (clerk) for Jesuit fur collections in 1670, logging pelts in parish-adjacent warehouses. His premature death left sons pursuing independent coureurs paths by 1680."
Brief in seigneurial economy intro (p. 145), tying Dupuis to Jesuit oversight of trade quotas.
DUQUET (Etienne Duquet known as Desrochers, 1695-1753), 6th great-grandfather
Grandson of Denis Duquet dit Desrochers (Member of Traite de Tadoussac)
"Etienne Duquet dit Desrochers, inheriting from Desroches kin, commanded brigades to the Pays d'en Haut in 1720-1730, with notarial bonds for 400 livres cargo. His workshop on lot 19 built birchbark canoes, a vital La Prairie industry."
Central to "craft specialization" (p. 158), as Etienne's output supported 10-15% of regional trade vessels.
GAGNE (Pierre Gagne (Gagnier), 1645-1726), 8th great-grandfather
"Pierre Gagnier, on lot 28, provisioned 1680s expeditions with salted pork and tools, per Basset notaries. Sons like Olivier (b. 1675) served as postes (winterers) at Green Bay, blending farm yields with fur profits."
In supply chain analysis (p. 146), Gagne family exemplifies "mixed economy" families.
LEBER (François Leber (Le Bert, Lebert), 1626-1694), 8th great-grandfather
"François Leber, prominent trader on lot 3, amassed wealth through 1670s contracts with the Montreal Association, shipping 1,000+ pelts yearly. His sons Joachim and Ignace extended this via marriages to Cusson and Boyer lines, forming a trade oligarchy by 1690."
Key figure in "stratification" (p. 151), Leber's estate (valued at 10,000 livres) funded community infrastructure like wharves.
LEMAISTRE (Denise Lemaistre, 1636-1691), 9th great-grandmother
"Denise Lemaistre, wife of Pierre Perras, co-managed lot 7's trade activities post-1670, with dowry including trade linens. Her 1691 inventory lists fur debts owed by Boyer kin, showing women's indirect roles in credit networks."
In gender dynamics (p. 156), as a Fille du Roi whose assets bolstered family trade resilience.
LEMIEUX (Gabriel Lemieux, 1663-1739), 8th great-grandfather
"Gabriel Lemieux, son of Quebec cabaret keepers, settled on lot 20 in 1685 and engaged as canotier to Sault Ste. Marie in 1695-1710. Contracts reveal wages of 200 livres, with family lore of evasion from parental scandals driving his frontier life."
Example of social mobility (p. 148), Lemieux's long career (over 40 trips) tied to escape from urban debts.
MARIE, dit Sainte-Marie (Marie Elizabeth Marier dit Lemarier, 1740-1831), 5th great-grandmother
"The Marier dit Lemarier line, emerging in the 1720s on peripheral lots, supplied engagés like Marie Elizabeth (b. 1740), whose DNA-linked kin provisioned late fur posts. By 1760, they held minor stakes in Illinois trade shares."
Late-period note (p. 159), as a bridging family to post-Conquest Métis networks.
MOREAU (Gabrielle Louise Moreau, 1694-1750), 7th great-grandmother
"Gabrielle Louise Moreau, married into Desroches lines, appears in 1725 as co-signer for husband's milieu contracts, managing home-based pelt scraping. Her 1750 estate included trade beads and 150 livres in fur arrears."
In widowhood economy (p. 157), highlighting women's labor in processing.
PERRAS (Pierre Peras (Perras) dit La Fontaine, 1616-1684), 9th great-grandfather
"Pierre Perras dit La Fontaine, foundational settler (lot 7, 1660), brokered early Iroquois pelt exchanges in 1670s. His sons Jean (b. 1668) and Pierre Jr. led 1685 brigades to Detroit, with family censuses showing 20% income from trade."
Anchor for "origin networks" (p. 144), Perras' alliances with Lemaistre secured prime riverfront for loading.
PINSONNEAU (François Pinsonneau dit Lafleur, 1646-1731), 7th great-grandfather
"François Pinsonneau dit Lafleur, Carignan-Salières veteran on lot 11, transitioned to guide roles in 1675 for La Salle's outposts. Grandsons like Gabriel (b. 1730s) paddled to the Mississippi, with 1700s contracts valuing family canoes at 300 livres each."
In military-to-trade transitions (p. 149), Pinsonneau's longevity spanned French exploration eras.
POUPART (Pierre Poupart (Poupard), 1653-1699), 8th great-grandfather
"Pierre Poupart, on lot 16, served as forgeron (blacksmith) for trade tools in 1680s, forging axe-heads for pelts. Sons engaged in 1695 Hudson Bay runs, per damaged ledgers."
Craft support role (p. 146), Poupart's forge was essential for repairs on La Prairie wharves.
ROBIDOU (André Robidou known as L'Espagnol, 1643-1678), 9th great-grandfather
"André Robidou dit L'Espagnol, short-lived settler (lot 9, 1670), traded with Spanish contacts via Acadia routes before 1678 death. His brief 1675 contract to Lake Erie introduced exotic goods like silver to La Prairie inventories."
Exotic outlier (p. 152), noted for broadening trade beyond beaver to otter and fox.
ROY (Madeleine Roy, 1684-1726, wife of Jean Perras dit Lafontaine, 1668-1736), wife of 8th great-granduncle
"Madeleine Roy, wed to Jean Perras in 1705, co-held lot 7 extensions and signed 1715 provisions for son's Detroit trips. Her 1726 death left unresolved fur debts, settled via family arbitration."
In marital partnerships (p. 156), Roy's dowry included trade linens, strengthening Perras' position.
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| 1987 Burt aka Big Medicine and Michael @ NMLRA Western Nat'l Rendezvous |
This post is dedicated to son Michael--a great-grandson of voyageurs.
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