The enduring Dupuis fur trade family of La Prairie, New France

The Dupuis family of La Prairie, New France, was a notable pioneer family with significant involvement in the region's fur trade. The family's history is well-documented in various genealogical sources, including your provided notes and linked blogs, which highlight their activities as voyageurs and settlers. 

Generation 1: François Dupuis (1634–aft. 1681) 

• Pioneer Settler: François Dupuis immigrated from Gorre, France, and was one of the early inhabitants of the La Prairie area. He was an habitant (settler/farmer) of the Petite-Rivière area in New France.
• Family Life: He married Georgette Richer in 1670 in Quebec. They established a farm and had several children, including René and Moise, who would continue the family legacy in the region.
• Estate Planning: François's will, dated 1707 (this date seems to be an error in the source, given his death is listed as aft. 1681, but highlights his concerns), is notable for its specific clauses regarding his son René's fur trade misfortunes. To prevent the dissipation of the family's assets, he only allowed René the use of a well-situated farm, ensuring the property remained within the family for the benefit of René's children. 

Generation 2: Moise Dupuis (1673–1750) 

• Voyageur and Trader: Born in Quebec and raised in La Prairie, Moise was directly involved in the fur trade as a young man. Historical accounts suggest he may have been a coureur des bois (an independent fur trader) and a trader at Schenectady, New York, in the 1690s.
• International Marriage: During his time in the trading country ("pays des Flamands"), possibly as a soldier, trader, or prisoner, he met and married Marie Anne (Annetje) Christiansen, who was likely Dutch and Protestant. When they moved back to La Prairie around 1699, she was baptized in Montreal. This exogamous marriage (outside the French Catholic community) was unusual for the time.
• Community Figure: Moise settled in La Prairie, where he raised his family and lived until his death. 

Generation 3: Francois Moise Dupuis (1709–1764) 

• Continuing the Trade: Following in the footsteps of his father and uncle René, Francois Moise also pursued a career as a voyageur.
• Contractual Engagements: Notarial records show that in June 1752, Francois Dupuis, a voyageur from La Prairie, was hired by Nicolas Volant to travel to the critical fur trade hub of Michilimackinac. This demonstrates his continued active participation in the trade routes connecting New France's settlements with the western interior.
• Family Life: He married Marie Anne Roy and later Marie Anne Diel, continuing the Dupuis lineage in the St-Philippe area near La Prairie. 

The La Prairie Connection

The Dupuis family was central to the community of La Prairie, which was a significant location in the New France fur trade. La Prairie served as a major jumping-off point for expeditions to the "Ottawa country" and the western Great Lakes, where beaver pelts were acquired. The family's involvement spanned multiple generations, illustrating the critical role that local families played in the economic engine of New France. Their stories, like the provisions in the elder François's will or Moise's cross-cultural marriage, offer unique insights into the lives of these early North American pioneers and traders. 

Courtesy of Grok xAL and Drifting Cowboy.