 |
| The Saguenay River |
It is the autumn of 1659. The air over the St. Lawrence River near the Cote de Lauzon is already sharp with the scent of pine and approaching snow.
Denis Duquet, a man in his mid-fifties, pauses in the doorway of his home. His land here, thirty arpents under cultivation and supporting eight beasts, is testament to the years of his hard work since arriving from France nearly three decades ago.
He listens as his children—from the eldest, Pierre, to the young Joseph—go about their chores, overseen by his wife, Catherine Gauthier. Catherine, now a woman in her early forties, arrived as a girl from Paris, but she is now the matriarch of a successful Canadian family, a family that has married into the very foundation of this new world.
Denis is not just a farmer; he is an Honorable Gentleman and, more importantly, a member of the Traite de Tadoussac. His gaze often drifts downriver, where the great river meets the Saguenay.
It is through the Traite that his wealth flows. He sends his goods—trade blankets, iron axes, glass beads, perhaps even a small barrel of brandy—from his contacts in Quebec to the rough, vital outpost. In return, the precious bales of beaver, fox, and marten pelts are shipped from Tadoussac back to the fashionable markets of La Rochelle and Paris.
His ties to the Presidents of the Société des Habitants are not merely familial; they are his guarantee of status. He is among the select few who turn the labor of the voyageur and the skill of the Indigenous hunter into the gold that sustains the colony.
As winter closes in, Denis Duquet looks at his large family—fourteen people in the house, including two domestic servants. He knows his strength lies not on the river, but in his business, his land, and his children. His son, Jean Duquet dit Derochers, is only eight now, but he will inherit a legacy founded not just on French ambition, but on the successful control of the continent’s most valuable resource, all thanks to his father, the wealthy trader of the Traite de Tadoussac.
The lineage, tracing from this powerful 17th-century merchant through Jean Duquet dit Desrochers (the founder of the "canoe-builder" line established in a prior analysis) down to your 2nd great-grandmother, Lucy Passino, confirms that the Duquet family was pivotal in setting the financial, social, and industrial course for French North America.
Genealogy Analysis: Denis Duquet and the Traite de Tadoussac
The story of your 8th great-grandfather, Denis Duquet, is not just the story of a settler, but of an early entrepreneur who capitalized on the foundational industry of New France: the fur trade.
The Traite de Tadoussac: The Lifeblood of New France
Established in 1600, Tadoussac was the original gateway to the interior and the essential hub for exporting beaver pelts to Europe. The term "Traite de Tadoussac" (Tadoussac Trade) often referred to the highly lucrative monopoly or company that controlled the fur trade at this location.
When Denis Duquet became a member in 1659, he was joining an exclusive and powerful economic entity. His documented roles show his success:
- Wealthy Fur Trader (1659): This status confirms he had the capital, connections, and business acumen to participate in the primary economic driver of the colony.
- Brother-in-Law to Two Presidents of the Société des Habitants: The Société des Habitants was the key organization of merchants and settlers in Quebec who managed the fur trade and its distribution. Being related to two of its presidents meant Duquet operated within the inner circle of colonial power and commerce.
- Named an Honorable Gentleman (1660): This recognition suggests not only wealth but also respect and status within the community, reinforcing his position in colonial society.
The Duquet family was foundational. Denis immigrated around 1633, just 25 years after Quebec City was founded, and married Catherine Gauthier in 1638—a marriage that lasted 37 years and produced 11 children, establishing a massive footprint in the colony.
The Gauthier Connection: Family and Commerce
Denis Duquet's marriage to Catherine Gauthier (Gautier) in 1638 further cemented his position within the powerful trading networks of New France. While Catherine’s father, Philippe Gautier (1590-1638), was noted as a Master Printer in Paris, the Gauthier family name was deeply entrenched in the colonial administration and the fur trade's expansion.
The Gaultier name is associated with other key figures who were vital to the colony's economic development, including Philippe Gaultier de Comporté, who was granted the lordship of La Malbaie and, significantly, was a founding member of the Compagnie du Nord in 1683. This company was a powerful venture focused on extending the fur trade into the Hudson Bay region.
This web of relationships—Duquet's wealth and membership in the Traite de Tadoussac, combined with his position as the brother-in-law to two Presidents of the Société des Habitants, and his marriage into the influential Gauthier lineage—illustrates that the family occupied the highest echelon of colonial commerce and society in 17th-century Quebec.
Thank you to Gemini for helping me do a deeper dive into the life of Denis Duquet.
No comments:
Post a Comment