SEVEN GENERATIONS OF LA PRAIRIE (QUE) VOYAGEUR ANCESTORS

Philippe Foubert (1616-1661) (10th great-grandfather)

• Voyageur for the Compagnie des Habitants in 1649.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2017/07/philippe-foubert-voyageur-for-compagnie.html

Philippe Amiot dit Villeneuve (1602-1639) (9th great-grandfather)

• 1636, Coureurs de bois near Trois-Rivières.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2020/03/my-pioneer-ancestors-of-quebec-they.html

Pierre Peras dit La Fontaine (1616-1684) (9th great-grandfather) and his wife Denise Lemaitre 

• 1670s, Pierre, his three sons and sons-in-laws were involved in the fur trade as Coureurs des bois.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2017/03/ripples-chapter-three-perras-family.html

Jacques Hugues Picard (1618-1707) (9th great-grandfather)

• 1693, Eustache Prévost, Jean Sauviot, and their unnamed associates hired Jacques Picard to make a voyage to the 8ta8ois (Ottawa Indians).

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2019/04/jacques-hugues-picard-dit-lafortune.html

Jean Mignault dit Chatillon (1622-1680) (9th great-grandfather)

• 1648, Governor Montmagny sent Jean Mignault to the (le pays des Hurons) "Huron's Country" to invite them to the fur trade. 

https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2016/06/great-granddad-jean-canoes-to-huron.html

Gabriel Lemieux (1626-1700) (9th great-grandfather)

• 1690, Voyageur and coureurs de bois to Michilimackinac and Sault Ste. Marie.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2019/04/gabriel-lemieux-voyageur-grandfather.html

Jean Cusson (1630-1718) (9th great-grandfather)

• Jean Cusson had six sons, Jean, Michel, Charles, Ange, Nicolas and Joseph who were all active as fur-traders from 1690 to 1713. All having all received permission to travel to the west.

• 1690, Voyageur for Nicolas Perrot to the 8ta8ois (Ottawa Indians).

• 1704, July 4, Jean Cusson's engagement to Jean Baptiste Bissot de Vincennes to go to the land of the Outaouais.

NOTE: in 1701, his brother Charles was voyageur with Antoine de La Mothe Cadillac when he established a settlement at Detroit.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2019/03/jean-cusson-voyageur-grandfather.html

Charles Boyer (1631-1698) (9th great-grandfather)

• 1660s, ten members of the Boyer family, including his son Antoine Boyer (husband of Marie Perras) are listed on 31 voyageur trips. These lists do not include the trips these same men made on their own as coureurs des bois.

• 1668, Oct 22, forms Fur Trade Society with Raimond Boisneau dit Lachaume. In 1669 Raimond Boisneau is a neighbor of Cavelier de LaSalle.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/search?q=Charles+Boyer

Andre Robidou dit Lespagnol [aka André Robidou dit l'Espagne] (1643-1678) (9th great-grandfather)

• 1666, worked as a sailor and voyageur for Eustace Lambert, a prominent fur trader.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2019/10/andre-robidou-dit-lespagnol-voyageur.html

Denis Duquet (1605-1675) (8th great-grandfather)

• 1659, member of the "Traite de Tadoussac," the first fur-trading post in European North America (established in 1600, eight years before the founding of Québec City).

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2017/03/ripples-from-la-prairie-voyageur-canoes_69.html

Jean Baptiste Desroches (1621-1684) (8th great-grandfather)

• 1667, formed a trading company with Nicolas Perrot, Toussaint Baudry, and Isaac Nafrechoux. Together they traveled west to Ottawa Country, and became the first French traders to deal with the Algonquian tribes near Green Bay, in 1668.

• 1671, Daumont de Saint-Lusson and Nicolas Perrot Claim the Great Lakes.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2019/04/jean-baptiste-desroches-voyageur.html

Francois Leber (Lebert) (1626-1694) (8th great-grandfather)

• 1688, voyageur to Ottawa Country.

• 1684, Francois’ brother Jacques LeBer and his partner Charles Le Moyne had a store in Montréal where they bought furs for France.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2019/04/francois-leber-voyageur-grandfather.html

Mathieu Amiot Sieur de Villeneuve (1628-1688) (8th great-grandfather)

• Interpreter for the Jesuits; he worked in their house at Trois-Rivières. He was also a fur trader in the Huron country.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2020/06/forerunners-of-coureur-des-bois-indian.html 

Pierre Gagne (Gagnier) (1645-1726) (8th great-grandfather)

• 1670, Nov 19 — CELEBRATION OF THE FIRST MARRIAGE IN THE LA PRAIRIE PARISH, THAT OF PIERRE GAGNÉ TO CATHERINE DAUBIGEON 

• La Prairie's Captain of Militia and a Coureur des Bois.

• 1712, Jean Baptiste Forestier hired Pierre Gagné to make a voyage to Detroit.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2017/03/ripples-from-la-prairie-voyageur-canoes_30.html

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

• 1665, arrived in New France as a soldier in the La Fouille Company of the Carignan-Salières Regiment.

• 1677, voyageur with Frontenac at Fort Frontenac.

• 1684, Leger Hebert of Cap de la Trinite has a trade permit and hires Charles to go to the Outaouais (Ottawas) country with Pierre Lefebvre and Antoine Caille on 20 September 1684 for the sum of 630 livres.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2019/04/charles-diel-dit-le-petit-breton_6.html

Pierre Poupart (1653-1699) (8th great-grandfather) and his wife Marguerite Perras

• 1671, Voyageur for Daumont de Saint-Lusson and Nicolas Perrot when they claimed the Great Lakes for France.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2019/04/pierre-poupart-voyageur-grandfather.html

Jean Baptiste Moreau (1657-1727) (8th great-grandfather)

• 1703, hired by Compagnie de la Colonie du Canada as a voyageur to go to Detroit via Lake Erie.

• 1704, Jul 28, Engagement for a voyage to Fort Le pont Chartrain via Lake Erie.

• 1716, Apr 30, Nicolas Perttuis hired Jean Moreau voyageur from Batiscan to go to Michilimackinac.

• 1717, May 18, Engagement of Jean Moreau to Paul Guillet to make a voyage to Michilimackinac.

• 1718, May 22, Engagement of François Neveu and Jean Moreau to Paul Guillet to make a voyage to Michilimackinac.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2019/04/jean-baptiste-moreau-voyageur.html

Gabriel Lemieux (1663-1739) (8th great-grandfather)

• 1690, Voyageur and coureurs de bois to Michilimackinac and Sault Ste. Marie.

• 1692, Aug 9, Engagement by Joachim Germano.

• more from: Michigan’s Habitant Heritage (MHH), Vol. 35, #2, April 2014 - 17th Century Engagé Contracts to the Great Lakes and Beyond - 15 June 1690 to 23 May 1695 - Part 2:

Above: "19 August 1692, Joachim Germaneau hired Gabriel Lemieux and Laurent Glory dit LaBrière to make a voyage to the 8ta8ois (Ottawa Indians) specifically to Michilimackinac and Sault Ste. Marie 

• 1734, May 28, Ustache Gamelin hired Gabriel Lemieux voyageur to go to post at Kaministiquia. 

• 1737, May 6, Engagement of Gabriel Lemieux to Charles Ruet Dauteuil for a voyage to Detroit.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2019/04/gabriel-lemieux-voyageur-grandfather_9.html

Antoine Jacques Boyer (1671-­1747) (8th great-­grandfather)

• 1690, Antoine was a coureur de bois who bought land with 600 livres from the sale of beaver pelts.

• 1694, Sep 17—Engagement of Antoine Boyer to Sr. Le Gardeur de L'Isle for the voyage to the 8ta8ois (Ottawa Indians).

• 1737, May 1st.—Antoine Boyer's engagement to Sr. Nicolas Rose and Jean Garreau to make the trip to Baye des Puants (Green Bay).

• 1742, Apr 20, Antoine Boyer's engagement to César Dagneau, Sr. of Quindre, to go to the post of the St. Joseph River.

• 1744, May 3.—Engagement of Antoine Boyer with Sr. Philippe Leduc and Company to go to the post of  Lake Bourbon.

NOTE: Fort Bourbon was one of the forts built by La Vérendrye during his expansion of trade and exploration west from Lake Superior.

• 1746, Jun 17, Antoine Boyer's engagement to M 'La Pérade to go to Straits of Mackinac.

• Ten members of the Boyer family, including Antoine Boyer (husband of Marie Perras) are listed on 31 voyageur trips. These lists do not include the trips these same men made on their own as coureurs des bois — Jerry Foley.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2019/03/antoine-jacques-boyer-voyageur.html

Jean Duquet dit Desrochers (1651-1710) (7th great-grandfather)

• 1680s "bourgeois" - headman of a fur brigade to pays d’en haut.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2017/03/ripples-from-la-prairie-voyageur-canoes_69.html

Francois Bourassa (1659-1708) (7th great-grandfather)

Francois Bourassa and his three sons: 

Rene Bourassa dit LaRonde (1688-1778), Francois Joachim Bourassa (1698-1775), and Antoine Bourassa (1705-1780), were known as "the fathers of the fur trade."

• 1686, François Bourassa made a voyage to Hudson Bay for the Compagnie du Nord.

• 1688, René Legardeur, sieur de Beauvais, hired François Bourassa and Joachim Jacques Leber to make a voyage des 8ta8ats (Ottawa Indians).

• 1690, René Legardeur hired Pierre Bourdeau, André Babeu, François Bourassa, and Joachim Leber for a voyage to Michilimackinac.

• 1690, Pierre Bourdeau consented to a debt for merchandise from André Babeau, Joachim Leber, and François Bourassa, voyageurs, for their voyage to the Ottawa.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2019/03/francois-bourassa-voyageur-grandfather.html

Jacques Deneau dit Destaillis (1660-1720) (7th great-grandfather)

• 1685, Antoine Bazinet hired Charles Deniau dit Destaillis for a voyage to Sault Ste. Marie.

• 1688, 5 July, Claude Greysolon, Sieur de LaTourette, hired Charles Deniau and Jacques Deniau for a trip to the 8ta8ois (Ottawa Indians).

• from: Minnesota, eh? -- Jacques Deneau, his brother Charles and a total of 19 Deneau family members are listed on 69 voyageur trips.

• accused of illegally selling brandy to savages

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2019/03/jacques-deneau-dit-destaillis-voyageur.html

Moïse Dupuis (Depuis) (1673-1750) (7th great-grandfather)

• 1692, courier de bois and trader at Schenectady, NY)

• from "Narratives and ldentities in the Saint Lawrence Valley, 1667-1720": He was linked to large fur trading families, and may have been among the French who attacked Schenectady in 1692." He seems to have remained in Schenectady, either as a trader, a wounded soldier or as a prisoner, long enough to find a spouse: 1697, Marriage Record from Schenectady (Albany), New York for Moses (Moise) de Puis (Dupuis) and Annetje (Anne) Christiaanez (Christiansen).

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2019/04/moise-dupuis-voyageur-grandfather.html

Charles Diel (1688-1734) (7th great-grandfather)

• 1713, Gilles Lecours and Charles Cusson hired Charles Diel to make a voyage to Detroit.

• 1718, May 28, Pierre  Roy hired  Charles  Diel  to make  a  voyage  to  Detroit.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2019/04/charles-diel-fils-voyageur-grandfather.html

Joseph Poupart (1696-1726) (7th great-grandfather)

• 1715, Mar 5, Engagement to Charles Le Gardeur to make a  voyage to Michilimackinac.

• 1723, Aug 27, Charles Chesne hired Joseph Poupart voyageur de La Prairie, to go to Detroit.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2019/04/joseph-poupart-voyageur-grandfather.html

Jacques Pinsonneau dit Lafleur (1682-1773) (6th great-grandfather)

• Given the family connection to Bourassa fur trade family it is likely he was a Coureurs des bois.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2017/03/ripples-chapter-three-pinsonneau-family.html

Etienne Duquet dit Desrochers (1694-1762) (6th great-grandfather)

• 1751, Jun 4, Igance Bourassa hired Étienne Duquet voyageur from Prairie to go to Michilimackinac. 

• 1752, Jun 9, Francois Daguilhe hired Étienne Duquet voyageur from La Prairie to go to Michilimackinac. 

• 1753, Apr 13, Toussaints Pothier hired Étienne Duquet voyageur from La Prairie, guide (gouvernail), to go to Michilimackinac.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2019/04/etienne-duquet-dit-desrochers-voyageur.html

Francois Moise Dupuis (1709-1764) (6th great-grandfather)

• 1752, Jun 2, Nicolas Volant hired Francois Dupuis voyageur de La Prairie to go to Michilimackinac.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2019/04/francois-moise-dupuis-voyageur.html

Joseph Pinsonneau (Pinsono) (1733-1779) (5th great-grandfather)

• 1763, April 29, Engagement of Joseph Pinsonneault dit Lafleur, as a voyageur, to Michel Laselle, a Montreal merchant.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2019/04/joseph-pinsonneau-voyageur-grandfather.html

Pierre Barette dit Courville (1748-1794) (5th great-grandfather)

• 1778, engagement of Pierre Barette to William G Jean Kay for a trip to Fort Michilimackinac.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2019/03/pierre-barette-dit-courville-voyageur.html

Jean-Baptiste Meunier Lagace père (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.

• 1794, Jean-Baptiste Meunier and his partner, Jacques Rolland, established trading house near a village of the Ponca Indians on the Missouri River.   

• 1800, Feb 14, James & Andrew McGill hired Jean-Baptiste Meunier voyageur from Chambly to go to Mississippi, and spend the winter.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2019/04/jean-baptiste-meunier-dit-lagace-pere.html

Gabriel Pinsonneau (1770-1807) (4th great-grandfather)

• 1797, August 11, Engagement of Gabriel Pinsonneau, of La Prairie, to Jacques & François Lasette to go to Detroit.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2019/04/gabriel-pinsonneau-voyageur-grandfather.html

Jean-Baptiste Meunier Lagasse (Lagace) fils (1776-1835) (4th great-grandfather)

• 1803, Oct 6, McTavish, Frobisher & Co. (North West Company) hired Jean-Baptiste Meunier voyageur from St-André-d’Argenteuil to go to Lac De La Pluie (Rainy Lake). From the Archives of Quebec.  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.

https://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2019/04/jean-baptiste-meunier-lagace-voyageur.html

A FEW MORE INTERESTING VOYAGEUR RELATIVES

From the 1620s to 1800s a few of my relatives traveled with explorers like Samuel de Champlain, Henri De Tonty, Pierre Gaultier de La Verendrye, Antoine de La Mothe Cadillac, Alexander Mackenzie, David Thompson, and Lewis and Clark as they explored and mapped the North American continent.

• 1626, Great-uncles Thomas Godefroy de Normanville and Jean Godefroy de Lintot came to New France with Samuel de Champlain.

https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2016/07/great-grandmothers-brothers-came-with.html

• 1686, Great-Uncle Daniel Amiot Canoed to the Gulf of Mexico in search of René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle.

https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2016/07/great-uncle-daniel-amiot-canoes-to-gulf_3.html

• 1696, Great-uncle Joseph Moreau wins lawsuit against Cadillac

https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2016/07/great-uncle-joseph-wins-lawsuit-against.html

• 1755, Charles Michel de Langlade, Fur Trader & Indian War Chief, led a group from the Three Fires confederacy in the defense of Fort Duquesne (later Pittsburgh), where the French and Indians triumphed over the British Edward Braddock and George Washington at the Battle of the Monongahela.

https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2016/07/charles-michel-de-langlade-fur-trader.html 

Charles married Charlotte Ambroise Bourassa (1st cousin 7x removed), uncle Rene Bourassa's daughter. Charles Michel de Langlade's mother was Domitilde (Ottawa).  She was the Ottawa wife of (1st) Daniel Amiot Villeneuve [our 8th great grand uncle]; (2nd), of Augustin Mouet Langlade. She was also the sister of Nissowaquet (Ottawa) http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/nissowaquet_4E.html

• 1788, Cousin Charles Boyer Was a Nor'Wester who built Fort Vermilion

https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2016/06/cousin-charles-boyer-was-norwester.html

• 1792, Great-Uncle Charles Lagasse on the Columbia Plateau with David Thompson

https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2016/08/uncle-charles-lagasse-on-columbia.html

• 1797, Great-uncle Joseph Vielle dit Cossé a NWCo Voyageur who Travelled with Alexander Mackenzie

https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2016/08/great-uncle-joseph-nwc-voyageur-who.html

• 1803, Cousin François Rivet traveled with Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark (The Corps of Discovery), and later traveled with David Thompson, map maker of the NWCo., still later he was employed by the HBC. François died a US citizen at French Prairie, Oregon 1852, at age 96.

https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2016/08/cousin-francois-rivet-mountain-man.html

ABOUT THE FOREGOING SUMMARY

The 33 ‘voyageur ancestors’ along with ‘a few more relatives’ is a summary of work done over many years and found on “Ripples from La Prairie Voyageur Canoes -- My Voyageur Ancestry”

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

There are lots of other family members and many interesting anecdotes to explore there.

Thanks for looking

Jerry England, editor

May 17, 2024