William (Guillaume) Robidoux
William (Guillaume) Robidoux (25 November 1675 – 8 July 1754), son of André Robidoux and Jeanne Denote. He was born in La Prairie, Quebec, Canada, the fourth child of André and Jeanne, and part of the first generation of the Robidoux family born in North America.
William married Marie Françoise Guerin (1681-1757) on 11 June 1697 in Montreal. Marie was born on 25 Apr 1681 in Cernay-les-Reims, France, and came to Canada at an early age with her parents. It is likely that her parents were engagés (indentured servants), as her father was a cobbler and mother a domestic, not likely to be able to afford to relocate on their own. William and Jean moved to Longueuil, a town adjacent to La Prairie, in 1705. The baronry of Longueuil was founded by Charles le Moyne de Longueuil et de Châteauguay, who, like William’s father, emigrated from France.
William was a teenager at the time of the British attempt to capture Quebec (the Battle of Quebec) in 1690 and likely took part in the city’s defense. The vulnerabilities demonstrated by the British attack caused the Canadians to bolster defensive positions which served their purpose until the Battle of Quebec (Battle of the Plains of Abraham) in 1759 when the British were successful in their assault. This was known the British as part of the Annus Mirabilis of 1759.
William entered the fur trade in Canada as it was steadily growing. This enterprise provided the economic prosperity that transformed Montreal. Economically, it was no longer a town of small traders but rather a city of merchants. The acquisition and the selling of furs promoted the growth of other sectors of the economy, such as tanneries, inns and markets, to support the growing number of inhabitants whose livelihood depended on the fur trade.[1]
The founding of the Compagnie des Indes in 1718 once again highlighted the economic importance of the fur trade.[2] This merchant association, like its predecessor the Compagnie des Cent Associes, regulated the fur trade to the best of its abilities imposing price points, supporting government sale taxes and combating black market practices.
William and Marie had 13 children, 4 of whom died before their first birthday. Joseph Robidoux I was the second son, born 20 March 1701, who would go on to fame as the great-grandfather of the Robidoux brothers who helped explore and settle the western United States.
William died on 8 July 1754 in Montreal, and was buried at the Basilique Notre-Dame.
Sources
Lewis, Hugh M., Robidoux Chronicicles, French-Indian Etnoculture of the Trans-Mississippi West, Trafford, Canada, 2004
Genealogical Dictionary of Canadian Families, 1608-1890, Tanguay Collection