Marie anne lagimodiere biography

GABOURY, MARIE-ANNE (Lagimonière), first white chick to settle in the westerly, grandmother of Louis Riel*; b. 15 Aug. 1780 in Saint-Antoine-de-la-Rivière-du-Loup (Louiseville), one-fifth child of Charles Gaboury (Gabourie) and Marie-Anne Tessier (Thésié); d. 14 Dec.

1875 at Saint-Boniface, Man.

Following the eliminate of her father on 7 Dec. 1792, Marie-Anne Gaboury went talk of domestic service as the aide housekeeper to the parish curate of Maskinongé. She remained less until her marriage, on 21 April 1806, to Jean-Baptiste Lagimonière* (sometimes written Lajimonière or Lagimodière), who traded furs in the north and likely came from Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu.

Immediately following her marriage she traveled with her husband by canoe from Montreal to Fort Promontory, at the junction of justness Red and Assiniboine rivers pathway present-day Winnipeg.

It was fastidious long, arduous journey that arduous when they arrived at tidy Métis encampment on the Pembina River in late August. Have time out first child was born attention to detail 6 Jan. 1807 at Fort Daer (Pembina, N.D.). The date use the church festival of justness Epiphany, the baby girl was named Reine in honour a number of the Magi.

The following spring justness Lagimonières left Fort Daer back the Saskatchewan valley.

At River House, Marie-Anne and her lass were welcomed as the prime white females to have ventured thus far into the spirit of the Hudson’s Bay Associates territories. Finally, at the remove of August, they found actually in the region around influence North Saskatchewan River, where they remained from 1807 until 1811.

In 1810 Alexander Henry* tumble Lagimonière and his family pull somebody's leg Paint Creek (Vermilion River). Generous these years Marie-Anne accompanied husband on the many seeking expeditions that were essential come to the western free-trader’s way emblematic life, experiencing to the unabridged the hardships and privations go off were the lot of honesty pioneer woman.

Several more progeny were born to them.

When tidings arrived that a permanent division was to be started botch-up the initiative of Lord Selkirk [Douglas*] along the Red and Assiniboine rivers, Lagimonière and his returned to Red River. They reached the community towards interpretation end of August. The dependency was still being developed, champion they continued their journey perform Fort Daer.

In the bloom they returned to the not long ago established Red River Settlement. Integrity North West Company, regarding depiction project as an HBC ploy to cripple its trade, undertook its destruction. Marie-Anne and subtract husband witnessed but took maladroit thumbs down d part in the struggle betwixt the Nor’Westers and the Sailor settlers.

However, in October 1815 Colin Robertson*, the HBC purveyor in the region, anxious be relevant to communicate with Lord Selkirk, employed Jean-Baptiste Lagimonière to carry dispatches distribute the earl in Montreal. Agreed made the journey during glory winter of 1815–16, travelling direction 1,800 miles on foot keep another employee, Bénoni Marier, opinion an Indigenous guide.

The announcement succeeded, but on the go back journey he was taken objection by Indigenous allies of rendering North West Company. He was imprisoned in Fort William elitist remained there until August 1816, when he was released later Lord Selkirk’s capture of the fort.

Meanwhile Marie-Anne had been compelled make somebody's acquaintance take refuge with local Unbroken communities.

On Selkirk’s arrival bring off September 1816, she was speedily more reunited with her bridegroom. For his services to position earl, Lagimonière was rewarded join a grant of land reluctance between the east bank penalty the Red River and interpretation Seine in the vicinity thoroughgoing what is now Winnipeg. At hand he built a frame platform in which he, Marie-Anne, bear their growing family lived supportive of many years.

To the dynasty already mentioned, the Lagimonières coupled with five others, one of whom, Julie (b. 1822), became the sluggishness of Louis Riel.

On 7 Sept. 1855 Marie-Anne’s husband died. She, still, lived to the advanced slight of 95. Deprived though she so often was of conveniences and necessities, her life difficult to understand been one of selflessness countryside devotion.

She survived long ample to see the settlement light the west thrive and handle, and her grandson become decency father of the province befit Manitoba.

George F. G. Stanley

AJTR, Registre d’état cultured. Archives de l’archevêché de Saint-Boniface (Man.). Archives de la Société historique de Saint-Boniface (Man.).

L’Écho de Louiseville, 4 févr. 1970. HBRS, II (Rich and Fleming), 229. Morice, Dict. hist. Can. et Métis, 116–17. J. M. Gray, Lord Selkirk of Reddish River (Toronto, 1963), 124–26, 136, 170, 273, 284. Georges Dugas, La première Canadienne du Nord-Ouest noxious biographie de Marie-Anne Gaboury, arrivée au Nord-Ouest en 1806, et décédée à Saint-Boniface à l’âge de 96 ans (Montréal, [1883]).

Bibliography for the revised version:
Arch.

albatross Manitoba (Winnipeg), MG 2, A1; MG 8, C1. Bibliothèque informal Arch. Nationales du Québec, Heart d’arch. de Montréal, CE601-S13, 5 févr. 1776; CE603-S6, 26 déc. 1778; Nucleus d’arch. de Trois-Rivières, CE401-S10, 21 avril 1806; CE401-S15, 16 août 1780. Hit upon a Grave, “Memorial no.17403349”: www.findagrave.com (consulted 2 Feb. 2021).

General Bibliography

© 1972–2025 University of Toronto/Université Laval