Richard (Denys) Denis de Fronsac (abt. 1647 - abt. 1691)

Born about 29 Aug 1647 in La Rochelle, Aunis, France

Ancestors

Husband of Anne Parabego — married 1680 in Rivière-St-Jean, Acadie, Nouvelle-France

Husband of Françoise (Cailteau) Cailleteau — married 15 Oct 1689 in Notre-Dame de Québec, Canada, Nouvelle-France

Descendants

Died about 1691 at about age 43 in At Sea

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Biography

Richard (Denys) Denis de Fronsac migrated from France to Acadia.

Richard Denys dit Fronsac was baptized under conditions on 29 August 1647 at the church of Saint-Barthélemy in La Rochelle, Aunis (today Charente-Maritime), France. His parents were Nicolas Denys and Marguerite Lafitte.^[1][2][3][4] His notable father has a Wikipedia page.

Isle Royal life
In his youth he lived with his parents in Saint-Pierre, Isle Royale (Cape Breton), where his father had been granted the title of governor and lieutenant of the king. They continued to reside at Saint-Pierre until the winter of 1668–69 when their buildings and business were destroyed by fire, whereupon they moved to Nipisiguit (now Bathurst, N.B.).^[4]

In Nipisiguit
According to biographer Alfred Bailey:

Richard managed to wrest a living from forest, farm, and sea. He grew peas and wheat, and even pears and apples. He maintained the posts at Nipisiguit and Miscou. His participation in the defence, in 1676, of his father’s Cape Breton coal beds against three English ketches shows that he attempted to exploit all available resources, but the fur trade and fishery were mainstays. Richard’s salary of 800 livres a year was never paid and by 1682, when it had accumulated to the amount of 9,600 livres, a new settlement gave Richard first claim on his father’s estate for payment in arrears.^[4]

He took the title of “Sieur de Fronsac” in about 1677.^[4]

He married Anne Parabego (Partarabego), a Native woman, in 1680.^[3]

Together they had two children:

1. Marie Anne Denis (1681)
2. Nicolas Denis (1682)

In 1686, at Miramichy, Le sieur RICHARD Denis de Frousac (sic), seigneur of Miramichy, was living without a wife or children. He was listed as having four or five servants. No land or livestock was listed.^[5]

Loss of Isle Royal lands
According to Bailey:

A more serious jurisdictional dispute was that between Richard Denys and Bergier’s Compagnie de la Pêche sédentaire de l’Acadie. Bergier’s complaints at the French court led to the concession of Cape Breton to Bergier in April 1687, on the grounds of the Denys’s non-fulfilment of terms. A large seigneury, to be chosen later, was promised Nicolas in compensation.^[4]

Downgrade to Miramichi
Bailey says:

Richard Denys petitioned to have his late father’s rights as governor – which in fact he himself had exercised for 18 years – conferred upon him.... [I]n place of the princely grant hitherto enjoyed, he inherited a seigneury at Miramichi – the one promised his father in 1687 – and here he established himself, on the north bank of that river, about opposite the “tickle” that ran between what is now known as Wilson’s Point and Beaubears (now Boishébert) Island. The seigneury was 15 leagues square; one-third had to be cleared within three years, and the remainder in the three years following. His house was of free stone, set in a wooden fort with four bastions and defended by ten cannon, four of brass and six of iron. Already he had begun to cultivate grain, vegetables, fruits, and grass, all by hand. In 1689 he stated that he hoped soon to work the land with oxen, to have a water-mill, and a sedentary fishery.^[4]

He married Françoise Cailteau on October 15, 1689 in Quebec city.^[3][6]

Together they had one child:

1. Louis Denys^[4]

Further Development of Settlements
Bailey goes on to say:

In 1689, while residing at Fort Sainte-Croix on the Miramichi, he also maintained a settlement at Ristigouche (now Restigouche), and exercised his rights at Nipisiguit.... So energetically did Richard promote settlement that by 1689 he had 103 French settlers within his domain, a large number when compared with the small total of population in Acadia at that time.... [H]e continued to the end of his life to serve the interests of France and the church with intelligence, vigour, and a degree of high-mindedness that gives him a claim to be regarded as the most distinguished of the colonists of Acadia in the 17th century."^[4]

Died at Sea
He apparently died in 1691, lost at sea ^[3] on the Saint-François-Xavier;^[7] the ship was never heard from again. Three years later, on 17 July 1694, his estate was settled in favour of his widow, and his son Louis presumably having died at an early age, it was inherited by the children of his widow’s subsequent marriage to Pierre Rey Gaillard.^[4]

Biographie

Richard Denys de Fronsac était un administrateur, un colonisateur, un négociant et un entrepreneur en pêcheries acadien. Son père est le gouverneur Nicolas Denys et sa mère est Marguerite Lafite. Il a grandi à Saint-Pierre, où ses parents venaient de se rétablir. À l'hiver 1658-1659, un incendie détruisit leur établissement et ils durent se réfugier à leur poste de Nipisiguit, établi en 1652. Nicolas Denys retourna en France en 1691 et confia la gestion de ses affaires à sa femme et à son fils Richard. Richard conserva les postes de Miscou et de Nipisiguit et cultiva la terre mais la pêche et la traite de fourrure étaient ses principaux moyens de subsistance. En 1676, il défendit les gisements de houille de son père au Cap-Breton contre les Anglais. Richard eut beaucoup de difficulté à faire respecter l'autorité de son père à son nom. Il hérita d'une seigneurie à Miramichi. Il fit défricher, coloniser et défricher ses terres, qui étaient populeuses comparativement aux autres seigneuries. Il tenta à plusieurs reprises d'établir des missions catholiques sur ses terres. Richard Denys épousa l'amérindienne Anne Parabego (Partarabego) probablement en 1680. Le couple eut une fille, Marie-Anne, baptisée le 25 mai 1681 à Jemseg, et un fils, Nicolas, né en 1682. Le 15 octobre 1689, Richard Denys épousa en secondes noces Françoise Cailleteau à Québec. Le couple eut un fils, Louis, né le 31 octobre 1690. À l'automne 1691, Richard Denys meurt dans le naufrage du Saint-François-Xavier qui devait l'emmener en France.

Richard Denys et son fort sont mentionnés dans le recueil de poésie La terre tressée, de Claude Le Bouthillier1.^[8]

Héritier de la seigneurie de Miramichi en 1688

Jean Gobin lui donne la seigneurie de Gobin (a la Baie des Chaleurs) le 28-5-1690

Pierre Lemoyne d'Iberville lui donne la seigneurie de Ristigouche le 28-5-1690

Ces trois seigneuries furent héritées par les enfants du second mariage de sa veuve (Rey-Gaillard)

St-François-Xavier naufragé^[7]

Notaire Louis Chambalon: Renonciation par Françoise Cailleteau, épouse de Pierre Rey Gaillard, à la communauté qui a été entre elle et feu Richard de Fronsac, son premier mari, qui périt sur le navire le St-François Xavier en allant en France en 1691 (11 janvier 1696).^[9]

Research Notes

The original 1686 census at Miramichy, lists Richard Denis de Fronsac correctly but is transcribed as Richard Denis de Frousac.^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ Bapt. image Fichier, AD-17
2. ↑ Archives départementales de Charente-Maritime, cote G G 182, La Rochelle, collection communale, paroissial St-Barthélemy, baptêmes 1630-1655, pg 122/165 Baptêmes Marguerite et Jacques, côté droit
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Fichier Richard Denis de Fronsac, (2018 & earlier) Fédération québécoise des sociétés de généalogie//Québec Federation of Genealogical Societies

   DENIS DE FRONSAC, Richard'

   Date de baptême: 29-08-1647

   Lieu d'origine: La Rochelle (St-Barthélemy) (Charente-Maritime) 17300

   Parents: Nicolas DENIS DE FRONSAC et Marguerite de Lafitte

   Date de mariage des parents: 01-10-1642

   Lieu de mariage des parents: La Rochelle (Ste-Marguerite) (17300)

   Première mention au pays: 1689 (au Canada, non en Acadie)

   Occupation à l'arrivée: Marchand

   Date de mariage: Vers 1680

   Lieu du mariage: Rivière-St-Jean (Acadie)

   Conjointe: Anne Parabego (amérindienne)

   Décès ou inhumation: En mer, automne 1691

   Remarques: Il fut administrateur, colonisateur, négociant et entrepreneur en pêcheries. De son premier mariage, il eut deux enfants : Marie-Anne, b. le 25 mai 1681 à Jemseg (Acadie), mariée à Québec en 1709 à Jean Mersan ; et Nicolas, né en 1682. Devenu veuf, Richard épouse à Québec, le 15-10-1689 Françoise Cailleteau (Jacques et Françoise Denys) ; décédé en mer lors du naufrage du St-François-Xavier. Son père Nicolas Denys est b. le 02-06-1603 à Tours (St-Saturnin). Frères et soeurs baptisés à La Rochelle (St-Barthélemy) : Nicolas, b. le 14-09-1644 ; Marguerite, née le 00-06-1645, b. le 29-08-1647 et inh. le 04-01-1654 ; Jacques-1, b. né le 10-09-1646 et b. le 29-08-1647 ; Charles, b. le 13-09-1648 ; Jacques-2, b. le 17-12-1650. Ses grands-parents paternels sont Jacques Denys, né en 1564 (17 ans en 1581) et d. le 28-05-1631 à Tours, et Marie Cosnier (Hugues et Françoise Yseure), b. le 14-11-1567 à Tours (St-Pierre-du-Boile) ; mariés par cm du 11-06-1594 greffe Vincent Patrix, à Tours (Indre-et-Loire). Ses grands-parents maternels sont Pierre Lafitte et Béatrice Cabèce.

4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8} Alfred G. Bailey, “DENYS DE FRONSAC, RICHARD,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1, (University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–) accessed February 18, 2016, Canadian Biography.
5. ↑ Tim Hebert, Transcription of the 1686 Acadian Census, at Port-Royal, Acadie 1686 Census Transcribed. The original census can be found at Acadian Census microfilm C-2572 of the National Archives of Canada, “Acadie Recensements 1671 – 1752,” Images 15-60,

   at Miramichy: Le Sieur RICHARD Denis de Frousac, seigneur of Miramichy and four or five servants.

6. ↑ Drouin Genealogical Institute (needs subscription) Marriage to Francoise

   Marriage Québec (Notre-Dame) 1689-10-15 Original document : d1p_31411073.jpg DENIS, RICHARD Subject - Residence : ACADIE Mar. st. single CAILLETEAU, FRANCOISE Subject - Origin : LA ROCHELLE Mar. st. single DENIS, NICOLAS Father of the groom - Residence : ACADIE DELAFIE, MARGUERITE CATHERINE Mother of the groom - Residence : ACADIE CAILLETEAU Father of the bride - DENIS, FRANCOISE Mother of the bride - NEUF DELAVALLIERE, MICHEL DENIS DELARONDE, PIERRE DENIS DELATRINITE, CHARLES DESQUERAC DELOTHEUR, PIERRE DENIS DEBONAVENTURE, SIMON DUPRE, FRANCOIS

7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Navires venus en Nouvelle-France, St-François-Xavier #1150 (Archived link)
8. ↑ wikipedia
9. ↑ BAnQ Notarial acts index Inventaire des greffes des notaires du régime français, par Pierre Georges Roy et Antoine Roy; 27 Vol + index 1-8 Vol XVIII pg 142
10. ↑ https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c2572/57

• Wikipedia: Nicolas Denys – Falsified Genealogies'"

• "Collections of the New Brunswick Historical Society, Volume 3, Issues 7-9', W.F. Ganong, Ed; The Society; Province of New Brunswick, Canada, 1907, pp. 7, 11: 'RICHARD DENYS, SIEUR DE FRONSAC, AND HIS SETTLEMENTS IN NORTHERN NEW BRUNSWICK:

Google books extract

• Tree Nos Origines
• Rapport de l'Archiviste de la province de Québec, 1970 Familles venues de La Rochelle en Canada Père Archange Godbout (débute pg 119) pg 208: DENYS, Richard
• HISTOIRE GÉNÉALOGIQUE DE LA FAMILLE DENYS', by Yves Drolet; 2016, p 21