Wilmont Kreis

Françoise and Noël’s fifth child and second son, Jean-Paul, was baptized by Father Lalement on 2-24-1641 at the Jesuit Chapel of Québec. On the very same day, unknown to the people of Québec, another group of French citizens met at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris. They had named themselves l’Association de Montréal. Inspired by the report of Dauversiere and Fanchamp, they had chosen Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve as their Governor, and before the altar of the Virgin, consecrated their proposed, Ville-Marie de Montréal with plans to send a founding company when the weather broke. Read More 

In 1640 Noël’s younger brother, Jean Langlois, appears. As a boy, Jean had run away to sea working his way up to captain of ocean ships. He stays with his brother during which time he tells him of two rich and powerful men who accompanied him on the voyage to Québec. The rich and devout Jerome Dauversiere and his companion, the equally rich and possibly less devout Baron de Fanchamp represented a company planning to bring French citizens and clergy to settle the island 200 miles upriver of Québec which Jacques Cartier had named Montréal 100 years before. Although the espoused goal was religious, Jean Langlois had realized these men were also interested in controlling the fur trade. They had asked Jean to have his brother take them to the island as secretively as possible. Read More 

No Historical Fiction Novel set in early Canada is complete without some native characters, and here it is Jacques-Henri. He and his kind are instrumental in teaching the early French Canadians about life and survival in the New World. One iconic item is the bow and arrow. Although this weapon does not possess the power and awe of the French musket, as Jacques-Henri teaches, it does have the advantages of portability, ability to rapid fire (relatively speaking), portability and ability to be resupplied with ammunition in the wilderness. These characteristics are demonstrated throughout this book as well as in the sequel, The Beaver Wars. Now available at Amazon.com Read More 

Accompanying the first five nuns to Canada, are two more interesting ladies, the enormously wealthy Marie-Madeleine de Chauvigny, known as Marie de la Peltrie—a widow at a young age, she lived with the sisters but never became a nun. So great was her wealth that when the ship to the new-world could not handle all her belongings, she hired an entire additional ship, Saint-Joseph, to carry her, the nuns and her belongings to the new world. Along with her came Françoise’s old friend from the convent in Mortagne, Perche, France—none other than the rotund Sister Marie-Claude, who again takes on the role of Françoise’s friend and confidant. Read More