Wilmont Kreis

Early Ville Marie - Montreal—The difference in names: 1536: Very Early in French-Canadian history. Jacques Cartier passed the large island while exploring the St. Lawrence River. It is said he exclaimed, “Quel Mont Royal!” Hence the name Montreal. He tried to enter the native village of Hochelaga on the island, but was run off. As legend has it, the name held. It was not until 1612, however, that Samuel Champlain sailed by and tried to engage the natives in trade, again without success. In 1639, a tax collector (of all things), Jerome de Royer de la Dauversiere, set a small camp here with little effect, and it was not until 1641, that a group of religious Frenchmen met at the Cathéderal of Notre Dame de Paris… Continued next week. Read More 

Maisonneuve and his followers spent the winter of 1641-2 in Sillery preparing for their trip upstream in the spring. On May 8, 1642 he loaded his entourage onto three boats. These 45 souls Including Jeanne Mance, Madame de la Peltrie, three sisters of Saint-Joseph, seven other women and a cadre if men. Ten days later, they landed on the scenic bank of the large island where a stream ran through an idyllic site to the Saint-Laurent. He named his settlement Ville-Marie. In spite of the peaceful setting, it would be anything but peaceful for a long while. But for that, you must turn to the next book, THE BEAVER WARS. More about that next week. Read More 

Birth of Montréal:

In November of 1641, a late arrival from France contained an odd and historically important group. Paul Chomedey Sieur de Maisonneuve and Montréal arrived to settle the town of Ville-Marie on the large island of Montréal many miles upstream of current civilization. He arrived with an odd group of 35 men, 10 women, a few nuns and the very rich Jean Mance. They would winter in Sillery to the north of Québec city making plans to move upstream in the spring. This odd group did not have full support of the Québec government who felt it a foolhardy venture, but it would turn out to be one of the most important ventures in all of early Canada. Read More 

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