François Decoigne
| François Decoigne | |
|---|---|
| De Quoine | |
| Occupation | Fur trader |
François Decoigne (fl. 1795–1818), also known as De Quoine, was a fur trader who served as a senior clerk in the North West Company and later worked for the Hudson's Bay Company during the early 19th century, operating across the northwestern interior of what is now Canada.
Career
Decoigne was likely active in the western territories by 1795. In September 1798, David Thompson observed him clerking for the North West Company under John McDonald of Garth near Fort George, in present-day Alberta. Thompson sent him in May 1799 to construct a trading post at the mouth of the Lesser Slave River, near present-day Slave Lake, Alberta, where Peter Fidler encountered him in January 1800.[1]
For the 1800–01 trading season Decoigne returned to the North Saskatchewan River, establishing "Fort de l'Isle" approximately 20 miles upstream from Fort George. By 1804 he had risen to senior clerk status within the NWC's Athabasca division.[1]
On 20 June 1806, Alexander Henry the Younger recorded Decoigne's arrival at Fort Bas-de-la-Rivière (Fort Alexander, Manitoba) with McDonald. By August 1808 Decoigne was operating under Henry's command, and that winter he reopened South Branch House to compete against the HBC's Carlton House, near present-day Batoche, Saskatchewan. In the spring of 1810 Henry noted that Decoigne's men had carelessly lost 120 hide bags of pemmican.[1]
By 1813 Decoigne had moved further west and constructed Rocky Mountain House (Jasper House) in present-day Alberta. In May 1814, Gabriel Franchère arrived from the Columbia River and on 24 May the two men departed together for Fort William in Thunder Bay, Ontario, for the North West Company's annual summer rendezvous.[2] The company minutes of July 1814 recorded that Decoigne had broken into a depot and taken two pieces of goods, and that being reported extravagant in other respects he was ordered out and directed to return to Montreal.[1]
Hudson's Bay Company service
On 3 October 1814, Colin Robertson engaged Decoigne for the Hudson's Bay Company's first Montreal-supplied expedition into Athabasca country. Robertson described him at the time as "one of the best traders the North West Co. ever had."[3] Decoigne achieved early success at the HBC's Lesser Slave Lake post, but the NWC seized his post and supplies in December 1816. The HBC offered him a salary of £300 to remain for another winter.[1]
In 1817 Decoigne established himself on Lake Athabasca, though conditions proved difficult — he was effectively confined to his house all winter and made no contact with Indigenous traders. In August 1818 Robertson reported to Lord Selkirk that Decoigne's exertions — or, as some said, his extravagance — had placed the Lesser Slave Lake trade on a permanent footing. That spring, dissatisfied with the HBC's accounting, Decoigne returned to Montreal to settle his affairs.[1]
References
Additional sources cited in the DCB article:
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 In collaboration with Marjorie Wilkins Campbell.""François Decoigne," Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 5."[website].Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 5 (University of Toronto/Université Laval).1983.University of Toronto/Université Laval.Link.(Rights: copyrighted | Access: open)
- ↑ Gabriel Franchère; trans. W. T. Lamb; ed. W. K. Lamb."Journal of a voyage on the north west coast of North America during the years 1811, 1812, 1813, and 1814."[book].1969.Toronto.(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ Colin Robertson; ed. E. E. Rich with R. H. Fleming."Colin Robertson's correspondence book, September 1817 to September 1822."[book].1939.p. 210.London; repr. Nendeln, Liechtenstein, 1968.(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ W. S. Wallace (ed.)."Documents relating to the North West Company."[record].1934.p. 290.University of Toronto Library, ms coll. 30.(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ A.-G. Morice."Dictionnaire historique des Canadiens et des Métis français de l'Ouest."[book].1912.2e éd..Québec.(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ J. G. MacGregor."Peter Fidler: Canada's forgotten surveyor, 1769–1822."[book].1966.Toronto and Montreal.(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ A. S. Morton."A History of the Canadian West to 1870–71."[book].1939.London.(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ Elliott Coues (ed.)."New Light on the Early History of the Greater North-West."[book].1897.New York.(Rights: unknown | Access: open)