ANDRÉ PELLETIER

5 - André Pelletier (Peltier) (1737 - 1822)

Click here to read notes pertaining to André and his family

Parents: Pierre Pelletier - Elisabeth Lavergne-dit-Renaud

Born: 7 Feb 1737 - St-François-du-Sud, QC, Canada
Died (Buried): 21 Jun 1822 - Sandwich, ON, Canada

Married:
   1 - 7 Feb 1764 - Détroit, MI, USA
    Spouse: Marie-Catherine Meloche (1737 - 1786)
    Children:
         André (1765 - ??)
         Charles (1767 - ??)
         Gabriel (1769 - 1852)
         Catherine (1771 - ??)
         Marie-Magdelène (1773 - 1793)
         Marie-Jeanne (1774 - 1821)
         Marie-Josette (Josephte) (1776 - 1854)
         Isaac (1778 - ??)
         Elizabeth (1780 - 1809)
         Sus(z)anne (1782 - 1846)
         Jean-Baptiste Siméon (1785 - 1841)

   2 - 31 Jan 1791 - L'Assomption, Windsor, ON, Canada
    Spouse: Catherine Bigras-dit-Fauvel (1766 - ??)
    Children:
         Victoria (1791 - ??)
         Brigitte (1793 - ??)
         Louis (1798 - ??)
         Pélagie ( 1801 - ??)
         Véronique (1803 - ??)
         Lambert (1806 - ??)

Notes: these notes were furnished by Jack Peltier, and represent data from Denissen, Assumption parish documents, other local documents, and Jack himself.

There was a concerted effort circa 1750 to attract settlers and craftsmen to the Detroit area to support the garrison and the fur trading operations in order to make the settlement more self supporting. Incentives of land, equipment, etc., were provided to get people to move. It appears that André came at the later end of this recruiting period and just about the time Detroit was surrendered to the British. (The final surrender of French-Canada to the British was signed by the Marquis de Vaudreuil in Montréal in 1760 - see A Short History of New France on this site).

André, a miller by trade, came to Detroit in 1760. It was in Detroit that he married Marie-Catherine Meloche (3/2/1737 - 1/14/1786), on February 7, 1764, widow of both Jean-Baptiste Sappe-dit-Poligny and of Pierre Louis Mailet. She was the daughter of Pierre Meloche and Jeanne Caron.

In the survey of the Settlement of Detroit made in 1782 (South Shore only), the following is noted: André Pettier (Peltier), 1 married woman, 1 young man/hired hand, 3 boys, 5 girls, 4 horses, 2 oxen, 4 cows, 2 steers/heifers, 10 hogs, etc. André rented pew 7 in Assumption Church in 1781 for 10 shillings; there were 34 pews in the church. Circa 1776 there were about 100 French families (600 people) on the south shore of Detroit. Prior to 1761, Ste. Anne's in Detroit was mainly used for baptisms, etc. Assumption was until then a mission to the Hurons. Assumption Church was known as “Église de l'Assomption à la pointe de Montréal de Détroit”.

André married for a second time, at Assumption Church, on January 31, 1791. His bride was Catherine Bigras-dit-Fauvel (12/25/1766 - ??), widow of Joseph Bergeron and daughter of Joseph Amable Bigras-dit-Fauvel and Marie-Charlotte Dufour.

André was buried on June 21, 1822 at Assumption.