Alexandre Dagneau d'Ouville (sieur de Douville)

Personal and Family Information

Alexandre was born on 30 MAY 1698 in Sorel (Sorel-Tracy), Pierre-de Saurel, Montérégie QC , the son of Michel Dagneau de Douville and Marie Lamy dit Defond.

He died on 07 NOV 1774 in Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal, Montréal QC .

He had two marriages/partners. His first wife was Marie Coulon de Villiers, who he married on 7 AUG 1730 in Montréal QC . Their three known children were Marie-Angélique (1731-1808), Marie-Louise (1734-?) and Alexandre-René (1736-c1789).

His second wife was Marie le Gardeur de Courtemanche, who he married in BEF 1740. The place has not been found. Their three known children were Madeleine (1740-1740), Marguerite-Pierre (1744-1782) and Guillaume (1748-1749).

Pedigree Chart (3 generations)

Events

Attributes

Notes

Note 1

retired 1756 to Vercheres QC

Built Fort Rouillé, the first french fort at Toronto. May also have been the one to destroy the fort before arrival of the successful English invaders.

Note 2

engageur Ouest 11-8-1724 et 29-9-1726, interprète et marchand de fourrures, enseigne en second 29-5-1725.

Note 3

Dictionary of Canadian Biography p 191; Dagneau Douville, Alexandre, officer in the colonial regular troops, interpreter, and fur trader. b. April or May 1698 at Sorel d 1774 at Vercheres, Québec. Entered the fur trade at 18 and for 15 years, while serving as a cadet in the colonial regulars, he traded heavily among the Miamis, with some side-trips to Fort des Sables (Irondequoit, N.Y.), to Baie-des-Puants (Green Bay,Wis) and to Michilimackinac. He married Marie Coulon de Villiers d/o Antoine Coulon de Villiers on 7-8-1730 in Montréal. Fought against the Saucks and Foxes near Green Bay and witnessed the death of his father-in-law and other relatives. His promotion to 2nd Enseigne in 1734 was delayed until 1736 because his brother, Phillipe de la Saussaye, was mistakenly appointed in his place. Officer and interpreter at Fort Frontenac in 1736, in 1739 he was in charge of taking presents to Detroit for the Ottawas. Promoted 1st Enseigne in 1741, served at Frontenac in 1743 before being sent to Fort Miami (Fort Wayne) in the spring of 1746 to escort Miami representatives to Montréal. The delegation only got as far as Detroit because of an uprising. Served as an interpreter at a major conference between the French and Iroquois in Montréal in 1748. Appointed Lieutenant in 1750 and served as commandant at Sault-Saint-Louis (Caughnawaga). Replaced Jacques-François Legardeur de Courtemanche in charge of Fort Presqu'île (Erie, Pennsylvania) which contained about 100 soldiers. On 17-3-1756 he retired as a captain on half pay and thereafter lived on family lands near Verchères, Québec. The Dagneau de Douville family was an important trading family and included Louis Cesaire, Gillaume (Lamothe) and Philippe (La Saussaye). Alexander had 5 children, two sons killed in the 7 years war and a third Alexandre-René who spent his career as an officer in the West Indies and at his death in 1789 was a Lt Col of Infantry and a knight of the order of Saint-Louis. In a footnote to this article there is a comment that Alexander never married a second time to Marie-Legardeur de Courtemanche and all his children were from his marriage to Marie Coulon de Villiers in 1730.

Note 4

NYCD Volume 10: Page 186-188: Conference Between M. de la Galissoniere and the Iroquois - Castle of St Louis of Québec on Nov 2, 1748. A meeting held with the principal chiefs of the Iroquois to inquire if they were subjects of the English. The Indians confirmed they were not and signed a document to that effect. Alexander Dagneau de Douville was present and appears to have acted as an interpreter. Also present was Dagneau de la Saussaye. 1750: Promoted to Lieutenant. Commanded at Sault-Saint Louis (Caughnawaga, Québec.)

Note 5

L' Esclavage au Canada Français by Marcel Trudel, Page 80 - 1756: "Marie-Anne, a montagnaise Indian servant at the home of Alexander Dagneau-Douville in Montreal was caught stealing from her master. She was condemned to death by the authorities by hanging in front of the residence of Alexander. The spectacle should have been interesting for Dagneau-Douville and the widow Magnan-Lesp?rance ( who is she?) but the condemned lady appealed to the Counsel Superior stating she was pregnant. Marie-Anne was taken to Québec City. The sentence is confirmed. She is examined by a doctor from Hotel Dieu and a midwife who concluded she was not pregnant. On Nov 20, 1756 at three in the afternoon she died by hanging on the scaffold at Québec City". 1756:

Note 6

Toronto During the French Regime, Percy J. Robersons: "An Alexander Douville was captain of the compagnie franche at Fort Toronto at the time the British captured Fort Niagara in 1759. In the 1720's Phillipe Dourville, Sieur de la Saussaye, was trading at the Magasin Royale at Toronto. "Thirty years before one of the Douvilles in 1720 had built the first French Post at Toronto. It is possible that the builder of the 1720 post and the commandant in 1759 who burned

Note 7

Toronto, The Place of Meeting - Frederick H. Armstrong: "On the Great Lakes, the British under Sir William Johnson began the siege of Fort Niagara on Jun 6, 1759. This brought the war directly to the subsidiary post of Toronto, which had up to that time been reasonably well insulated from the battles, although it had been a way station for troops passing from Fort Frontenac to Niagara. As the siege of Niagara opened, the French Schooner Iroquoise warned the commandant at Toronto, Captain Alexander Dagneau Douville. When Niagara fell on June 25, 1759 Johnson quickly sent a force to take Toronto. All they found were smoldering embers; Douville had burned the post and fled with his 15 men to Montreal. On Aug 2 the Mississauga chief, Tequakareigh, was interviewed by Sir William Johnson and surrendered to the British Crown. Montreal was not to fall until September 1760, but the French regime at Toronto was ended. The ruins of the fort remained as a momento until cleared to make way for the Toronto Exhibition Grounds in 1878."