Coulée Grou
Encyclopedia
Coulée Grou is the name of an area in Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
that was the location of a battle of the Beaver Wars
, also known as the Iroquois Wars, given in honor of Jean Grou
, a Canadian pioneer. Grou had sailed as a young boy from Rouen, France (Normandy
) to New France
in 1650 and established a land-holding at Pointe-Aux-Trembles, east of the modern city of Montreal
. At a battle here on July 2, 1690, Jean Grou
and three farm workers were captured and burned alive.
The site was designated as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1924. The Historic Sites and Monuments Board placed a monument near the Coulée Grou commemorating that battle between French soldiers and native Iroquois
. The site is designated by two names: Battle of Rivière des Prairies / Battle of Coulée Grou National Historic Site. The monument is situated on or near the original Coulée Grou and is inscribed in both French and English. The plaque itself has been missing in recent years (through 2009), but the following is its English inscription:
The register of Point-aux-Trembles of Montreal, dated 2 November 1694, completed the history of that battle. An English translation of that text follows,
According to Jean Martin, Ph.D., Director of History and Heritage (Direction de l'histoire et du patrimoine) at Canadian National Defence (Défense Nationale)
, the Canadian attack frigate
HMCS Grou was named in honor of Jean Grou.
Many North American derivations of the Grou surname (Groux, Groulx, La Grou, etc.) have been traced to Jean Grou and his lineage, including Lionel Groulx
, noted Québécois historian and nationalist
. Claude Ryan
called Lionel Groulx the "spiritual father of modern Quebec."
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
that was the location of a battle of the Beaver Wars
Beaver Wars
The Beaver Wars, also sometimes called the Iroquois Wars or the French and Iroquois Wars, commonly refers to a series of conflicts fought in the mid-17th century in eastern North America...
, also known as the Iroquois Wars, given in honor of Jean Grou
Jean Grou
Jean Nicolas Grou was a French Roman Catholic mystic and spiritual writer.Philip Yancey says that Jean Nicolas Grou was "a mystic from the eighteenth century, [who] prescribed that healthy prayer should be humble, reverent, loving, confident, and persevering — in other words, the exact...
, a Canadian pioneer. Grou had sailed as a young boy from Rouen, France (Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
) to New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
in 1650 and established a land-holding at Pointe-Aux-Trembles, east of the modern city of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. At a battle here on July 2, 1690, Jean Grou
Jean Grou
Jean Nicolas Grou was a French Roman Catholic mystic and spiritual writer.Philip Yancey says that Jean Nicolas Grou was "a mystic from the eighteenth century, [who] prescribed that healthy prayer should be humble, reverent, loving, confident, and persevering — in other words, the exact...
and three farm workers were captured and burned alive.
The site was designated as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1924. The Historic Sites and Monuments Board placed a monument near the Coulée Grou commemorating that battle between French soldiers and native Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
. The site is designated by two names: Battle of Rivière des Prairies / Battle of Coulée Grou National Historic Site. The monument is situated on or near the original Coulée Grou and is inscribed in both French and English. The plaque itself has been missing in recent years (through 2009), but the following is its English inscription:
- "On 2 July 1690, Lieutenant de Colombet leading twenty-five men, attacked a party of about one hundred Iroquois near this place. He and nine others were killed including the Sieur Montenon de Larue and the surgeon Jalot. The owner of this land, Jean Grou, ancestor of the Canadian family of that name, and three of his companions were captured and burned alive by the Iroquois. Joseph Lajeunesse, descendant of Grou, donated the land & stone for this monument."
The register of Point-aux-Trembles of Montreal, dated 2 November 1694, completed the history of that battle. An English translation of that text follows,
- "On 2 July 1690, at the end of the island near the "coulee" of Jean Grou, the Iroquois killed the Sr (Sieur?) Colombe, former lieutenant, Joseph de Montenon, Sr de la Rue, which the enemies burned the same day behind the fort of LaChenaye, Guillaume Richar dit Lafleur, our lieutenant of Militia, Jean Jalot, our surgeon.....Jean Delpue dit Parisot, Joseph Carrier dit Larose, Jean Raynau dit Planchar burned by the Oneidas (one of the Iroquois nations) with Jean Grou, calm & easy-going in the presence of father Millet, Jean Baudoin, son, Pierre Masta and an employee of great Bauchant named ...Pierre Payet dit St-Amours was taken in the attack and held prisoner on 2 July 1690, he was given to the Oneidas who let him live as well as demanding of us, father Millet, during the month of February 1691 in return for letting him live. St-Amours returned to the fort in 1693. Since the Iroquois were greatly feared, the bodies of those who had been killed were quickly buried at the same place that the massacre had occurred; it was not until 2 Nov 1694 that their bones were transported to the cemetery, where they were buried in the presence of all the settlers."
According to Jean Martin, Ph.D., Director of History and Heritage (Direction de l'histoire et du patrimoine) at Canadian National Defence (Défense Nationale)
Department of National Defence (Canada)
The Department of National Defence , frequently referred to by its acronym DND, is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for all matters concerning the defence of Canada...
, the Canadian attack frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
HMCS Grou was named in honor of Jean Grou.
Many North American derivations of the Grou surname (Groux, Groulx, La Grou, etc.) have been traced to Jean Grou and his lineage, including Lionel Groulx
Lionel Groulx
Lionel-Adolphe Groulx was a Roman Catholic priest, historian and Quebec nationalist. -Early life and ordination:Groulx was born at Chenaux, Quebec, Canada, the son of a farmer and lumberjack, and died in Vaudreuil, Quebec. After his seminary training and studies in Europe, he taught at Valleyfield...
, noted Québécois historian and nationalist
Quebec nationalism
Quebec nationalism is a nationalist movement in the Canadian province of Quebec .-1534–1774:Canada was first a french colony. Jacques Cartier claimed it for France in 1534, and permanent French settlement began in 1608. It was part of New France, which constituted all French colonies in North America...
. Claude Ryan
Claude Ryan
Claude Ryan, was a Canadian politician and leader of the Parti libéral du Québec from 1978 to 1982. He was also the National Assembly of Quebec member for Argenteuil from 1979 to 1994.-Early life and career:...
called Lionel Groulx the "spiritual father of modern Quebec."
External links
- Timeline of Iroquois War with reference to Jean Grou and "coulee" Grou
- Specific Detail of Jean Grou and "coulee" Grou, From TanguayTanguayTanguay may refer to :* Alex Tanguay , a Canadian professional ice hockey player* Cyprien Tanguay , a French-Canadian priest and historian* Eva Tanguay , a Canadian-born singer and entertainer...
, VOLUME 1, PAGE 283 - Marriage of Jean Grou to Marie-Anne Goyette in 1671
- Lengthy bio of family Grou
- Directions to Coulee Grou monument, in French
- History of Coulee Grou by noted Quebec nationalist historian Lionel GroulxLionel GroulxLionel-Adolphe Groulx was a Roman Catholic priest, historian and Quebec nationalist. -Early life and ordination:Groulx was born at Chenaux, Quebec, Canada, the son of a farmer and lumberjack, and died in Vaudreuil, Quebec. After his seminary training and studies in Europe, he taught at Valleyfield...
, a descendant of Jean Grou