Pierre Marcoux
Encyclopedia
Pierre Marcoux was a businessman and militia officer in Lower Canada
.
He was born at Quebec City
in 1757, the son of Pierre Marcoux
and his first wife, Geneviève Lepage. Marcoux served in the militia during the defence of the town against the Americans
in 1775-6. At the end of the American Revolution
, he was placed on half pay and received a grant of land. He married Marie-Anne, the daughter of Quebec merchant Louis Dunière
, in 1783. In 1785, in partnership with his father-in-law and other Quebec merchants, he organized an expedition to Baie des Esquimaux (Hamilton Inlet
) on the Labrador
coast to harvest seals. Although the first trip was not particularly successful, in 1788, they were able to trade supplies with the local natives for seals, despite a dispute with two other traders active in the area and continued to trade in the area during the 1790s. From 1796 to 1802, he served as a captain in the Royal Canadian Volunteer Regiment.
In 1797, Marcoux received a share of the family farm after the death of his father. He sold his share to his father-in-law and settled at Montreal
. He became a member there of the Club des Apôtres, which held monthly gastronomic suppers. In 1809, he was named overseer of highways for Quebec district but he died soon afterwards of pleurisy
at Berthier
in 1809.
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
.
He was born at Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
in 1757, the son of Pierre Marcoux
Pierre Marcoux, Sr.
Pierre Marcoux was a businessman and political figure in Lower Canada.He was born at Quebec City in 1731. He was a merchant there until 1783, when he settled on a farm near Berthier. With others, he became involved in the production, shipping and sale of flour. Marcoux also owned a store in Quebec...
and his first wife, Geneviève Lepage. Marcoux served in the militia during the defence of the town against the Americans
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1775-6. At the end of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, he was placed on half pay and received a grant of land. He married Marie-Anne, the daughter of Quebec merchant Louis Dunière
Louis Dunière
Louis Dunière was a businessman and political figure in Lower Canada.He was born at Quebec City in 1723, the son of a merchant born in France. He purchased land, managed the seigneury of Bellechasse and was also involved in the grain trade...
, in 1783. In 1785, in partnership with his father-in-law and other Quebec merchants, he organized an expedition to Baie des Esquimaux (Hamilton Inlet
Hamilton Inlet
Hamilton Inlet is a fjord-like inlet on the Labrador coast of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Together with Lake Melville, it forms the province's largest estuary, extending over 140 kilometres inland to Happy Valley-Goose Bay and primarily draining the Churchill River and...
) on the Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
coast to harvest seals. Although the first trip was not particularly successful, in 1788, they were able to trade supplies with the local natives for seals, despite a dispute with two other traders active in the area and continued to trade in the area during the 1790s. From 1796 to 1802, he served as a captain in the Royal Canadian Volunteer Regiment.
In 1797, Marcoux received a share of the family farm after the death of his father. He sold his share to his father-in-law and settled at 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...
. He became a member there of the Club des Apôtres, which held monthly gastronomic suppers. In 1809, he was named overseer of highways for Quebec district but he died soon afterwards of pleurisy
Pleurisy
Pleurisy is an inflammation of the pleura, the lining of the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs. Among other things, infections are the most common cause of pleurisy....
at Berthier
Berthier-sur-Mer, Quebec
Berthier-sur-Mer is a town in the Montmagny Regional County Municipality within the Chaudière-Appalaches region of Quebec, Canada. It is located on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River, east of Quebec City on Route 132....
in 1809.