Jean Baptiste Branconnier was a French Canadian who was born on January 19, 1791 in Montreal, PQ. He was the son of Pierre Branconnier and Marie Angelique Provencal. The Branconniers made their home in Notre Dame, PQ. Jean Baptiste's great-grandfather, Jean Baptiste Braconnier (dit) Parisien came to Canada in the late 1600's and settled in St. Laurent, Iles d'Orleans.
According to Masson's, Les Bourgeois de la Compagnie du Nord Quest, Jean Baptiste is listed, in 1804, in the 'Lac Ouinipic' (Lake Winnipeg) department. It is difficult to believe a boy of 14 could endure the hard, unforgiving life of the colorful voyageurs.
He travelled back to Montreal to spend the winters, (this was referred to as mangeur du lard) but maintained a career with the Northwest Company. On February 8, 1810, he signed a new contract with the company in Montreal, using an X for a signature, (most of the voyageurs were illiterate). This time he signed on as an avant (bowmen). This entitled him to a higher wage, 400 French Livres, to go to Fort William and another 200 to go to Lac la Pluie. He travelled up to Fort William on the Kaministiguia river, passing by Michilimackinac then on to Lac la Pluie.
He was to provide six days of 'corvee', making two voyages to 'Mountain Portage' from Fort William or, at the discretion of the Sieurs, he was to provide six days of other work that they might deem necessary. He would help carry the three man canoes across land as well. He was supplied with one three-point blanket, three yards of cotton, one pair of leather moccasins and collier.
Between July 1811 and July 1816 he appears to have made numerous trips between Lac Ouinipic and Lac Nipigon being paid between 350 - 475 French Livres. According to the engage books from both departments he is being paid as a 'bout'.
In August 1816, we find him wintering at Fort Gibraltar. Fort Gibraltar was built in 1809 and was located at the forks of the Red and the Assiniboine rivers. On March 17, 1816, in the dead of the night, Mr. Colin Robertson, with a party of seventeen armed men broke into the NWCo fort. They seized Duncan Cameron and his servants, among them Jean Baptiste Branconnier, pillaged the fort of all property including fifty packs of furs and destroyed the buildings. The goods and prisoners were sent to Fort Douglas and then on to York Factory. Duncan Cameron and Jean Baptiste Branconnier along with two other servants arrived at York Factory on Tuesday, June 11, 1816. As prisoners, they were sent off to stand trial in England. In July 1817, the ship set sail once again bound for London, England. The list of inventory and company records were sent on the ship Brittanica. Half way through the voyage the ship caught fire and sank. Once arriving in London, Duncan Cameron and Jean Baptiste were released due to lack of formal charges.
In 1818, Jean Baptiste Branconnier appeared in Toronto to give testimony at the Semple trial, which dealt with the events that led up to the Battle of Seven Oaks and the death of Robert Semple. The following is the actual testimony of Jean Baptiste.
"I know that Fort Gibraltar situated near the forks of the Red River was taken by the Hudson's Bay people. I was there at the time, in the service of the Northwest Company, and was wounded by one of the party who took the fort, but I am not sure by whom. The conduct of this party who took possession of the Fort and wounded me was violent and outrageous, beyond anything I ever witnessed, so much so, that I was afraid we would all be murdered by them. They put pistols to our heads and threatened to blow our brains out, under all manner of violence and carnage was committed. I was taken to Hudson's Bay but not as a prisoner and from there after stopping a long time, I was sent to England by Mister Robertson." "Do you know about Fort Douglas having afterward being taken?" "No, I was gone before that happened."
In January 1819, Jean Baptiste signed a three year contract, as an "hivernant," in Montreal, to winter in Upper Canada. He was supplied with one three-point blanket, one two-point blanket, six yards of cotton, one pair of leather moccasins and a collier for the first year. He returned to Red River and in 1819 married Elise/Louise Beauchemin in the first Catholic church in St. Boniface. They had seven children together. Many of their children would marry sons and daughters of some of the prominent families in Red River such as Bird and McDermot.
His family and his children's families were among the buffalo hunters that remained in Red River. They were politically active and showed support to Louis Riel's movement to protect the rights of the Metis people.
Jean Baptiste remained with the NWCo until they merged with the H.B.C., but having little use for the English he quit the service in 1822. Jean Baptiste Branconnier died on July 6, 1863 in St. Francois Xavier, Manitoba.
Today descendants of Jean Baptiste Branconnier can still be found near the area where he spent most of his life, enjoying today what he and many others fought hard to preserve.
Prepared and researched by Les. W. Branconnier 1996 Metis Resource Centre - Genealogical Researcher