John Arthur Thorne writes:
The "great" dispute is that although Roy (pronounced Wa) was there before Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, he didn't establish the "permanent" settlement structure that ultimately became Detroit. Cadillac arrived (with 200 French and Indians) in July, 1601 to do just that. In "Legends of le Detroit," Marie Hamlin wrote that Pierre Roy and another Frenchman, Francois Pelletier, greeted Cadillac as he pulled up on the Detroit River shore. Hamlin states that Roy and Pelletier were already living there among the Ottawa and Huron Indians. Had the early Detroit historians (e.g., the renown Clarence Burton) supported coureur de bois (trapper) Roy as Detroit's founding father (instead of the aristocratic and influential Cadillac), there would be no Cadillac car, Cadillac Square, or Cadillac Boulevard today. On the other hand, Roy Boulevard does have a nice ring to it!
Robert Anthony Borgon finds:
Claimed to be the first settler in or near Fort Detroit, New France (Michigan). He lived in this neighborhood with the Indians before Cadillac came.
He was the son of Pierre Roy & Catherine Ducharme, born at Laprairie. Pierre married 1st to Marguerite Ouankikove/Ouabankiknove in 1703 at Detroit and 2nd to Marie-Angelique Faye-Lafaillette in 1705 at Laprairie. His children were: Marguerite (1704-1755) (m. Jean Robin dit Latouche in 1739), Pierre III (1706-1716), Marie-Louise (1708-1735) (m. Alexis Trotier des Ruisseaux in 1735 at Detroit), Marie-Renee (1710-?) (m. Jacques Tremblay in 1730), Marie-Madeleine (1710-1732) (m. Pierre Chene dit Labutte in 1728 at Miami village near Detroit), Marie-Anne (1705/12-?) (m. Francois Dupuis in 1732), Francois (1713-?) (m. Barbara-Elizabeth Dudevoir dit Lachine about 1735 at Detroit), Marie-Angelique (1717-?), Marie-Louisa (1717-?), Marie-Rose (1718-?), Marie-Charlotte (1720-?) & Jacques (1723-?).
Pierre I was hired in 1692 by the Jesuits to go to the 8ta8ois and in 1696 he was hired by Dumez, Trudeau & Benoit to the same tribe. In 1703 he was employed by Cadillac at Detroit and also employed in the west for the years of 1713 & 1718.
Some suggest his wife Maragaret Ouabankikove had 6 children which questions Peter's second marriage in 1705 at Laprairie to Marie Angelique Faye Lafaillette. It is noteworthy that the Detroit area was the location of a Metis Settlement long before the French established their Fort and was likely preceded by an Indian settlement.
Pierre Roy, son of Pierre, and Catherine Ducharme, born Jan. 3, 1677 Laprairie, Qc married circa 1703 Detroit Marguerite Ouabankikove, a Miami Indian with whom he lived in the Miamis village. She died of smallpox and was buried Oct. 31 1732 Detroit. Pierre Roy was with Antoine De La Mothe Cadillac when they landed at Detroit July 24 1701 and established Fort Pontchartrain. Children born Detroit: Marguerite born Apr 27 1704 buried Apr 21 1755 Quebec married there Apr 27 1739 Jean Robin dit Latouche, born parish of Chanier diocese of Saintes, Saintonge, France. Son of Jean Robin and Jeanne Gadolet Pierre born Apr 21 1706 Marie-Louise born May 19 1708 buried there Dec 3 1735 married there Jan 6 1735 Alexis Trotier des Ruisseaux, born Oct 21 1688 Champlain buried June 5 1763, Detroit, son of Antoine Trotier des Ruisseaux and Catherine Lefebvre. Marie-Madeleine born May 25 1710 buried there Nov 20 1732, married May 25 1728 Fort St-Philip at the village of the Miamis south of Detroit, Pierre Chene dit Labutte born Jul 23 1698, Montreal, buried May 16 1774 Detroit, son of Pierre St-Onge dit Chene and Louise Jeanne Bailly. Francis born Apr 19 1713 married Elizabeth Dudevoir dit Lachine born Mar 22 1720, Montreal, daughter of Claude Dudevoir and Barbara Elizabeth Cardinal. Marie-Louise born June 3 1717.
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