Pierre (Duquet) Duquette (1845 - 1882)

Born 6 Mar 1845 in Châteauguay, Bas-Canada

Ancestors

Husband of Célanire Bouthillier — married 29 Jul 1865 in Châteauguay, Châteauguay, Canada Est

Died 23 Sep 1882 at age 37 in Châteauguay, Québec, Canada

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Biography

Pierre was born in 1845. He is the son of Paul Duquet and Catherine Auger. He passed away in 1882.

Mariage

The 1881 census for Sault-St-Louis shows a Pierre Duquette and wife Célanire Bouthillier (1847-) living in Caughnawaga with their children.

Children

1. Pierre Duquet (1865-)
2. Délima Duquette (abt.1868-)
3. Joseph Duquet (abt.1872-1873)
4. Marie Duquette (abt.1878-)
5. Joseph Duquette (abt.1880-).

Occupation

Pierre was a “pilote” (captain/navigator) – for a steamboat that was plying the waters between Kahnawake and Lachine.

Pierre Duquette parents were Paul Duquette and Catherine Auger. Pierre’s grandparents were Paul Duquette and his second wife Marie Louise Primeau,and his grandparents were Jean Baptiste Duquette and Francoise Daigeault Deniau.

^[1]Celanire’s parents were Clement Chateauguay Caughawaga DuquetsBouthillier and Marie Louise Gagnon.

Unfortunately, just one year after this 1881 census a great tragedy ensued. On September 21st, the Richelieu steamer had left Lachine headed for the Chateauguay Basin with Pierre Duquette as Captain. Pierre’s son was also on board as Purser, as well as his nephew Joseph Duquette who was at the helm at the time of the accident. In addition to other crew the Richelieu carried about 60 passengers and horses. At one point the steam ran low and the strong currents of the St-Lawrence began to turn the steamboat around. The Captain and the engineer fought for control of the ship but at a certain point “the engine made half a revolution with great rapidity, a loud sharp report followed by a crash, and flying cinders, smoke and soot were blown among the passengers.

Research Notes

^[2]Lachine - Chateauguay - Caughnawaga disaster

boat disaster between Lachine, Caughnawaga and Chateauguay Basin

You can read a fuller account of this incident in a newspaper clipping posted by Walter at the

Maritime History of the Great Lakes.

I cannot even begin to imagine how Celanire Bouthillier could have coped with the loss of her husband and son on the same day.

I have tried to locate Celanire and her family in the next available census in 1901 but was unsuccessful. However, I did find a marriage for their son Joseph Duquette. Joseph married Exilda Desnoyers in 1903 in St-Hyacinthe Parish in New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA. Exilda’s parents were Philippe Desnoyers and Celia Coderre.

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.genealogiequebec.com/Membership/LAFRANCE/acte/4876958
2. ↑ https://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/details.asp?ID=61895

• Baptême: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-8993-ZG9K?i=131&wc=9RLD-2N5%3A13629501%2C13629502%2C15617003&cc=1321742

• 1881 Canada Census: http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/e/e327/e008150714.pdf

• https://acanadianfamily.wordpress.com/2012/10/08/reader-query-duquettes-in-caughnawaga-disaster-strikes-part-33/

• www.bms2000.org