Olivier Morel, sieur de La Durantaye:
(1640-1716)
Olivier was the son of Thomas Morel &
Alliette du Houssaye, born in Bretagne, France. He married Francoise (daughter
of Denis Duquet & Catherine Gautier), the widow of Jean Madry, at Qubec
in 1670. Their children were Louis-Joseph (b.1671)(m.1st.Elisabeth Rasne
& 2nd Elisabeth Picaret), Francoise-Genevieve (b.1672)(m.Louis de Cadaran,
sieur de Bonneville in 1687), Philippe-Olivier (sieur du Houssay)(1675-1703)(m.Marie-Suzanne
Guyon), Charles-Alexander (sieur de La Chaussee)(b.1681)(m.1st.Charlotte
Moussion & 2nd.Marie Couillard) & Francois (sieur de Boisbrillant
& du Houssay)(1685-1722)(m.Marie Thibierge).
Olivier arrived in New France a newly commission
captain in the Regt.of Campelle, attached to the Carignan-Salieres Regt.
In 1683 La Durantaye & 30 French soldiers arrive in the west to garrison
St.Ignace. As La Durantaye mission in the west evolves, the eastern edge
of "Middle America" is suffering from the effects of expanding
Iroquois territory & fleeing tribes to the west; increasing English
population & influence in the east (William Penn's new colony of Philadelphia
had 80 houses & New York traders offer better exchange rate & higher
quality goods); recovering western tribes from European epidemics; expanding
fur trade in the Illinois country by Robert Cavelier de la Salle; trading
practices of predominant traders west of Lake Michigan like Nicolas Perrot,
Daniel de Greysolon, sieur du Luth & Pierre-Charles Le Sueur; and shifting
alliances of the western tribes (Dakota & Ojibwe have a strong alliance
against the Fox and the Fox & Iroquois alliance against the Illinois).
In 1684, as commander of Michilimackinac (and a rival of la Salle
in the fur trade), is at Fort.St.Louis with 60 soldiers to assist the commander
in a pending Iroquois attack and later that same year gathers a force of
western tribes for La Barre's failed attempt to invade Iroquois country,
Again in 1687 he is assisting in another invasion of Iroquois country with
Denonville's more successful campaign against that tribe. Earlier that
year La Durantaye & Tonty had joined forces in capturing more than
30 English traders attempting to establish trading ties to the Ottawa,
the English are jailed & their French guides are executed. By 1689
New France was experiencing epidemics & attacks by the Iroquois and
France was at war with the English as William of Orange takes control of
the English throne. Nicolas Perrot declares for France the lands to the
west of Green Bay and Olivier was still at Fort Michilimackinac writing
to the new Governor of New France, Frontenac, that the western tribes were
worried that the French would make an alliance with the Iroquois. Frontenac
answered his concerns by sending Capt.Louis de Louvigny to replace LaDurantaye
as commander and gathered the western tribes with the help of Nicolas Perrot
at Michilimackinac to here his words in council through Louvigny.
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