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THE COUREUR DES BOIS
Menard Choart Des Groseillier and Radisson are Coureur de bois. Radisson is standing and Groseillier is sitting in this drawing.
THE GROZELLE FAMILIES BEGINNING
THE HISTORY BEGINS
A long time ago on January 29, 1682, four hundred years ago, Medard Chouart des Groseilliers was born. The start of our family tree.
Our family tree began with a brave French explorer named Médard Chouart des Groseilliers. He paddled across huge lakes, traveled through forests, and helped start the Hudson’s Bay Company — one of the oldest companies in the world.
Médard had a daughter named Marie‑Antoinette, who grew up in the early days of New France. Marie-Antoinette’s children and grandchildren grew up and moved away. They moved to the Montréal area. After a time they moved to Châteauguay Quebec.
One of those descendants was François Desgroseilliers, born in 1774. He married Catherine Reid, and they had a son named Joachim. Joachim married Geneviève Rochon, and their children carried the family name into the 1800s.
In 1842, Antoine Alfred des Groseilliers was born.As a young lad He moved to Ontario, where English was the language spoken.
Antoine found work in Ontario. He worked for an English Company. Unfortunately, the english pay clerks had trouble spelling Antoine’s french name, Desgroseilliers. they slowly changed his name to Grozelle -Grozelle is the name the family is known as today.
Alfred raised his family in Ontario, and his children and grandchildren continued the story.
And now, that story has reached you.
Image of Des Groseilliers and important people in his life
commemorative coins
The coins were made in appreciation of the part Desgroseilliers and Radisson played in developing Canada. They both were responsible for opening the fur trade with England and France, which saved Canada.
HUDSON BAY COMPANY
Medard Chouart Des Groseilliers along with Radisson played a large part in the development of the Hudson Bay Company.
An early picture of the Hudson Bay Company
