Pierre Foretier (January 12, 1738 – December 3, 1815) was a

fur trade The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the mos ...

seigneur ''Seigneur'' is an originally feudal title in France before the Revolution, in New France and British North America until 1854, and in the Channel Islands to this day. A seigneur refers to the person or collective who owned a ''seigneurie'' (or ...

and official in

Lower Canada The Province of Lower Canada (french: province du Bas-Canada) was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence (1791–1841). It covered the southern portion of the current Province of Quebec an ...

. He was born in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

in 1738, the son of a shoemaker who died when Pierre was nine. He became a merchant supplying goods to fur traders. In 1764, he married Thérèse Legrand, daughter of a Montreal merchant. He owned his own store and operated a store for his father-in-law. He partnered with Joseph Périnault in several fur trading expeditions. In 1765, with Périnault, he purchased a large part of the sub-fief of Closse and the seigneury of Île-Bizard, later buying out his partner and purchasing the remainder of these properties. After 1767, he operated on his own before taking on Jean Orillat as a partner in 1774. Foretier also purchased property in the faubourg Saint-Laurent in Montreal. During the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

invasion of 1775–6, he helped supply Canadian forces, despite having his home occupied by an American colonel and his entourage. He was named a justice of the peace in 1779. Foretier was among those who lobbied for constitutional reform in the province; he ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the legislative assembly in 1792. Foretier later served in the militia, serving as colonel from 1804 until his death at Montreal in 1815. His daughter Marie-Amable married

Denis-Benjamin Viger Denis-Benjamin Viger (; August 19, 1774 – February 13, 1861) was a 19th-century politician, lawyer, businessman in Lower Canada. He was a leader in the ''Patriote'' movement. Viger was part of the militia in the early 19th century and th ...

; his daughter Marie-Élizabeth married judge

Louis-Charles Foucher Lt-Colonel The Hon. Louis-Charles Foucher (September 13, 1760 – December 26, 1829) was Solicitor General for Lower Canada and elected to the 2nd Parliament of Lower Canada for Montreal West, and afterwards for York and Trois-Rivières. H ...

. His grandson Hugues Heney later represented Montreal East in the legislative assembly and served in the province's Executive Council.

External links

Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foretier, Pierre 1738 births 1815 deaths Canadian fur traders