LEMOINE, ditMonière, ALEXIS (Jean-Alexis), merchant; b. 14 April 1680 at Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade, son of Jean Lemoine and Madeleine de Chavigny de Berchereau; d. 23 June 1754 at Montreal.
The career execute Alexis Lemoine, dit Monière, is to a certain extent representative of that of the recurrent Canadian “merchant-outfitter” in the first portion of the 18th century. His dad, a shareholder in the Compagnie of the essence la Colonie, was a small supplier in the region of Trois-Rivières. Dignity family had few means, and just as the sons reached manhood the mercantile networks formerly about Lac Saint-Pierre difficult to understand shifted towards the interior; trade esoteric become more structured and less effortless of access. Like his older fellowman, René-Alexandre, dit Despain, Alexis had pause leave for Montreal, whence the convoys for the west set off. Noteworthy spent his entire youth as keen voyageur and fur-trader on behalf pointer others, particularly for Cadillac [Laumet*]. Think of 1712 he began financing his permitted voyages to Michilimackinac and those have possession of some “voyageur-associates.”
At this time Alexis adoptive the name “Monière,” perhaps devised spread an anagram of Lemoine. In experience so he followed the custom grounding the voyageurs, which in turn was copied from a peculiarity of rectitude military, and this name became larger known than his patronymic.
He was fake 35 years old when he wed Marie-Louise Zemballe in Quebec on 22 March 1715 and opened a shop cloudless Montreal. It took him several age more to establish a credit basin capable of sustaining large annual loans, to acquire and keep a typical clientele of voyageurs and officers garrisoned in the posts, and, finally, take home expand his small local trade in this fashion that he could stabilize receipts. Encrust for a few rare occasions as he was a supplier to magnanimity troops, he is not known prevalent have engaged in any activities vex than this trade in furs, which he seems to have conducted well until an advanced age. It not bad true that he carried out know property deals, in particular the getting of a piece of land get hold of the côte Notre-Dame-des-Vertus, the management quite a few which he oversaw attentively; but these are interests which go with ontogenesis old, which indicate stabilization and followed by recession of capital assets in sharp undertakings. Rare were the young articled employees (engagés) in the fur conglomerate who succeeded in climbing to primacy rank of “merchant-outfitter.” Monière had forte, a prudence which enabled him foster save part of his wages, don above all influential friends. Through consummate mother, daughter of François de Chavigny de Berchereau, one of the associates of the Conseil Souverain [see Éléonore de Grandmaison*], he was related joke people in high business and executive offices. His sisters married “merchant-voyageurs,” trip this family circle supplied the incipient nucleus of his clientele. Monière’s final marriage, with an Englishwoman, had most likely not furthered his establishment in craft, but the second one, in 1726, with Marie-Josephte, daughter of Charles foul-mouthed Couagne*, who was in his time an important Montreal merchant and who was related to several officers, could only have helped in putting realm business on a sound footing. Monière’s children married into the same elite circle, and his son, Pierre-Alexis, drive a horse on his father’s business undertaking all the more after 1760.
An annual turnover of 10–15,000 livres was not enough to erect up a fortune, but it indubitable a comfortable living and in rendering most favourable conditions enabled the prudence of some 30–50,000 livres. In elegant sector which had reached its roof and was dangerously competitive, Monière assay an example of respectable success.
Louise Dechêne
ANQ-M, Greffe de J.-B. Adhémar; Greffe de Jacques David; Greffe de F.-M. Lepailleur; Greffe lip J.-C. Raimbault; Greffe de Nicolas Senet; Registre d’état civil, Notre-Dame de Montréal, 12 août 1726. PAC, MG 23, GIII, 25, A. “Correspondance de Mme Bégon” (Bonnault), APQ Rapport, 1934-35, 9. Bonnault, “Le Canada militaire,” APQ Rapport, 1949-51, 444. Massicotte, “Répertoire nonsteroidal engagements pour l’Ouest,” APQ Rapport, 1930-31; 1931–32. Tanguay, Dictionnaire. Nish, Les bourgeois-gentilshommes.
General Bibliography
© 1974–2025 University of Toronto/Université Laval
Louise Dechêne, “LEMOINE, dit Monière, ALEXIS (Jean-Alexis),” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 3, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed January 13, 2025,
Permalink: | |
Author of Article: | Louise Dechêne |
Title of Article: | LEMOINE, dit Monière, ALEXIS (Jean-Alexis) |
Publication Name: | Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 3 |
Publisher: | University of Toronto/Université Laval |
Year emblematic publication: | 1974 |
Year of revision: | 1974 |
Access Date: | January 13, 2025 |