Antoine Cuillerier de Beaubien was among Detroit’s earliest settlers. His close relationships with local Indigenous nations and his role as an intermediary during Pontiac’s War give him a unique place in the city’s early history. I’m one of his many descendants, and I’ve taken a special interest in his story. Whether you’re part of the Cuillerier family or simply curious about early Detroit, I invite you to join me as I explore the life of Antoine Cuillerier.
Early Life
Antoine Cuillerier de Beaubien was born on March 22, 1697, in Lachine, Montreal, Nouvelle-France to Jean Cuillerier and Marie Catherine Trottier dite Desruisseaux. He was the eldest of three siblings, including Angelique Cuillerier dit Beaubien and Jean Baptiste Cuillerier.
His father Jean was a coureur des bois and the son of a prominent fur merchant from the Montreal area. Jean married Marie Catherine on May 3, 1696, in Montréal, Nouvelle-France. During her marriage, Marie Catherine became involved in the fur trade. After Jean’s death around 1714, she remarried François Marie Picoté de Bellestre. That same year, Catherine and her new husband moved to Detroit, where they went on to have two children.
On June 3, 1722, Antoine married Marie-Angelica Girard in Lachine, Montreal, Nouvelle-France.They had seven children together: Judith Cuillerier Beaubien, Marie-Josephe Gouin, Marie-Claire Cuillerier dit Beaubien, Marie Angelique Angelica Cuillerier dit Beaubien, Marie Anne Cuillerier, Alexis Cuillerier and Angelique Cuillerier dit Beaubien.
Life in Detroit
Antoine Cuillerier and his younger brother Jean Baptiste Cuillerier also relocated to Detroit after their mother, Marie Catherine Trottier, and her second husband moved there. Antoine arrived in Detroit in 1729 or 1730. While he and his wife had their first four children in Lachine, the remainder of their seven children were born in Detroit.
In Detroit, Antoine Cuillerier worked as an interpreter of Indigenous languages. He also followed in his parents’ footsteps and joined the fur trade. Cuillerier lived well in Detroit. His home was half a mile outside Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit and was a rich and luxurious dwelling, envied by many Frenchmen. The main room was a great hall where Pontiac frequently held councils with as many as two hundred Indigenous warriors.
In Detroit, Antoine Cuillerier worked as an interpreter of Indigenous languages and, like his parents, joined the fur trade. He lived well outside Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit, in a rich and luxurious home half a mile from the fort — a dwelling envied by many Frenchmen. The main room was a grand hall, where Pontiac often held councils with as many as two hundred Indigenous warriors.
Cuillerier served in the Detroit militia in 1756 during the French and Indian War. His half-brother, François-Marie Picoté de Belestre Jr., was the last French commandant of Fort Detroit and was forced to surrender it to the British under Major Robert Rogers on November 29, 1760. Cuillerier had hoped to succeed him as commandant.
Relationship with Pontiac
During Pontiac’s War, Antoine Cuillerier de Beaubien played an important role as a leader and an intermediary. Pontiac convened a meeting at Cuillerier’s home, which included chiefs of the Ottawa, Chippewa, Huron and Pottawatomi nations, some French traders and British officers, including Captain Donald Campbell and Lieutenant George McDougall. This meeting was held at Cuillerier’s home because Pontiac regarded him as Detroit’s “true commandant” in the absence of his half-brother.
McDougall was shocked by Cuillerier’s behaviour during the meeting. Cuillerier didn’t rise when the British officers entered his home and remained seated. He also wore a fancy, laced coat and refused to remove his hat, demonstrating defiance and a lack of respect toward British authority. Cuillerier was making a statement with his conduct, essentially rejecting British rule and re-establishing French authority in Detroit.
My Connection to Antoine Cuillerier
So far, I have one connection to Antoine Cuillerier through my mother.
- Antoine Cuillerier (1697 – aft. 1779) and Marie-Angelica Girard (1690 – 1783)
- Alexis Cuillerier (abt. 1732 – abt. 1790) and Marie Louisa Reaume (1750)
- Catherine Cuillerier (1789 – 1850) and Antoine Jubenville (1771 – abt. 1839)
- Zoé Hersilie Jubenville (1828 – 1870) and Jean Baptiste Renaud (1828)
- Mary Catherine Higgins (1908 – 1983) and Walter Grondin (1910 – 1998)
- Martha Grondin (Born 1950) and Gary Willis (Born 1946) – my parents
Want to learn more about Detroit’s earliest French settlers? Check out Detroit’s Original French Canadian Settlers & Their Fascinating Stories.
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