Simon came to New France as a soldier Lestringant de Saint-Martin and was in the campaign against the Iroquois below Montreal. He married Marie-Margaret at Quebec City. Simon and Marguerite had one child born at Repentigny, Quebec. Three more children were baptized St. Francis, Isle de Orleans, Quebec. This is where my direct ancestor, Jean-Baptiste, was born on February 14, 1707. The family left their farm on the island moving to Quebec City about 1707 where two more children were born. Marguerite died in 1711 at the age of 30. Simon was listed as a “soldat de le Mothe” with Cadillac. He was a sub-lieutenant at the time of his second marriage at Levis to Ann Cadoret, age 19, the daughter of George and Barbara Boucher. This couple had eleven children but all of the children died between the ages of one and nine years with the exception of Marie Catherine who married Charles Carrier. Shortly after the marriage of Simon and Ann they moved to Walpole Island which lies north of Detroit on the Ste. Clair river directly across from Algonac, Michigan. Simon was to have received the land grant from the natives (Hurons?) written on a birch bark that was said to have been handed down to the 6th generation but then lost. Simon and several others were ambushed by natives three miles past Fort Ponchartrain, a league west of the river. He was buried at Detroit October 21, 1733. Ann was listed in the Quebec City census of 1744 living with her daughter Catherine. Ann died at Quebec City March 2, 1754.
The following two articles concerning the Drouillard family appeared in Michigan’s Habitant Heritage newsletter published by the French-Canadian Heritage Society of Michigan. The first is from the April, 2008 and the second is July, 2022 with the promise of additional information in future issues.