Madam La Compt
Madam La Compt is a legendary figure in the Pioneer History of Illinois written by John Reynolds (1788–1865).
[3] The three generations of women who inspired Reynold's Madam La Compt include Mme.
Although much of these women's lives are centered in Fort St. Joseph, Fort Michilimackinac, and Cahokia, it began in the late 17th century in the frontier of New France with Symphorosa Ouaouaboukoue, a Native American woman, likely a Menominee, and Jean Baptiste Réaume, parents of Marie Magdeleine.
[5] According to Reynolds, the woman who became "Madam La Compt" was born in 1734 at Fort St. Joseph, New France of Canada.
Le Compte's grandmother and her second husband Louis-Therese Chevalier, both leaders in the St. Joseph community.
[17] He married Symphorosa Ouaouaboukoue before 1714[16] after which their daughter Marie Magdeleine was born in Illinois Country.
Along the network were French forts for trade routes and to prevent British from establishing themselves in New France territory.
[17] After Augustine's death, Marie Magdeleine grew vegetables and grains that she sold to fur traders and the fort.
She also raised livestock, and made goods, including a bark canoe and snowshoes, that were sold to the fort.
The family, including her sons-in-law returned to her home with her to expand the supply of food to the fur traders.
[22] The family lines grew closer as Marie Magdeleine and Louis' became godparents to one another's grandchildren.
Marie Magdeleine was the godmother to a middle-aged Potawatomi woman and a thirteen-year old enslaved girl.
Marie Magdeleine cared that a Miami couple had the priest bless their marriage, in addition to their traditional wedding ceremony.
[23] Like the native women in the area, Mary Magdeleine and her daughters were responsible for growing and harvesting crops.
[24] About the early 1770s, before the start of the American Revolutionary War, Mary Magdeleine had more food than she needed for herself and to sell in the area.
Their relationship became complicated in the days leading up to the Revolutionary War and as Louis tried to twart the British emergence in the fur trade in the area.
[24] Louis planned a visit with Gros Loup to meet British Lieutenant Governor Henry Hamilton in Detroit in 1778.
[25] Loup went with Hamilton during his August 6 to October 27, 1778 voyage along the upper Maumee River during the war.
[16] They were also "celebrated personalities" and Lieutenant Governor Patrick Sinclair was distrustful about Marie Magdelein and Louis because of their relationship with Native Americans and had them moved with 14 other families to Fort Michilimackinac in 1780.
"[16] Marie Josephte Esther L'Archevêque, also called Josette, born at Fort St. Joseph about 1733.
[20] As the families of the L'Archevêque's sisters grew, they began moving west to Cahokia, which further expanded their fur trading ties into Illinois.
Godparents and godchildren continued to form relationships within and between the Chevalier and L'Archevêque family lines.
[22] Marie Josephte married a second time to Charles Leboeuf (le Boeuf) dit Laflamme.
[16] Thomas Brady moved to Cahokia in 1776[28] and Marie L'Archevêque entered into a marriage contract with him on June 8, 1779.
[16][27] The British, however, were unable to find Loyalists of the remaining St. Joseph residents for the attack on St. Louis.
In addition, Magdeleine's "kin network" of relatives, including her daughters and sons-in-law from Cahokia wanted to fight the British.
From the network of relatives, son-in-law, Thomas Brady, and Jean Baptiste Hamelin, planned and led an attack in December 1780 against the British at St. Joseph, where they were successful against the soldiers at the fort, packed up what they could carry, and set fire to the rest of the British supplies and holdings.
[14] Louis Pilet, Michel's brother, lived in Chicagou and Peoria where he was a customer of John Kinzie from 1802 to 1821 and was likely known to Reyonds for his land claim transactions.
