Francois Viennay-Pachot

Francois Viennay-Pachot was originally from Bourg-d’Oisans, France, and as soon as he arrived in New France, probably before 1679, he opened a store in the Lower Town of Quebec. He must have had the status of a hawker – a hawker could not traffic with the Indians or open a store at Montreal or Trois-Rivières from 15 June to 15 August – since on 24 April 1681 he presented a petition to the Conseil Souverain, in which he claimed the enjoyment of the privileges possessed by the other merchants.

Francois obtained the Rivière-Mitis seigneury on 7 January 1689, which had an area of one square league, where he intended to carry on cod- and seal-fishing. Later in the same year he obtained, with several partners, “permission to fish for cod, whale, seal, porpoise and others that there may be in the St. Lawrence Gulf and River.” In 1696 he also obtained a permission to fishing and hunting throughout the whole extent of the Mingan islands. He made a respectable career and was even among the directors of the trading company Compagnie du Nord, in 1690.