Franςois Drouillard, U.E. Loyalist

Franςois Drouillard was born in Rivière-des-Prairies, New France, near Montreal, on April 11, 1741. His father, Jean Baptiste Drouillard, was a voyageur. In 1749, the family moved to Detroit where they received a land grant of three arpents on the south shore of the Detroit River.

At various times over the course of his life, Franςois was a voyageur, farmer, and served in the militia during and after the French-Indian War (1754-1763) from 1763 to 1765. In 1777, Governor Hamilton appointed him a Lieutenant of the South Coast Militia. Col. McKee, Mr. Baby, and several other regional notables vouched for Drouillard’s character and loyal service, so he was awarded 1200 acres in his land petition of 1796.

In 1766 Franςois married Marie-Anne Villiers, daughter of Louis Villiers, their immediate neighbour on the shores of the Detroit River. The wedding took place in the dead of winter on January 14th, and in a highly unusual move for the time, the ceremony was held in the Huron Church mission on the south shore, rather than in St. Anne’s church in Fort Detroit, owing to the difficulty of crossing the river due to ice. Their family eventually included twelve children.

Drouillard was a staunch supporter of his local Catholic community, and donated land for the construction of what would be named Our Lady of the Rosary Church. Over the course of his 71 years, Franςois lived a remarkable life on Canada’s frontier during our country’s earliest days. Drouillard Road, which now includes the city sector known as “Ford City” is named in his honour. He died on September 23, 1812 and is buried in Assumption Cemetery in Windsor.