The Reaume Family: Pioneers of the Detroit Settlement

The Reaume family is an influential French Canadian family. The name itself can be a bit confusing with several variations in spelling, including Rhéaume, Réame, Réaume, and Réasme. My mother descends from this family in several ways, which sparked my interest in exploring them further. Join me as I dive into the history of the Reaume family and their role in settling Quebec, Essex County in Ontario, and Detroit.

René Réaume Arrives in New France

René Réaume, son of Jean Réame and Marie Chevalier, was baptized on January 2, 1642, at St-Étienne Church in Aytré, Aunis (now Charente-Maritime), France.

He arrived in New France on June 18, 1665, at 23, aboard the vessel “Le Cat du Hollande” from La Rochelle, Aunis, France. Upon his arrival, he worked as a master carpenter.

Also arriving on the same day was a young Marie Chevreau. She had lost her father at 12 and immigrated to New France as a “Fille du Roi,” arriving in the colony aboard the ship St-Jean-Baptiste from Dieppe.

René Réaume married Marie Chevreau on October 9, 1665, in Sillery, New France. They had 14 children together: Maurice Réaume, Robert Réaume, Jacques  Réame, Simon Reaume, Etiennette Reaume, René Reaume, Jean Baptiste Reaume, Marie Renée Reaume, Jacques Réaume, Pierre Reaume, Jacques Rhéaume, Michel Reaume, Charles Reaume and Pierre Reaume.

The family initially lived in Quebec City near the Jesuits and the Ursuline Convent. The family then lived by the Petite Rivière along the Saint Charles River for about 15 years. Around 1683, they moved to Saint-Bernard near Charlesbourg. They remained there until René died in 1722.

Robert Reaume – The Voyageur-Trader

The first member of the Reaume family to travel to Detroit was Robert Reaume. He married Elisabeth Brunet dite Belhumeur. In total, they had 9 children together, including Simon Joseph Reaume, Nicolas Marie Réaume, Marie Josephe Reaume, Hyacinthe Réaume, Jean-Baptiste Réaume, Judith Rheaume, Pierre Reaume and Alphonse Paul Réaume.

Reaume had a distinguished career as a voyageur and trader. Recruited by Antoine Laumet de La Mothe-Cadillac, the founder of Detroit, Robert escorted Cadillac’s wife and the wife of his lieutenant, Alphonse de Tonty, from Montreal to Detroit in 1701. Robert spent the winter in the fledgling colony. In June 1702, Reaume signed on for another trip to Fort Detroit. He helped transport the first shipment of furs and hides back to Montreal. 

When trade was re-established at Fort Michilimackinac in 1715, Robert returned to the region. He became the official trade associate at the fort for Captain de Lignery, the fort’s commander. He worked with the commander’s wife from 1715 to 1716 and again from 1718 to 1719. They purchased goods in Montreal, transported them to the forts, traded for furs and hides and then returned to Montreal with the furs. Once there, Reaume would sell the furs, pay off expenses and split the profits with the commander.

Robert retired in 1719 in Montreal. His sons and grandsons went on to play an instrumental role in settling Quebec, Essex, Ontario, and Detroit and Wyandotte, Michigan.

Hyacinthe Réaume Settles in Detroit

While Robert Reaume didn’t settle in Detroit, his son Hyacinthe Réaume did. Hyacinthe was born in Lachine, Quebec, New France, on March 24 1704 and spent part of his life in Montreal before eventually moving to Detroit.

On November 17, 1727, Reaume married Agathe Lacelle. They reportedly had 13 children; however, only nine are listed on WikiTree, including Pierre Réaume, Agathe Marie Anne Reaume, Elizabeth Marie Réaume, Hyacinthe Alexis Reaume, Jacques Reaume, Francoise Marie Réaume, Joseph Réaume, Jean Baptiste Reaume and Marie Anne Reaume.

Hyacinthe Reaume and his family moved to Detroit in 1733 with their two eldest children, Pierre and Agathe Marie Anne. The rest of his children were born in Detroit, where he and Agathe Lacelle raised their family and spent the remainder of their lives. 

While living in Montreal, Hyacinthe worked as a shoemaker. In Detroit, he continued his work as a shoemaker, but also became a voyageur, taking part in the fur trade like his father, Robert Reaume. 

Hyacinthe Réaume was the first member of the Réaume family to receive a land grant in Petite Côte, the area that is now Windsor, Essex County, Ontario, Canada.

Joseph Reaume

Hyacinthe’s son Joseph Reaume is considered one of the pioneers of New France. He was born on November 2, 1739, in Detroit. He followed in the footsteps of his great-great-grandfather, Jean Réaume, and became a cabinet-maker. Joseph was also one of the earliest recorded fur traders.

Joseph Reaume married Marie Charlotte Levasseur on July 7, 1766 in Boucherville, Chambly, Quebec. They had 11 children, including Agathe Reaume, Charlotte Réaume, Joseph Reaume, Nicolas Réaume, Jeanne Marie Anne Reaume, Paschal Reaume, Antoine Réaume, Marie Louise Réaume, Marie-Julia Reaume, Marie Anne Reaume and Magdeleine Marguerite Réaume. 

Joseph’s land in Windsor, Ontario, then called Petite Côte, was surveyed and certified by English authorities in the late 18th century. This land was eventually sold to the Steel Corporation of Canada. 

Reaume was instrumental in the fur trade with the Chippewa. He co-founded the Sandy Lake Trading Company, which expanded trading routes across present-day Minnesota and Wisconsin. 

Following the death of his first wife, Marie Charlotte Levasseur, Joseph Reaume married Marie Josephe Campeau, a granddaughter of Detroit pioneer Jacque Campeau.

The Reaume Family Legacy 

The Réaume family has descendants who are connected to some of the most prominent and influential families in both Canada and the United States.

In Canada, members of the family were involved in politics and sports. Arthur John Reaume served as the Mayor of Windsor, Ontario, from 1941 to 1954, while Marc Avellin Reaume had a distinguished career in professional hockey, playing 344 games in the NHL. Joseph Octave Reaume, an Ontario physician and political figure, and Louis Reaume, a French lawyer and politician, are also part of this family.

In the United States, the Reaume name is associated with political leaders in Michigan, with Robert C. Reaume serving as Mayor of Southgate and Richard Reaume as Supervisor of Plymouth Township. Joshua Robert Reaume has made a mark in American motorsports as a professional stock car racing driver, engineer and team owner.

My Connection to the Reaume Family

Through my mother, I have numerous connections to the Reaume family — more than to any other family in my ancestry.

First Lineage

1. René Reaume (1642 – 1722) and Marie Chevreau (1645 – 1724)
2. Robert Réaume (1668 – 1744) and Elisabeth Brunet dite Belhumeur (1674 – 1748)
3. Hyacinthe Réaume (1704 – 1774) and Agathe Lacelle (1709 – 1778)
4. Marie Anne Reaume (1746 – 1772) and Pierre Barron (1744 – bef. 1798)
5. Anthony Alexis Barron dit Lupien (1768 – aft. 1813) and Catherine Bondy (1769 – 1814)
6. Antoine Barron (1790 – aft. 1834) and Archange Langlois (1798 – 1848)
7. Patrice Barron (1822 – 1898) and Olive Meloche (1828 – 1916) 
8. Catherine Barron (1854 – 1939) and Antoine Solomon Renaud (1853 – 1926)
9. Mary Zoé Renaud (1878 – 1935) and Abraham Joseph Higgins (1875 – 1950) 
10. Mary Catherine Higgins (1908 – 1983) and Walter Grondin (1910 – 1998)
11. Martha Grondin (Born 1950) and Gary Willis (Born 1946) – my parents

Second Lineage 

1. René Reaume (1642 – 1722) and Marie Chevreau (1645 – 1724)
2. Robert Réaume (1668 – 1744) and Elisabeth Brunet dite Belhumeur (1674 – 1748)
3. Hyacinthe Réaume (1704 – 1774) and Agathe Lacelle (1709 – 1778)
4. Joseph Réaume (1739 – 1796) and Marie Charlotte Levasseur dit Carmel (1746 – 1781)
5. Marie Anne Reaume (1780 – 1816) and Etienne Meloche (1764 – 1814) 
6. Florence Pouget (1804 – 1857) and Etienne Meloche (1799 – 1839) 
7. Olive Meloche (1828 – 1916) and Patrice Barron (1822 – 1898)
8. Catherine Barron (1854 – 1939) and Antoine Solomon Renaud (1853 – 1926)
9. Mary Zoé Renaud (1878 – 1935) and Abraham Joseph Higgins (1875 – 1950) 
10. Mary Catherine Higgins (1908 – 1983) and Walter Grondin (1910 – 1998)
11. Martha Grondin (born 1950) and Gary Willis (born 1946) – my parents

Third Lineage 

1. René Reaume (1642 – 1722) and Marie Chevreau (1645 – 1724)
2. Robert Réaume (1668 – 1744) and Elisabeth Brunet dit Belhumeur (1674 – 1748)
3. Pierre Reaume (1709) and Suzanne Hubert (1709)
4. Marie Louisa Reaume (1750) and Alexis Cuillerier (abt. 1732 – abt. 1790)
5. Catherine Cuillerier (1789 – 1850) and Antoine Jubenville (1771 – abt. 1839)
6. Zoé Hersilie Jubenville (1828 – 1870) and Jean Baptiste Renaud (1828)
7. Antoine Solomon Renaud (1853 – 1926) and Catherine Barron (1854 – 1939) 
8. Mary Zoé Renaud (1878 – 1935) and Abraham Joseph Higgins (1875 – 1950) 
9. Mary Catherine Higgins (1908 – 1983) and Walter Grondin (1910 – 1998)
10. Martha Grondin (Born 1950) and Gary Willis (Born 1946) – my parents

Fourth Lineage

1. René Reaume (1642 – 1722) and Marie Chevreau (1645 – 1724)
2. Robert Réaume (1668 – 1744) and Elisabeth Brunet dit Belhumeur (1674 – 1748)
3. Hyacinthe Réaume (1704 – 1774) and Agathe Lacelle (1709 – 1778)
4. Joseph Réaume (1739 – 1796) and Marie Charlotte Levasseur dit Carmel (1746 – 1781)
5. Magdeleine Marguerite Réaume (1781 – 1815) and Vincent Depolas (1780 – 1815)
6. Hyacinthe Baron (1806 – abt. 1881) and Josephte Debaucamp Depocas (1812 – 1881)
7. Marguerite Baron (1832 – 1898) and Eli Bondy (1827 – 1894)
8. Joseph Edward Eli Bondy (1858 – 1944) and Amelia Isabella Brush (1864 – 1935)
9. Pearl Leafy Bondy (1885 – 1966) and Edward Walter Grondin (1886 – 1973) 
10. Walter Grondin (1910 – 1998) and Mary Catherine Higgins (1908 – 1983)
11. Martha Grondin (Born 1950) and Gary Willis (Born 1946) – my parents

Fifth Lineage 

1. René Reaume (1642 – 1722) and Marie Chevreau (1645 – 1724)
2. Robert Réaume (1668 – 1744) and Elisabeth Brunet dit Belhumeur (1674 – 1748)
3. Hyacinthe Réaume (1704 – 1774) and Agathe Lacelle (1709 – 1778)
4. Marie Anne Reaume (1746 – 1772) and Pierre Barron (1744 – bef. 1798)
5. Pierre Baron (1767 – 1835) and Susanne Pouget (1776 – 1821)
6. Hyacinthe Baron (1806 – abt. 1881) and Josephte Debaucamp Depocas (1812 – 1881)
7. Marguerite Baron (1832 – 1898) and Eli Bondy (1827 – 1894)
8. Joseph Edward Eli Bondy (1858 – 1944) and Amelia Isabella Brush (1864 – 1935)
9. Pearl Leafy Bondy (1885 – 1966) and Edward Walter Grondin (1886 – 1973) 
10. Walter Grondin (1910 – 1998) and Mary Catherine Higgins (1908 – 1983)
11. Martha Grondin (Born 1950) and Gary Willis (Born 1946) – my parents

Sixth Lineage

1. René Reaume (1642 – 1722) and Marie Chevreau (1645 – 1724)
2. Robert Réaume (1668 – 1744) and Elisabeth Brunet dit Belhumeur (1674 – 1748)
3. Pierre Reaume (1709) and Suzanne Hubert (1709)
4. Claude Thomas Reaume (1743 – 1827) and Genevieve Janis (1751 – aft. 1790)
5. Laurent Reaume I (1771 – 1820) and Josephe Marie Villers (1782 – 1834)
6. Genevieve Reaume (1804 – 1848) and Edouard Bondy (1801 – 1850)
7. Eli Bondy (1827 – 1894) and Marguerite Baron (1832 – 1898) 
8. Joseph Edward Eli Bondy (1858 – 1944) and Amelia Isabella Brush (1864 – 1935)
9. Pearl Leafy Bondy (1885 – 1966) and Edward Walter Grondin (1886 – 1973) 
10. Walter Grondin (1910 – 1998) and Mary Catherine Higgins (1908 – 1983)
11. 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.