The Desauniers sisters

The Desauniers sisters were born in Montréal at the beginning of the 18th centeury. Unusual for the time, they learned the mechanics of trade and maritime transport from their father. They became very skillful merchants in the fur and ginseng trade. They never married and ended their lives in France.

In 1726, the "Desauniers Misses", as they were called, established their fur trade in the indigenous community of Kahnawake to the south-west of Montréal. In fact, the site became a smuggling hub along with Albany. The authorities expelled the three smugglers to France in 1751.