André Geoffrion

André Joffrion was born circa 1670 in Verchères, Nouvelle-France. He appeared on the census of 1681 as living with his family in Verchères and being 11 years old. He was confirmed on 11 July 1681 in Varennes, (Verchères).

André Joffrion agreed, on 27 December 1691, to work for Alphonse de Tonti and make a trip to what was then called "the Illinois," the region around the Great Lakes and the northern Mid-western United States and central Canada. The trip from Montréal to the Illinois took fifteen days.

From the mid 1600s, due to the lack of industry or other employment situations to accommodate the many young men, the primary activity in New France became fur trading. This required not only trappers and traders but also many canoe men. Also needed were craftsmen to build and maintain the trade posts, and traders to furnish trade goods for the industry.

Andre appeared before Notary Claude Maughe in Montréal on 31 December 1691 to sign a note to borrow 140 pounds from Jacques Hubert dit Parisien. As a guarantee for this amount of money, needed to pay for transport and for the purchase of neccesities for the trip, he pledged an amount of beaver skins, bearing the mark of André Joffrion, that he had previously gathered in an earlier trip to the Mission Mackinac. He indicated where they were to be found in the Jesuit storehouse, naming the owners of beaver skins to the left and to the right of his skins. He planned to do some trading while in the "Illinois" to repay the loan. Most of the young men who entered the fur trade came to Montréal, the main point of departure for the canoe convoys. In the district of Montréal from 1660 to 1770, there were over 13,000 hiring contracts, contrats d'engagements.

In September of 1693 a new contract was signed between André and Ignace Gauthier. André's whereabouts are unknown after this date in Sep 1693.