Dupre Families By Mrs. R. Jones (Mildred Dupre) 1967

   The Dupre family were descendants of the Hugenots, who fled to England at the time of the French persecution of the Protestants.  The father of the men who came to Canada was an Anglican clergyman who had a family of three sons and six girls.

Ramus Henry Dupre

    As it was the custom in those days for the eldest son to follow father's foot steps, Ramus, as he was always called by his family, was educated at Magdalene College, Oxford, and rowed in the Oxford-Cambridge boat race.

    The call of the West was exciting to young boys and at an early age.   Ramus decided the ministry was not for him so set sail for Canada as a protege of Bishop Palmer in Toronto.  How long he stayed there is unknown but one day, while he was playing tennis he hears a spectator inquire who he was. "Oh, he is another young Englishman come to learn farming on Bishop Palmer's tennis court." Ramus was so incensed by the remark that next day he joined the Wolseley Expedition of 1870.

    After returning from the West he settled in St. James. He was there at the time of the grasshopper infestation and told many stories of their destruction, eating gardens, crops, all vegetation and even clothes. One day they put a carpet on the line and forgot it. The following morning it was completely eaten.  Like snow in winter, the grasshoppers were piled high on the river banks.

    Winnipeg was a large swamp and my Uncle often said it should never have been built there, that it would be flooded. It has been flooded more than once and residents still live in fear each spring. When asked why they passed such good farming land as Portage Plains, he said it was under water that year and besides they were anxious to reach Hudson Bay.

    After months of travel they reached what became known as Russell. They were worn out, the land was good farming land so they stayed. Harry, as he was now called, farmed for a few years. During that time had many men, some wealthy who came for adventure and some who came to make their fortune. L L. Roberts was one of the former. My aunt told how he arrived with seven large trunks of clothes, which presented a problem in a two-room log cabin. Among those who came to make their fortune and did make it, were Harry Smith and Y. T. Attwood.  Mr. Attwood became a cattle buyer and is said to have cashed the largest cheque that was ever cashed in Winnipeg for cattle.  Harry Smith who worked for Harry for the winter, then left for his own homestead and became one of the wealthiest men in the district.

    There were no boarding houses or hotels.  Everyone who came made themselves at home in the log cabins of the settlers till they got other accommodation. My uncle had a two room cabin and I've heard my aunt say, when she got up in the morning the living room floor would be covered with men come in for shelter.

    The community grew quickly. "Mr. Do" as he was affectionately called by many, built a cottage and moved into the village. There he was Bailiff, did the draying, drove the stage between Russell and Binscarth.  He later returned to the farm to raise cattle for a few years before he retired and went with his daughter to Los Angeles where he died at a ripe old age.

    Harry had two children, Arthur, the son, was eighteen years older than his sister Winnifred. Arthur married and farmed near Russell.  He had eight children. Winnifred, now Mrs. Blaisdell, lives in Los Angeles. She was a wonderful girl who nursed her crippled mother for twelve years She has one son Maynard, an architect in Los Angeles, and two grandsons.

John Dupre

    John Dupre followed his brother to Canada. He had been educated at Cambridge for law. Although he never finished his law education, as there was no lawyer in Russell at that time, he opened an office and became the first Magistrate.  He married and had four children, Jack, Cuthbert, Isobel and Mildred.

   Jack still lives in Winnipeg, Isobel died in infancy. Cuthbert married a daughter of Will Dunkin, one of the early settlers. They had four children. Isobel who lives in Winnipeg, Gordon and Eleanor in Toronto and Murray in Edmonton.  The Dupre's were always horse lovers and Lawrence Dupre, one of John's grandsons became a jockey and won a great name for himself. Mildred still lives in Winnipeg. She had four children: Dorothy Isobel, who died in infancy; Ramus who works in The Bay; and Langley who is now registrar for the Pharmaceutical Association of Manitoba. Anita, her daughter (Mrs. Bundy) is assistant to the Director of Program Planning for the Anglican Church in Canada .

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