American Medical Biographies/Bellisle, Henry

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
2273614American Medical Biographies — Bellisle, Henry1920Leartus Connor

Bellisle, Henry (1675–1717)

Henry Bellisle was the first physician at Detroit Post under the French flag. Nothing is known of his ancestry or exact date of birth except that he was born in France and received such general and professional education as would induce the French government to place him in Cadillac's expedition to found Detroit. In the records of St. Anne's Church in Detroit he first appears as godfather at the baptism of a daughter of Margaret Roy, a Huron Indian, April 27, 1704. From that date till April 4, 1711, he is occasionally recorded as godfather at baptisms or witness at marriages and then he disappears from the records. It is quite likely that in 1715 he was transferred to another French military post, for his successor appears first in the church records of that year. While we have no definite information of his equipment for practice he must have ranked above the average of the profession in France.

Dr. Bellisle was married three times, once before coming to Detroit, once in Detroit, and once at Pointe aux Trembles, Quebec. His second wife died in Detroit. Three children were born after leaving Detroit.