Dominique Vautier was born on 08 January 1766 in Saint-Aubin-sur-Aire, Muese, France. He was the fourth of seven children born to Claude and Barbe (nee Henry) Vautier, the other six being Marianne, Jean, Jean Baptiste, Nicholas, Alexis and Anne Therese. He was of French descent.

In 1790, Dominique left his hometown and immigrated to the United States aboard the ship "Patriot". Dominique boarded the ship with a group of persons fleeing the government and who had the intention to settle in their own colony in the area of Ohio. The ship arrived in Alexandria, Virginia on 19 February 1790, and the land deal that was made to start the colony turned out to be a scam. While some of the immigrants went to Gallipolis, Ohio; Dominique went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with Count Joseph De Barth, rumored to be kin to Napoleon and future witness to Dominique's marriage, and another passenger from the ship, Maria Louisa de Laittre.

On 07 January 1793, in St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Dominique married Maria Louisa de Laittre, who was born on 31 December 1769 in Issy-les-Molineaux, Seine, France to Charles and Marie Antoinette (nee Betin) De Laittre. The couple would have ten children; Joseph, Charles, Elizabeth, Michael, Peter, Dominique, Louis, Joseph, John Baptiste, and William.

Dominique died 27 January 1828 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was buried two days later in the Holy Trinity Catholic Burial Grounds in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He outlived Maria by almost three years, as she died 16 June 1825 in Philadelphia and was buried three days later in the Holy Trinity Catholic Burial Grounds as well.

Sources:
1. Nancy E. Schanes, Dominique Vautier's Family Group Record Sheet, Compiled between March 1984 and 1988.
2.-----, Notes on the Vautier Family. Emailed to Kelley Wood, March 2001
3.-----, Peter Vautier's Family Group Sheet, September 1988.
4. James Miller's notes on the Vautier Family. Emailed to Kelley Wood, March-April 2001
5.Patricia Mahoney's notes from various interviews with family members

Written by Kelley Wood, 2004.