Charles-Rene Dejordy de Villebon (June 12, 1715 – November 15, 1761) was from Saint-Sulpice,

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

. He was a military man, joining the colonial regular troops as a cadet. By 1749 he had been promoted second ensign and was sent as second in command to a post in Baie-des-Puants, Wisconsin. In 1756 he was promoted to ensign and was immediately active in two campaigns in the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754� ...

. In 1757 he had relocated to the western forts and partnered with

Louis-Joseph Gaultier de La Vérendrye Louis-Joseph Gaultier de La Vérendrye (November 9, 1717 – November 15, 1761) was a French Canadian fur trader and explorer. He, his three brothers, and his father Pierre La Vérendrye pushed trade and exploration west from the Great Lakes. He, ...

who was ending a three-year leasing arrangement of these forts. In 1758 - 1760, he took over the financial burden of the fur monopoly as the last of the western commanders, Louis-Joseph being his predecessor. This was a time of war and six of the eight French posts were either destroyed by Indians loyal to the English or abandoned by the

Canadiens French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fren ...

. The two main centres, Fort Dauphin and

Fort La Reine Fort La Reine was built in 1738 and is one of the forts of the western expansion directed by Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de La Vérendrye, first military commander in the west of what is now known as Canada. Located on the Assiniboine River wh ...

, survived and had new occupants after 1760. Dejordy left the west when travel permitted in 1760 before the end of his term. In 1761 he and his family were leaving

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

for France. He, his wife, his sister and his three children died of the coast off

Cape Breton Cape Breton Island (french: link=no, île du Cap-Breton, formerly '; gd, Ceap Breatainn or '; mic, Unamaꞌki) is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The island accounts for 18. ...

aboard the ship ''Auguste''. At his departure time and that immediately following, the confusion surrounding the conquest of Canada had him accused of some serious crimes of which, in all likelihood, he was innocent.

External links

* Explorers of Canada 1761 deaths 1715 births {{Quebec-stub