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Charles de Saint-Étienne de La Tour (1593–1666) was a French colonist and fur trader who served as Governor of Acadia from 1631–1642 and again from 1653–1657.


Early life

Charles de Saint-Étienne de La Tour was born in
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
in 1593 to
Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...
Claude de Saint-Étienne de la Tour and his wife Marie Amador de Salazar, a descendant of
Georges de La Trémoille Georges may refer to: Places *Georges River, New South Wales, Australia *Georges Quay (Dublin) * Georges Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania Other uses * Georges (name) * ''Georges'' (novel), a novel by Alexandre Dumas * "Georges" (song), a 19 ...
, the
Grand Chamberlain of France The Grand Chamberlain of France (french: Grand Chambellan de France) was one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France, a member of the '' Maison du Roi'' ("King's Household"), and one of the Great Offices of the Maison du Roi during the Anc ...
to King Charles VII of France. In 1610, at the age of 17, Charles arrived at
Port-Royal Port Royal is the former capital city of Jamaica. Port Royal or Port Royale may also refer to: Institutions * Port-Royal-des-Champs, an abbey near Paris, France, which spawned influential schools and writers of the 17th century ** Port-Royal A ...
in
Acadia Acadia (french: link=no, Acadie) was a colony of New France in northeastern North America which included parts of what are now the The Maritimes, Maritime provinces, the Gaspé Peninsula and Maine to the Kennebec River. During much of the 17t ...
with his father in an expedition led by Jean de Biencourt de Poutrincourt who had been one of the original settlers in 1604 at Saint Croix Island, Maine before they moved in 1605 to their permanent settlement at Port-Royal. The habitation had been previously abandoned in 1607 by Biencourt de Poutrincourt and others due to financial troubles. The 1610 expedition also included Poutrincourt's 19-year-old son
Charles de Biencourt de Saint-Just Baron Charles de Biencourt de Saint-Just (1591 or 1592, Champagne, France – 1623 or 1624, Port-Royal of what was then Acadia, New France). was a member of the French nobility and a military officer. He is best known as the successor to his ...
and a Catholic priest who set about the task of baptizing the local Mi'kmaq people, including their chief Membertou. In 1613, the habitation at Port-Royal was attacked by
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
colonists led by Captain Samuel Argall. Several settlers were killed, others taken prisoner and the fort and goods were destroyed. Poutrincourt who had wintered in France to gather supplies returned to Port Royal the next spring. He was forced to return to France with the surviving settlers, and left his interest in the colony to his son. The young Biencourt and Charles de la Tour remained, living amongst the Mi'kmaq and engaging in the fur industry. Charles de Biencourt died in 1623 and left La Tour as his heir, though this was not recognized by the French crown. La Tour took charge of the colony and migrated from Port-Royal to establish himself at Cap de Sable (present-day Port La Tour, Nova Scotia), building a strong post called Fort Lomeron in honor of David Lomeron who was his agent in France. Soon after, La Tour married a woman from the Mi'kmaq tribe and started a family. With the onset of the Anglo-French War of 1627–29, Charles de La Tour knew he had to strengthen defenses if Acadia were to remain French. He wrote letters to
King Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown ...
and Cardinal Richelieu, that were presented by his father Claude, requesting supplies and reinforcements, as well as a proper commission authorizing him to defend the area. Reinforcements were sent in the spring of 1628, however the ships were captured by the English under the command of Sir
David Kirke Sir David Kirke ( – 1654), also spelt David Ker, was an adventurer, privateer and colonial governor. He is best known for his successful capture of Québec in 1629 during the Thirty Years' War and his subsequent governorship of lands in Ne ...
, and the crew, including La Tour's father, were sent as prisoners to England. With the fall of Quebec to the English in 1629, the sole French stronghold left in New France was La Tour's Fort Lomeron. After his capture, Claude de La Tour made an alliance with the English and promised to win over his son, in exchange for being made a baronet of Nova Scotia and a large grant of land. When Charles was pressed by his father to surrender the fort he refused, stating that "he would rather die than betray his King." Upon La Tour's refusal, Claude de La Tour led English troops in an unsuccessful attack on Fort Lomeron.


Governor of Acadia

In 1631, La Tour was formally granted a commission by King Louis XIII naming him lieutenant-general and governor of Acadia. He then relocated to the mouth of the Saint John River in present-day Saint John, New Brunswick where he built a new fort called Fort Sainte-Marie (later named Fort La Tour). The setting was described by historian M.A. MacDonald: The following year with the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, all the lands that had been seized by the British were returned to France including Acadia. In addition, Cardinal Richelieu sent his cousin,
Isaac de Razilly Isaac de Razilly (1587 – 1635) was a member of the French nobility appointed a knight of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem at the age of 18. He was born at the Château d'Oiseaumelle in the Province of Touraine, France. A member of the French ...
, as the new lieutenant-general of all
New France New France (french: Nouvelle-France) was the area colonized by France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Great Britain and Spa ...
and governor of Acadia, conflicting with La Tour's commission from the prior year. La Tour and Razilly agreed to divide control of Acadia, the latter controlling La Hève, Port-Royal, and the Saint Croix area, while La Tour was given authority over Cap de Sable and the Saint John River, headquartered at Fort Sainte-Marie. Razilly unexpectedly died in 1635, and the amicable relationship the two leaders shared did not extend to his successor,
Charles de Menou d'Aulnay Charles de Menou d'Aulnay (''de Charnisay'') (–1650) was a French pioneer of European settlement in North America and Governor of Acadia (1635–1650). Biography D'Aulnay was a member of the French nobility who was at various times a sea capt ...
. By 1639, Charles de La Tour's wife had died leaving three daughters, and realizing he needed a male heir to bolster his claim, set about contracting for a new wife. His sights fell on Huguenot
Françoise-Marie Jacquelin Françoise-Marie Jacquelin (1621–1645) was an Acadian heroine and wife of Charles de Saint-Étienne de la Tour. Biography Françoise-Marie Jacquelin was born and baptized on July 18, 1621 in Nogent-le-Rotrou.Baptized on July 18th, 1621 in N ...
and a marriage contract was signed on 31 December 1639. The contract authorized Jacquelin kept all her property and anything that she might inherit. She was also entitled to a half share of anything that she or her husband acquired during their marriage, and as a widow she would be entitled to half her husband's estate, with an inheritance fund and she would be the guardian of any children. Upon arriving in Port-Royal in June 1640, the couple married and moved to Fort Sainte-Marie.


Acadian Civil War

In July 1640, Charles de La Tour and Charles de Menou d'Aulnay began a series of violent and costly confrontations that would last for the next five years. Hostilities continued to escalate and by 1642 d'Aulnay managed to get La Tour charged with treason and disrespect to the French Crown. Knowing he would be imprisoned if he were to return to France, La Tour sent his wife, Françoise-Marie, to advocate on his behalf which she did skillfully. She was allowed to return to Acadia with a warship to help her husband defend himself. In the Spring of 1643, La Tour led a party of English mercenaries against the Acadian colony at Port-Royal. His 270 Puritan and Huguenot troops killed three, burned a mill, slaughtered cattle and seized 18,000 livres of furs. In 1645, while La Tour was in
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
seeking reinforcements and drumming up more support for his cause, d'Aulnay retaliated by seizing all of La Tour's possessions and outposts, especially Fort La Tour at Saint John and Cap de Sable. In the Battle of Saint John, La Tour's wife defended the fort for three days. On the fourth day despite losing 33 men, d'Aulnay was able to breach the fort, and La Tour's men were sent to the gallows, forcing Françoise-Marie to watch with a rope around her own neck. Three weeks later she died at age 23 while a prisoner as documented by
Nicolas Denys Nicolas Denys (1598? – 1688) was a French-born merchant, governor, author, and settler in New France. He founded settlements at St. Pierre (now St. Peter's, Nova Scotia), Ste. Anne (Englishtown, Nova Scotia) and Nepisiquit (Bathurst, New Br ...
' letters and journals of the drama. Upon learning of his wife's death, and the loss of all his possessions, La Tour sought refuge at the Chateau Saint-Louis in
Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the metropolitan area had a population of 839,311. It is t ...
where he was welcomed by Governor Charles Jacques Huault de Montmagny, and d'Aulnay became the sole governor of Acadia.Denys, Nicolas. The Description and Natural History of the Coasts of North America, ed. and trans. William F. Ganong (Champlain Society, Toronto, 1908)


Later years and death

During the next four years while in exile in Quebec, Charles de La Tour continued in the fur trade, assisted the
Jesuits , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders = ...
in their missionary efforts, and occasionally fought with the
Hurons The Wyandot people, or Wyandotte and Waⁿdát, are Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands. The Wyandot are Iroquoian Indigenous peoples of North America who emerged as a confederacy of tribes around the north shore of Lake Ontario w ...
against the Iroquois. In 1650, d'Aulnay died when his canoe capsized. La Tour promptly returned to France to plead his case and was successfully rehabilitated in the royal favor, as well as having his property and his commission as governor being restored. He returned to Acadia in 1653, along with several new colonist families including his friend Philippe Mius d'Entremont, to whom he awarded one of the few fiefs to constitute territory in North America. In an effort to bring an end to the rivalry between the La Tour and d'Aulnay faction, Charles de La Tour married a third time to Jeanne Motin, the widow of his former enemy in 24 February 1653. In 1654, an English expedition under the command of Major General Robert Sedgwick captured the forts of Saint John, Port Royal, and the settlement of
Penobscot The Penobscot (Abenaki: ''Pαnawάhpskewi'') are an Indigenous people in North America from the Northeastern Woodlands region. They are organized as a federally recognized tribe in Maine and as a First Nations band government in the Atlantic ...
adding Acadia to the British dominions. La Tour was taken prisoner to England, and it was not until 1656 that he was granted an audience with
Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three K ...
to request the return of his property. Recognized as a baronet of Nova Scotia, as his father's heir, Cromwell granted his request on the condition that he accept English allegiance and pay both the amount he owed Boston merchants and the cost of the English garrison maintained at Saint John. In an effort to raise funds to cover these funds, he took on
William Crowne William Crowne (1617–1682) had a varied career as an officer of arms, a member of parliament, a colonel during the English civil war, and a joint proprietor of the English colony of Nova Scotia. He was also the father of the playwright John Cr ...
and Colonel William Temple as joint proprietors of Acadia. Soon afterwards he sold his rights to his two partners, retaining only a small percentage of the profit. La Tour then retired to Cap de Sable (present-day Port La Tour, Nova Scotia), with his wife, where he died in 1666.


Marriage and issue

Charles de Saint-Étienne de La Tour was married three times.


Ancestry


Legacy

The communities of Port La Tour, Nova Scotia and Upper Port La Tour, Nova Scotia are named after Charles La Tour.


External links

*
Fort Lomeron


Notes and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint-Etienne De La Tour, Charles De Governors of Acadia People of New France 1593 births 1666 deaths Acadian history 1630s in Canada 1640s in Canada 1650s in Canada Emigrants from France to Acadia