Philippe Pastour de Costebelle (ca. 1661 – October 1717) was a French naval officer and Governor of

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

and then

Louisbourg Louisbourg is an unincorporated community and former town in Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. History The French military founded the Fortress of Louisbourg in 1713 and its fortified seaport on the southwest part of the harbour, ...

. He was born in

Languedoc The Province of Languedoc (; , ; oc, Lengadòc ) is a former province of France. Most of its territory is now contained in the modern-day region of Occitanie in Southern France. Its capital city was Toulouse. It had an area of approximately ...

, France and died in

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 Spai ...

. Costebelle served in the

French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...

as early as 1683, and in 1692 served as lieutenant to a marine infantry company sent to Plaisance, the principal French settlement on

. There he was immediately involved in defending the port from

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

naval assaults in the ongoing

King William's War King William's War (also known as the Second Indian War, Father Baudoin's War, Castin's War, or the First Intercolonial War in French) was the North American theater of the Nine Years' War (1688–1697), also known as the War of the Grand All ...

, and embarked on raiding expeditions against English settlements on the island. Costebelle distinguished himself, and was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in 1694, and

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

in 1695. That year he was ordered to improve the fortifications and establish contact with the English colonists in St. Mary's Bay. In 1696 Costebelle was sent to France, and thus did not participate in

Pierre LeMoyne d'Iberville Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville (16 July 1661 – 9 July 1706) or Sieur d'Iberville was a French soldier, explorer, colonial administrator, and trader. He is noted for founding the colony of Louisiana in New France. He was born in Montreal to French ...

's celebrated and destructive Avalon Peninsula Campaign. When he returned to Plaisance in 1697 he had hoped to succeed to the governorship, but was instead forced to continue in the role of king's lieutenant under first Joseph de Monic and then

Daniel d'Auger de Subercase Daniel d'Auger de Subercase (February 12, 1661 – November 20, 1732) was a naval officer and the French governor of Newfoundland and later Acadia. Subercase was baptised a Protestant to Jean Daughter, a rich merchant and bourgeois who had p ...

. Monic was frequently absent from the colony, so Costebelle spent a significant time during Monic's tenure in actual command of the colony. In 1702, while awaiting Subercase's arrival, Costebelle rallied the province's defences against English Captain

John Leake Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Leake (4 July 1656 – 21 August 1720) was a Royal Navy officer and politician. As a junior officer he saw action at the Battle of Texel during the Third Anglo-Dutch War. He then distinguished himself when he led ...

's raiding expedition that brought

Queen Anne's War Queen Anne's War (1702–1713) was the second in a series of French and Indian Wars fought in North America involving the colonial empires of Great Britain, France, and Spain; it took place during the reign of Anne, Queen of Great Britain. In E ...

(the

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...

) to Newfoundland. Subercase arrived to take command in 1703, and adopted a vigorous strategy against the English. In 1705 he led a raiding expedition against English outposts that sought to repeat d'Iberville's successes in 1696. Costebelle went on the expedition, but was injured in an accident en route and saw no action. Subercase's expedition was partly successful, destroying many English settlements, but he was unable to take St. John's. Subercase was rewarded with the governorship of

Acadia Acadia (french: link=no, Acadie) was a colony of New France in northeastern North America which included parts of what are now the Maritime provinces, the Gaspé Peninsula and Maine to the Kennebec River. During much of the 17th and early ...

, and Costebelle was finally appointed governor of Plaisance in 1706. In June 1708 he was awarded the

Order of Saint Louis The Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis (french: Ordre Royal et Militaire de Saint-Louis) is a dynastic order of chivalry founded 5 April 1693 by King Louis XIV, named after Saint Louis (King Louis IX of France). It was intended as a rewar ...

. In December 1708 Costebelle organized a successful attack on the British at St. John's. Although he captured the town and its fortress, he did not have the resources to hold it, and it was eventually reoccupied by the English. By the

Treaty of Utrecht The Peace of Utrecht was a series of peace treaties signed by the belligerents in the War of the Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht between April 1713 and February 1715. The war involved three contenders for the vacant throne o ...

of 1713 Newfoundland was handed over to Britain and the

king of France France was ruled by monarchs from the establishment of the Kingdom of West Francia in 843 until the end of the Second French Empire in 1870, with several interruptions. Classical French historiography usually regards Clovis I () as the first ...

ordered Costebelle to evacuate the colony in the spring of 1714. Costebelle oversaw the evacuation of French subjects from Newfoundland to

Cape Breton Island 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. ...

, where the colony of Île-Royale was established. Costebelle became its first governor, and oversaw the establishment of

(although construction of its fortress was not begun until after his death). Costebelle returned to France briefly in 1717, and died at Fort Dauphin (satellite fort of

) not long after his return in October 1717. Costebelle was twice married, and had two daughters.

References

External links

Biography at Government House ''The Governorship of Newfoundland and Labrador''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pastour de Costebelle, Philippe 1660s births 1717 deaths Governors of Plaisance French emigrants to pre-Confederation Newfoundland Governors of New France Order of Saint Louis recipients French military personnel of the Nine Years' War French military personnel of the War of the Spanish Succession

See also

References

External links