François-Pierre de Rigaud de Vaudreuil (February 8, 1703 – August 24, 1779) was a soldier, fur trader,

seigneur ''Seigneur'' is an originally feudal title in France before the Revolution, in New France and British North America until 1854, and in the Channel Islands to this day. A seigneur refers to the person or collective who owned a ''seigneurie'' (or ...

and administrator 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 Spa ...

. He served as governor of

Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières (, – 'Three Rivers') is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River across from the city of ...

from 1749 to 1757 and governor of Montreal from 1757 to 1760. The son of

Philippe de Rigaud de Vaudreuil Philippe de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil (; c. 1643 – 10 October 1725) was a French military officer who served as Governor General of New France (now Canada and U.S. states of the Mississippi Valley) from 1703 to 1725, throughout Queen A ...

governor of New France The governor of New France was the viceroy of the King of France in North America. A French nobleman, he was appointed to govern the colonies of New France, which included Canada, Acadia and Louisiana. The residence of the Governor was at the Chate ...

, and Louise-Élisabeth de Joybert de Soulanges et de Marson, he was born in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...

and was named to the company of gentlemen midshipmen at the age of five. In 1712, he was named an ensign in the colonial regulars and, in 1720, became a lieutenant. In 1724, he was given command of a company. These posts all came about through the influence of his parents. In 1733, he married Louise, the daughter of Joseph de Fleury de La Gorgendière. With his brother Pierre de Rigaud, he owned the seigneury of Vaudreuil and, in 1733, they acquired the neighbouring siegneury of Rigaud. In 1736, he was granted the seigneury of Saint-Joseph-de-la-Nouvelle-Beauce. Rigaud de Vaudreuil was named a major in 1741. During the

War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's ...

, he was given the task of defending Fort Saint-Frédéric. In 1748, he was named king's lieutenant for Quebec. Later that year, he acquired another seigneury on the

Yamaska River The Yamaska River is a river in southern Quebec, Canada. Sourcing water within the Eastern Townships, it ends its journey in Lake Saint-Pierre where it is a tributary to the Saint Lawrence River; altogether it is long. Crossing nearly twent ...

. Rigaud de Vaudreuil was captured by the British while returning from France in 1755; he was able to return to Quebec the following year. In 1756, he led Montcalm's advance guard against British forts in the Oswego region. The following year, he led an expedition which destroyed boats and supplies near Fort George which were intended to be used in an invasion of Canada. After the fall of New France in 1760, Rigaud de Vaudreuil and his brother Pierre de Rigaud, the last Governor-General of New France, were transported back to France by the British. He later died at the Château de Colliers in Muides. During his life he owned 2 slaves.

Legacy

The town of Rigaud and similarly named geographical features in Quebec take their name from Rigaud de Vaudreuil and his brother Pierre de Rigaud.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rigaud de Vaudreuil, Francois-Pierre de 1703 births 1779 deaths People of New France Governors of Montreal 18th-century Canadian politicians