Jacques Leneuf de La Poterie (November 7, 1604, in Caen,

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

- died some time after November 4, 1687, in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

) was a fur merchant, businessman,

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 co-founder and director of the ''Communauté des habitants'', in the colony of Canada. He arrived in the colony in 1636 with the rest of his family, which included his elder brother Michel Leneuf, and together they, alongside their in-laws the Legardeurs, were the first of the

French nobility The French nobility (french: la noblesse française) was a privileged social class in France from the Middle Ages until its abolition on June 23, 1790 during the French Revolution. From 1808 to 1815 during the First Empire the Emperor Napol ...

to permanently settle 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 married Marguerite, the sister of Pierre Legardeur de Repentigny, while 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 ...

, and they were the parents of several children, including the future Governor 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 The Maritimes, Maritime provinces, the Gaspé Peninsula and Maine to the Kennebec River. During much of the 17t ...

, Michel Leneuf de La Vallière et de Beaubassin.

Biography

He acquired and was granted several fiefs, and became one of the principal landholders and businessman in Canada, alongside his elder brother Michel. They both were two of the twelve co-founders and directors of the Communauté des Habitants, which was a fur company that attempted to succeed the

Company of One Hundred Associates The Company of One Hundred Associates (French: formally the Compagnie de la Nouvelle-France, or colloquially the Compagnie des Cent-Associés or Compagnie du Canada), or Company of New France, was a French trading and colonization company cha ...

in 1645, but reverted under direct control of the

Crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...

after two years. He was appointed regional 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 ...

several times: November 7, 1645 to September 2, 1648; September 9, 1649 to August 21, 1651; September 8, 1652 to July 16, 1653; and from July 1658 to 1662. He then went on to become the lieutenant and right-hand man to the

Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm, ...

and fellow Norman Augustin de Saffray who, on his deathbed, named Jacques to "be his lieutenant upon his demise." At the death of de Saffray on May 6, 1665, Jacques registered his commission to succeed as Governor, but the Sovereign Council voted to block the full authority of the office, ruling that only the King could name a Governor, and granted him power over the

Militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

only, which he oversaw until the arrival of the next royal appointment from France, Daniel de Rémy, in September of the same year. He eventually settled his disputes with the Sovereign Council, and his son Michel would end up being one of the leading military commanders and government officials in

. Jacques died in Canada some time after November 4, 1687.

References

1604 births 1687 deaths Businesspeople from Caen French people in New France {{KingdomofFrance-stub