Charles de Menou d'Aulnay (''de Charnisay'') (–1650) was a French pioneer of European settlement in North America and Governor of

Acadia Acadia (; ) 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. The population of Acadia included the various ...

(1635–1650). D'Aulnay was a member of the

French nobility The French nobility () was an Aristocracy, aristocratic social class in France from the France in the Middle Ages, Middle Ages until its abolition on 23 June 1790 during the French Revolution. From 1808 to 1815 during the First French Empire, ...

who was at various times a sea captain, a lieutenant in the

French navy The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...

(under leadership of 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 n ...

), and Governor of Acadia (now primarily

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

and

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

Biography

D'Aulnay was born at Château de Charnizay,

Touraine Touraine (; ) is one of the traditional provinces of France. Its capital was Tours. During the political reorganization of French territory in 1790, Touraine was divided between the departments of Indre-et-Loire, :Loir-et-Cher, Indre and Vien ...

, France. His father was a high-ranking official for

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. ...

. He came to serve as assistant to the governors and eventually lieutenant governor of Acadia.

Acadia under Razilly

In 1632,

became governor of Acadia, having been selected by the government to restore to France her Acadian possessions. D'Aulnay, serving as one of the governor's able assistants, helped to borrow funds, hire ships, and recruit men for the regular ocean crossings to and from France for the

Compagnie des Cent-Associés 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 ch ...

and a private company, Razilly-Condonnier. These companies had divergent interests at times which resulted in costly competition. Razilly brought with him forty families and settled at La Hève (near present-day

Lunenburg, Nova Scotia Lunenburg () is a port town on the South Shore (Nova Scotia), South Shore of Nova Scotia, Canada. Founded in 1753, the town was one of the first British attempts to settle Protestants in Nova Scotia. Historically, Lunenburg's economy relied o ...

) on the southern coast of the island, dispossessing a Scotsman. In 1635, Razilly re-established French control of

Fort Pentagouet Fort Pentagouët (Fort Pentagoet, Fort Castine, Fort Penobscot, Fort Saint-Pierre) was a French fort established in present-day Castine, Maine, which was the capital of Acadia (1670–1674). It is the oldest permanent settlement in New England. ...

at Majabigwaduce on the

Penobscot Bay Penobscot Bay () is an inlet of the Gulf of Maine and Atlantic Ocean in south central Maine, a stretch known as Midcoast Maine, in a broader Atlantic region known as Down East. The bay originates from the mouth of Maine's Penobscot River, ...

, which had been given to France in an earlier Treaty with the English. He gave the

Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

men that had charge of the fort their liberty, but bade them tell their people at the English plantations that he would come the next year and displace them as far south as the 40th degree of north latitude. He then took full possession of the place, and strengthened the defences. Plymouth people manned a vessel and went to Penobscot to drive out the French, whom they found only 18 in number, but strongly intrenched. D'Aulnay permitted them to expend all their ammunition, and then go home.

Lieutenant of Acadia

Isaac de Razilly died in 1635 and the King appointed his brother, Claude de Launay-Razilly as the new governor. Claude did not come to Acadia but appointed d'Aulnay as his lieutenant to govern on his behalf and run the company, Razilly-Condonnier, in Acadia while he ran the operation in France. D'Aulnay went immediately to

Port Royal Port Royal () was a town located at the end of the Palisadoes, at the mouth of Kingston Harbour, in southeastern Jamaica. Founded in 1494 by the Spanish, it was once the largest and most prosperous city in the Caribbean, functioning as the cen ...

, erected a new fort, moved the La Hève colonists, and sent to France for 20 additional families, making Port Royal the principal settlement in Acadia.

Battles against La Tour

At the mouth of the Saint John River was a fort commanded by Charles La Tour who held a commission precisely similar to d'Aulnay's. Accusations and complaints were proffered, and d'Aulnay, by reason of superior advantages at court, obtained an order from the king, 13 February 1641, for arresting La Tour and sending him to France. Because the military forces of the two rivals were almost equal, D'Aulnay could not dispossess La Tour, and was obliged to send back the ship that brought the order with La Tour's refusal instead of his body. In the early winter of 1641, d'Aulnay returned to France to obtain additional power, and meanwhile La Tour sought the aid of his New England neighbours. As a result of negotiations with the New England governor, a body of

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

merchants made a visit to Fort La Tour for purposes of trade, and while at sea, on their return, met d'Aulnay himself, who informed them that La Tour was a rebel, and showed them a confirmation of the order issued the year before for his arrest. With 500 men in armed ships, d'Aulnay laid siege to Fort La Tour; but aid came from New England, and he was driven away. In 1645, learning that La Tour had taken a journey to

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, d'Aulnay again laid siege to the fort; but Madame La Tour directed from the bastions the cannonade on the enemy's ships, and compelled d'Aulnay to retire. By the aid of a treacherous sentry, he was enabled, on his third attack, to enter the fort, but the resistance led by Madame La Tour was so fierce that he proposed terms of capitulation, pledging life and liberty to all in the garrison. His terms being accepted, he broke his agreement, hanged every member of the garrison, and compelled Madame La Tour to witness the execution with a rope around her own neck. She died a few weeks later, while her husband took refuge in Quebec.

Acadia Leadership

D'Aulnay now had the whole of Acadia to himself, and improvements were made, marshes were diked, mills erected, and ship building begun. In 1645 he went to France, and received honours from the king. In 1647 a commission was issued making him governor and lieutenant-general in Acadia. However, he would not have a long time to enjoy his triumph, as in 1650 he died following a boating accident, throwing the title of Acadia again into question.

Legacy

La Tour, upon D'Aulnay's death, sailed for France, laid the facts before the court, and not only secured a restoration of his title and privileges, but was made d'Aulnay's successor of Acadia. D'Aulnay's widow Jeanne Motin, with her children, was still living in Acadia, and was alarmed at the turn affairs had taken, but with time hostility settled. D'Aulnay's widow and La Tour concluded to end their troubles, and were married on 24 February 1653. Because of his commitment to colonization, d'Aulnay's death left a thriving colony in Acadia. He is recognized as an important pioneer of European settlement in North America.

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Menou Governors of Acadia People of New France French untitled nobility 1600s births 1650 deaths People from Touraine Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada)