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

fur trade The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal ecosystem, boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals h ...

seigneur A seigneur () or lord 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. The seigneur owned a seigneurie, seigneury, or lordship—a form of ...

and administrator in

New France New France (, ) was the territory colonized by Kingdom of France, 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 Kingdom of Great Br ...

. He served as governor of

Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières (, ; ) is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice River, Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence River, Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Sain ...

from 1749 to 1757 and

governor of Montreal The governor of Montreal was the highest position in Montreal in the 17th century and the 18th century. Prior to the establishment of the 1663 Sovereign Council, the governor of Montreal was appointed by the Société Notre-Dame de Montréal. Th ...

from 1757 to 1760. The son of Philippe de Rigaud de Vaudreuil,

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 Chat ...

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

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

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 fought between 1740 and 1748, primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italian Peninsula, Italy, the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Related conflicts include King Ge ...

, 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 Drainage basin, river in southern Quebec, Canada. Sourcing water within the Eastern Townships, it ends its journey in Lake Saint Pierre, Lake Saint-Pierre where it is a tributary to the Saint Lawrence River; altoget ...

. 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

slave Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

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 French slave owners Fur traders

Legacy

See also

References