Amidst the Rocks and Fog of Cape Sable

The Rise of Charles De La Tour

After the destruction of Port Royal by Samuel Argall and his men in 1613, Charles de Biencourt de Poutrincourt (Biencourt) and his good friend and cousin, Charles de Saint Étienne de la Tour, remained in Acadia,  and with a handful of followers,  roamed  the woods,  living like the Natives; subsisting on game and fish and dressing themselves in animal skins.

So while Argall may have destroyed the trading post, he did not stop the trade, and we know from the reports of the missionaries that Biencourt and his men remained in the area of Port Royal, providing French merchants with valuable furs. Living with the natives, they learned the customs and language and eventually Biencourt and La Tour became partners in the fur trade, and according to La Tour himself, “they were our most prosperous years in terms of monetary gain.”

The young men also revelled in the unaccustomed freedom, and as both became proficient in the Mi'kmaq language, learning a variety of dialects; they amassed a following of about one hundred Natives, whom they trained in the use of firearms.  The group would be be bolstered by a few French traders and Basque fisherman, who also gave up their former lifestyles to embrace the democratic laws of this land.

They became physically stronger, bathed more often and learned the family values of their adopted country.  They also learned to master the canoe and snowshoes, and with the addition of three small boats, soon earned the reputation of a force to be reckoned with.  Many also married and raised children, and most of these unions were love matches.

'Acadian' girls were freer and more independant that those in France, but De Monts and Poutrincourt had always told Charles that the Natives were to be treated with respect and in letters home, he always referred to them as  "the people of this country"; never 'Savages'.

At about the age of 30, Charles La Tour would be married for the first time, to a local girl he simply called Louise, and they would have three daughters;  Jeanne, Antoinette and Marie.  The girls were raised in the Native fashion, sharing their time between their mother's village and their father's forts, where they learned the ins and outs of the fish and fur trade.

When La Tour's partner, Biencourt died in 1623, La Tour had the French fur-trade monopoly for the next four years and was able to accumulate considerable wealth.  Before long, he succeeded in constructing a small fort among the rocks and fogs of Cape Sable,  which he named Fort Lomeron,  after his La Rochelle agent.

Once a year David Lomeron (from Georges, Macain and Lomeron) would send a ship to his Cape Sable Post with wine, bread, spices, lard and salt for Charles and his followers, and exchange them for furs and salt cod.  The company also represented Charles in court, lent him money and assumed the risk from pirates and privateers, but charged 25 % interest.

And after Biencourt's death, La Tour also formed a partnership with his cousin Jacques De Salazar of Saint Just, who had recently inherited his family's titles and properties in France, but Salazar was content to leave La Tour in charge of their Acadian enterprises, cashing in on the young man's success.

Things would begin to change for La Tour in 1627, when a supply ship was pirated enroute to his fort.  It so happened that the ship also had on board Charles’ father, Claude de la Tour, and the privateers who captured the vessel, were none other than the famous Kirke Brothers. Once they realized the identity of the senior La Tour, who no doubt brandished his son's name in attempt to save his own skin, they immediately kidnapped him.  He was taken to England; where he was held prisoner for the next two years, though reportedly lived quite comfortably, being primed as a needed accomplice. David Kirke and his family would eventually become early settlers in Newfoundland, but prior to this he was commissioned by King Charles I to attack the French in Canada. With his brothers, he made two successful expeditions, culminating in the surrender of Québec in July 1629, by Champlain himself. That same year, William Alexander II returned to Acadia with Claude de La Tour, who was granted baronies for himself and his son, in exhange for transferring his allegiance from France to England.  Apparently though, young Charles knew nothing of  his father’s actions until he showed up at the Fort,  with a new wife in tow.  His father attempted to persuade his son to surrender the fort to the English, and when this failed, they fought until the senior La Tour and the English withdrew.

As a reward, Charles Tuffet from Bourdeaux, a director of the 'Company of New France', sent a ship to La Tour, loaded with food, building supplies, munitions and tradesmen:  "Because the younger La Tour had stood firm, the Company of New France was sending him everything necessary to build a habitation wherever La Tour saw fit".

The ships also carried three Recollet ministers and the first thing they did was to perform the Christian marriage of Charles and his Mi'kmaq wife; and baptize his three young daughters.  Richelieu then sent him a letter, dated February 8, 1631; stating in part: "as Grand Master, chief and superintendant of navigation and commerce...nominated La Tour to be lietenant-general for His Majesty...to command and to hold for him the country and people of Acadia....Our dear and well beloved Charles de Saint-Estienne, esquire, Sieur de la Tour, associate of the Company of New France...in consideration of his good sense, discretion, fidelity, experience and great industry..."

The King of France approved the Cardinal's nomination, and granted La Tour a royal commission as the "King's Lieutenant-General in Acadia." He was given land that included a rich hunting and fishing area along the St. John River (where his father eventually  built Fort Jemseg); as well as land at the mouth of the St. John,  where he built a trading post;  Fort La Tour. It was here that he could obtain the best furs and since there was a powerful tribe of Acadian Natives living nearby, it would offer defence against the English.  Cardinal Richelieu then ordered Captain Isaac de Razilly to take possession of Port-Royal in the name of France, sharing the governship with Charles La Tour.   However, again the men's authority was only over the French traders and the Wapn'ki Confederacy still called the shots.

Razilly arrived on September 8, 1632;  with Nicolas Denys,  a La Rochelle Merchant, and three ships with 15 families and three Recollet missionaries.  They founded the settlement at La Have, near a mostly  Metis community belonging to the Mi'kmaq Nation, where they would remain for the next four years.  The ships were freighted with food, building supplies, munitions and tradesmen to construct another fort at La Have.  By this time, Charles had decided to forgive his father and invited him to come reside at Cape Sable.  The senior La Tour had been ostracized by the Scottish would be immigrants after his failed attempt to gain his son’s surrender; and they were forced to leave.  He would spend the remainder of his life in a rather aristocratic style with his new wife, Dame d’Honneur;  their two maids and the two menservants they had brought to Acadia.

Soon after Razilly's arrival, La Tour left things in his hands, while he paid a long awaited visit to France. His wife had just died and he was anxious to have his young daughters visit his old stomping grounds and introduce them to some French culture.  He also brought with him some of his Native friends, one of whom was recorded on official court papers as a Great Chief of the Mi'kmaq, Melicete and Kennebec Indians.  ('Sagamos des Souriquois, Etcherines, Pantegois et Quiniban').  While he was away, however,  he got word that the Scots of Charlesfort (aka: Port Royal) had raided his St. John Fort and he made a hurried trip back, returning to France in December of 1632.  La Tour and his entourage made quite an impression in Paris, as they strutted along the streets, dressed in their buckskins and colourful regalia; every bit the visiting dignataries.  However, his Acadian friends were not at all  impressed with the 'grandeur' of Paris.  The streets were dirty, paved with mud and garbage and many of the pedestrains wore wooden platforms on their feet to keep their shoes from sticking in the mud.  In the Palace district, they saw quite an array of people.  Everthing from silk clad nobles; lawyers and merchants in somber wool; and beggars and thieves in tatters and rags.  While there, they stayed at the home of La Tour's friend: Claude Pignault in the Rue Quincampoix, in the financial district of Paris, which was just a few blocks from the Company of New France.  One day, while there conducting business, he had an opportunity to meet with Jean Lauzon, the Governor of French interests in what they called 'New France',  and Samuel De Champlain,  who was also there on business.  The men would have a lengthy conversation about future French trade, before departing ways.

La Tour would spend two months in France, conducting business and signing contracts, and while there he made a decision to leave Antoinette in the care of a relative, Saint-Hillaire, a devout Huguenot, where she would spend the next three years.  But when Razilly, a devout Catholic,  learned of this, he was not pleased and had her removed, with the help of his Uncle Richelieu, and placed in the Abbey of Beaumont-les-Tours, in the care of Mere Louise De Razilly.  There it was discovered that she had a beautiful singing voice, so her patron had her trained by the best voice teachers in Tours, and the nobility and gentry would come for miles around to hear her perform.  In 1644, Queen Anne of Austria heard of her talents and brought Antoinette to Paris to reside at the best convent in France, the Val de Grace. She stayed there for several months and the Queen of France came often to hear her sing.  In July of 1646, she took her final vows at Beaumont Abbey and the story of her beautiful voice is recorded there.  The First Canadian Idol.

Anne of Austria loved La Tour's daughter Antionette

Under the advise of Isaac De Razilly, Charles  left his youngest daughter, Marie,  in an Ursuline convent in Tours, where the De Razilly family promised to keep an eye out for her.  However, like a fish out of water, the confines of a damp, cold convent with it's rigid lifestyle, was too much for the girl and she died within a few years.  Very rarely did a Canadian Native survive convent or monastary life.  As for Jeanne, she returned home with her father, refusing to stay in France.

Before leaving LaRochelle at the end of March, 1633; La Tour posted notice in the Renaudot's Gazette, a newspaper subsidized by Richelieu.  "The Sieur de La Tour invited any interested persons to come with him to Cap Negre in Acadia, a locality lying on the same parallel as Bayonne in France (not entirely true), at which  place he would give them "rich fertile land, abounding in rivers full of fish and all sorts of birds and game animals, including valuable beaver. Here the settlers could count on receiving regular divine service, provided by the priests of the Capucin order.  He added that the previous November he had returned to Acadia in 17 days.  However, no flood of colonists came forward...though he was not overly concerned.   At least he was able to show that he tried to induce colonists, as part of his agreement.

Meanwhile, the settlements of the English squatters in what they called 'New England',   were growing by leaps and bounds, and while they preferred clearing land and driving away many of the small animals, the French still relied on trapping and as such, the 'New Englanders' relied on the French to trap.  Therefore, La Tour could always count on his neighbors to sell him supplies in exchange for pelts, avoiding the expense and delay in acquiring the items from France. In November of 1633, he was on such a trading expedition along the Maine Coast, and just North of Ste, Croix,  met up with a group led by Richard Vines. The English traders came onboard the French vessel and La Tour exchanged 400 of his pelts for merchandise.   However, some of Vine’s men insulted him, and furious, La Tour took them prisoner.  He only detained them a short time, but issued a warning that his commission allowed him to sieze all non-French vessels found trading in the area.  Even though he himself had initiated the transaction, he made it clear that he was not a man to be fooled with. Undaunted, Vines set up a temporary shack at Machias, south of the St. Croix and left five of his men there with two cannons.  However, to keep out the chill (it was november) they got into the liquor supply that was intended for trade and when La Tour showed up a few days later, the intoxicated men fired the cannon, stating later that it was only as a greeting.   The Frenchmen shot two of the English traders with return fire and when they landed at their encampment, they found that many of the supplies being offered for trade were goods that had been stolen in the earlier raid of La Tour’s own Fort; when he was away in Paris.  He sent the two surviving Englishmen to France to stand trial, where they were found guilty and forced to return the items.  They were then free to go and returned to New England where they reported the incident to Governor Winthrop.  The fact that Charles (and his father Claude, who was with him at the time), had “shed English blood”, would not be taken lightly, but La Tour’s main goal in the affair was to establish French rights to this disputed area; something his French charter encouraged him to do.    A few months later, Isaac Allerton, a major shareholder in Vine’s privateering enterprises, showed up at Fort La Tour demanding compensation.  La Tour dismissed his claims stating that as French Governor of Acadia he was within his rights to protect French interests, and that his charter included the territory clear to Cape Cod.  He also told Allerton to warn others that if they were found in French territory again he would sieze them and their merchandise.  Of course, it wasn't French territory since they hadn't discovered, conquered or purchased it, and any major decisions would have to be approved by the Federal Government.

The following year he was able to prove that though he ran a tight ship, he was not without compassion, when he rescued some Massachusetts bound immigrants, who had been put ashore at Fort St. John.  He treated them kindly and then had them taken to New England in his own pinnance.  This incident was also reported to Governor Winthrop.

But it was not only foreign powers who needed to be made aware of his authority, but at home he would also be tested, when long time friend, Bernard Marot, was caught trading illegally with the Natives. Marot was injured in the resulting arrest, and sent back to La Rochelle to stand trial.  When he was thrown in prison, La Tour did arrange his release, but they would never be friends again.

La Tour and his co-governor got along very well, each respecting the other's authority, but Razilly died suddenly at La Hève in December 1635, leaving his post and 'seigneuries' (I can find no record that suggests he actually owned the land) in Acadia, which included La Heve, Sainte-Croix and Port Royal, to his brother Claude. His brother,  however, had no desire to leave France so delegated his authority on Charles de Menou d'Aulnay, his cousin.  This would be the beginning of several years of unrest as Charles La tour and d’Aulnay became engaged in a power struggle that resulted in an all out civil war.

It would have seemed wrong to D'Aulnay that a man of inferior birth from the colonial backwoods, would have more influence than him with the higher officials, and could hardly bear that La Tour wielded the authority of King's Governor and Lietenant-General, even if it was only to a handful of French.

As a result, he would constantly harrass La Tour, and in 1638, the king sent D’Aulnay a decree in the form of a letter, deploring him to put an end to the feud with La Tour, but to no avail.

In 1639,  La Tour, and his two top aides, Desjardins and De Mourron met at the Cape Sable fort to discuss their future plans.  It was clear that D’Aulnay was not going to back down, despite the letter from the king, and was determined to dominate French-Acadia.  He had married Jeanne Motin and already had several children, which would give him credibility with the French court. On the other hand, La Tour was single with no male heirs, so it was clear that he would have to marry.  He sent Desjardins to France, empowering him to “negotiate a marriage contract and conduct the lady and her suite to Acadia for the wedding”. The document did not name the bride but La Tour had given Desjardins some possibilities; possibly women he had met on his last trip to France.

Desjardins  came back the following year with Françoise-Marie Jacquemin, from a small town south west of Paris.  Her father, Dr. Jacques Jacquemin, signed her marriage contract on December 31, 1639; at  Beauford, Paris, France, the terms of which required that she be equipped with rings and jewelry and that she be conducted from France "in a manner in accordance with her quality, together with her suite, which shall be 2 waiting women and one manservant."

Atlantic Canada - The Early Years

French Immigrant Home Page

Uniquely Canadian Site Map

Victorian Canada Home Page