Philippe de Rigaud Vaudreuil

Philippe de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil (c. 1643 – October 10, 1725) was a French politician, who was Governor-General of New France (now Canada and US states of the Mississippi Valley) from 1703 to 1725.

He was born in the castle of Vaudreuil, near Castelnaudary, France, the son of Jean-Louis de Rigaud de Vaudreuil, seigneur, baron of Auriac, Cabaniol, Vaudreuil etc., by his wife Marie de Château-Verdun. As Chevalier de Vaudreuil, he was sent to command French forces in New France before being appointed governor of Montreal in 1702, and then governor-general of New France in 1703. Vaudreuil was a successful administrator and reformer, pursued an enlightened policy towards the Native Americans in the region, and remained overwhelmingly pro-French. He died in Quebec City.

He married a daughter of Pierre de Joybert de Soulanges et de Marson, by his wife Marie-Françoise, daughter of Louis-Théandre Chartier de Lotbinière. They lived at Château Vaudreuil, Montreal, which was built by Chaussegros de Léry. The Château was eventually destroyed by a fire in 1803. Their son, Pierre François de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal, served as the last French Governor-General of Canada before the British Conquest of New France from 1755 to 1760 during the French and Indian War. Several of his other sons went on to distinguished careers in the French army and navy. His grandson Louis-Philippe de Vaudreuil defeated the English Navy at the Battle of Yorktown (1781) on the Septre, and was protecting George Washington's army in 1782 in Boston aboard the Triomphant. His grandson also brought back the victorious French army of Rochambeau, back to France after the Siege of Yorktown.

Legacy

A Squadron of cadets at the Royal Military College Saint-Jean was named in his honour.

See also

Jacques Baudry de Lamarche

External links

• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online.
• the Canadian Encyclopedia