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| > For more on FRONTENAC CLICK HERE
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A Brief Story About FRONTENAC:
with some words on Mathieu DAMOURS |
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From the Columbia Encyclopedia, Columbia University P.F. Collier & Son Corporation , N.Y. (1941)
Frontenac, Count of, Louis de Buade (1620-1698):
His early military career was spent in service in the Low Countries, Italy and Germany. Appointed in 1672 to the post of Governor in New France, he entered with vigor upon a course that would have resulted in considerable political independence for Canada, but was curbed bu the Royal government in France because his policy was not acceptable to Louis XIV and his Minister.
Adding to the power of the Council in New France, they reduced accordingly that of the Governor.
Frontenac was involved in long quarrels with the Jesuits. He quarreled also with the Intendant and with the Governor of Montreal; but he dealt wisely and successfully with the Indians; forwarded explorations by Jolliet, Marquette and LaSalle; aided in the establishment of Forts and posts in the New French Territory.
( Fort Frontenac, formerly on the site of Kingston, Ontario, Canada, was a good example of Frontenac's involvement: the original fort (1674-1689) was LaSalle's base. It was reestablished in 1696 by Count Frontenac and was eventually captured by Bradstreet's English forces in 1758, the victory giving the English control of Lake Ontario.)
When the disagreements among the heads of the colony caused division and confusion, Frontenac was recalled to France in 1682.
However the following years were so distressing because of the havoc worked by the Iroquois that he was sent back to Canada, as Governor, in 1689. He energitacally warred upon the Iroquois, who submitted at last in 1696; he sougth to restrain the British in the French and Indian Wars.
Sir William Phip's fleet was driven back from before Quebec; Boston was attacked; incursions were made along the Coast of New England as far South as New Jersey.
He died soon afterward at Quebec.
See Francis Parkman Count Frontenac and New France under Louis XIV (1877) ; W.D. LeSueur Count Frontenac (1906); G.M. Wrong The Rise and Fall of New France. |
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"What specific circumstances, in 1681, brought about Frontenac's recall to France in 1682?"
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Frontenac was Governor for New France and not everyone agreed to endorse his views; Mathieu Damours, a nobleman educated in France, was a quiet low-key respectable person who fully endorsed the welfare of the King or New France and was not always in agreement with Frontenac. Mathieu made it a point to remain objective and once he would determine on a course of action, he could not be budged. Did this not endear him to Frontenac who managed to get him out of the way by falsely imprisoning him, having waited to do so that Nicolas Marsolet had died, in 1677, at 90, and not counting on the strength of Mathieu's wife and friends who managed to have him freed and have Frontenac recalled to France to answer his actions. Further on, the story as it was recorded (in French) in the minutes of the Conseil Souverain (1681), but first some information on Mathieu Damours. |
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Mathieu's title was seigneur des Chaufours et de la Morandiere.
One of his sons, Bernard, would inherit a title from his Mother's side: "seigneur des Plaines", more exactly from his Great-Grand Mother's family, Marguerite de Planes, Mother of Nicolas Marsolet. |
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But Mathieu Damours, was not only the son of Louis Damours, First Councillor to the King in France, but was also brother to Gabriel, the King's Confessor, brother to Pierre, Grand Marechal de France and brother to Elisabeth, dame Louis-Theandre Chartres de Lotbiniere. Himself, Mathieu, had been on the "Conseil Souverain" in New France since it's inception. In 1681, it had been 18 years. |
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Mathieu was married to Marie, the eldest daughter of Nicolas Marsolet de St-Aignan, sieur de Bellechasse.. Mathieu & Marie were married in 1652 when she was 15 and he was 34. The difference in age was quite normal in those days when daughters were married as soon as they were available, which was as early as possible, and it appears that they lived happily together, caring for their large family, of which eleven reached adulthood, with the help of a few servants, since they were well-off, by any standards . |
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Their seven sons all received titles and land from the King. After all, the Damours had served faithfully the Kings of France since 1200's (one Damours saved the life of King Louis XII (St.Louis) during the Crusades) they were still well rewarded for their continuous help to the affairs of the Kingdom. |
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In 1681, the last child of Marie & Mathieu, Philippe, was two years of age. The couple had had sixteen children altogether and Mathieu had been on Conseil Souverain for eighteen (18) years. |
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*********** |
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On FRONTENAC
Louis de Buade, Count of Frontenac, had Mathieu Damours (Father) secretly arrested and put in prison, to keep him from divulging some of his own activities.
Mathieu's wife, Marie Marsolet, daughter of Nicolas who had died four years before, took it into her hands to have her husband released by bringing in physical proofs of his innocence. After the facts were examined, Mathieu was exonarated and Frontenac was relieved of his command.
Below, the Minutes, in French, of that meeting of the Council in New France: |
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EXTRAIT DES DELIBERATIONS DU CONSEIL SOUVERAIN -
pour le 16 AOUT 1681:
16 aout 1681: A l'ouverture du Conseil, la dame Damours (demoiselle Marie Marsolet) a mis sur le bureau un paquet cachete qu'elle a apporte de la part du Sieur Mathieu Damours, conseiller en cette cour; son mari, arrete, prisonnier de l'autorite de M. le Gouverneur (Frontenac). Et lorsqu'on etait pres de l'ouvrir et d'en faire lecture, Monsieur le Gouverneur (de Frontenac) a dit qu'il ne savait pas ce que la dite demoiselle voulait au conseil, auquel on n'avait pas accoutume de se pourvoir par des lettres missives, mais de lui presenter de requetes dont on priait quelqu'un des messieurs de vouloir se charger et que les affaires du Roi passaient bien davantages que celles qui pouvaient etre contenues dans la dite lettre. Sur quoi Monsieur l'Intendant insista pour que la lettre fût ouverte, dans laquelle le Sieur Damours informait le Conseil qu'il etait en prison par ordre du Gouverneur. Les faits ayant ete examines prouverent que M. Damours n'etait pas coupable de desobeissance, comme il en etait accuse. |
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L'Intendant (Duchesneau) en informa le Roi; M. Damours reprit place au Conseil, et M. de Frontenac fut remplace l'annee suivante par Monsieur de la Barre dans la charge de Gouverneur. Dans le meme temps, Mr. de Meulles succeda a Mr. Duchesneau comme Intendant. |
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On MATHIEU, Son of MATHIEU DAMOURS,
during the 2nd Administration of FRONTENAC, 1690 |
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Below, in French: In 1690 Mathieu Damours, son, received Letters from the King to sit on the Conseil Souverain, replacing his Father, Mathieu Damours, and have title to Lands. |
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Le 17 juillet 1690, pendant la seconde administration de Mr. de Frontenac, M. Jean Bochart de Champigny etant Intendant, le second fils de Mathieu Damours et de Marie Marsolet, lui aussi nomme Mathieu, recut des lettre de conseiller au Conseil Souverain, "Un, disent les deliberations du Conseil, les lettres de provisions d'un des offices de conseiller en Icelui accordees par le Roi a Maitre Mathieu Damours de Freneuse, donnees a Versailles le 24 mai de l'annee derniere, signees Louis, et plus bas: par le Roi, Colbert, et scellees du scel secret de Sa Majeste; pour le dit office avoir, tenir et dorenavant exercer, en l'absence et en survivance de Maitre Mathieu Damours des Chaufours, son pere, en jouir et user avec honneurs, autorite prerogatives, exemptions, franchises, gages, fruits, profits, revenus et emoluments y attribues, tels et semblables qu'en jouit et en doit jouir, le dit Sieur Damours, pere; et sans qu'avenant le deces de l'un ou de l'autre, le dit office puisse etre declare vacant, attendu le don que Sa Majeste lui en fait, voulant que le dit Sieur Damours, pere, jouisse pendant sa vie des gages et droits attribues au dit ofice et apres son deces, le dit Sieur de Fresneuse. Requete du dit Impetant pour en etre mis en possessions, contenant les raisons qui l'ont empeche de venir a cet effet plus tot de l'Acadie ou il fait demeure. Information faite sur les vie, encens, religion catholique, apostolique et Romaine du dit Impetant. |
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- Extrait des registres des baptemes de la paroisse Notre-Dame du Quebec, par lequel il parait que le dit Impetant fut baptise le 14 mars 1657 par le Rev. Pere Poncet, signe Francois Dupre, present cure de cette paroisse Notre Dame de Quebec...
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Mande a la chambre, le dit Sieur Damours de Fresneuse a prete le serment en la maniere accoutumee. Et ce fait a ete institue et conduit en sa place par Maitre Jean Baptiste de Peiras, conseiller a ce commis, et a pris seance." ONT SIGNES: Bochart-Champigny, Intendant. M. de Villeray, Rapporteur
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When his Father died, the office of "Active Member" of the Council of New France "Conseiller actif du Conseil Souverain" was passed from the husband to the son of Mademoiselle Marie Marsolet de St Aignan in 1696; in the French transcripts we find Mathieu Damours (son) receiving permission from the Council to be absent from the meetings for the next winter as he has to get get his wife in La Riviere St-Jean (Acadie), since his brothers cannot bring her to him since they have gone with the Sieur d'Iberville who is commanding the Ship of the King in an expedition in His Service.
M. Mathieu Damours, Elder, had been on the Conseil Souverain since its creation, which amounted to 33 years. Below the French Minutes of that decision: |
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"Sur ce qui a ete represente (disent Les Deliberations) par le Sieur Mathieu Damours de Fresneuse, Conseiller, que Mr. Mathieu Damours, son pere, etant decede, il a ete oblige de venir en cette ville prendre place en ce Conseil, en la dite charge de laquelle Sa Majeste l'aurais pourvu en survivance et y a ete recu des le vivant de son pere; croyant que ses freres, habitues a la Riviere St-Jean, lui ameneraient la demoiselle sa femme, mais apprenant qu'ils ont pris le parti d'aller avec le Sieur d'Iberville, commandant le vaisseau du Roi dans l'expedition qu'il doit faire pour le service de Sa Majeste, Lui, Sieur de la Freneuse, se voit oblige d'aller lui-meme querir sa dite femme avec sa famille, d'ou il ne pourra etre de retour que le printemps de l'annee prochaine, demandant a la Compagnie d'agreer son voyage. Et oui le Procureur General du Roi, le Conseil a agree le voyage du dit Sieur de Fresneuse."
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Louise Guyon, daughter of Simon Guyon and Louise Racine, had been widowed of Charles Thibault and she got married to Mathieu Damours de Fresneuse, son, on the same day as her sister, on October 1st 1686. Those two Guyon sisters were marrying two Damours brothers, Louis and Mathieu. |
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The children of Mathieu Damours & Louise Guyon
1D--Joseph, baptise en 1687, sieur de Fresneuse-Dujour, commandant "La Renommee" en 1736
2D--Louis, baptise en 1689
3D--Mathieu-Francois, baptise a Quebec le 7 aout 1692, marie a Quebec le 17 octobre 1726 a Angelique Coutard.
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N.B.: The title of "Sieur de la Fresneuse" was lost for lack of a male descendant. |
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For more Informations, see "Damours" |
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For more information, also see Guyon |
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© Copyrights Danielle Duval LeMyre 1999 |
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