Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry
| Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 20, 1721 Quebec, New France |
| Died | December 11, 1797 Quebec, Lower Canada |
| Occupation | military engineer and political figure in Lower Canada |
Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry (July 20, 1721 – December 11, 1797) was a seigneur, military engineer and political figure in Lower Canada. [1] His first name was also sometimes written Joseph-Gaspard.
Contents |
[edit] Education
Born in the city of Quebec in 1721, he was the son of Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry (b.1665), the King's Engineer and the architect of Toulon, Provence, by his wife Claire d'Artigues. His family were long settled in Provence, where they held the seigneury of Mimet, near Aix-en-Provence.
[edit] Career
He joined the colonial army in 1733 and became an assistant engineer in 1739. Chaussegros de Léry took part in raids against the British in New England, helped maintain French fortifications in New France and was in charge of the construction of Fort Saint-Jean. In 1753, he married Louise, the daughter of François Martel de Brouague, commandant of the Coast of Labrador. He took part in Louis-Joseph de Montcalm's capture of Fort Oswego in 1756 and, in 1757, was promoted to captain for his success at the Battle of Fort Bull. He was wounded at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham and sent back to France in 1761. He had become the seigneur of Léry after his father's death.
At some point, Chaussegros de Léry produced a finished copy of a map of the west. The original work had been done by Christopher Dufrost de La Jemeraye, a nephew of Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de La Vérendrye.
Chaussegros de Léry was not given any opportunities by the French and returned to Quebec by way of England in 1764. He was named chief road commissioner by Governor Guy Carleton in 1768 and served on the Legislative Council and Executive Council of Quebec. In 1792, he was named to the Legislative Council of Lower Canada. He sold the seigneury of Léry in 1766 but later acquired the seigneuries of Perthuis, Rigaud-Vaudreuil, Gentilly, Le Gardeur and Sainte-Barbe.
He died at Quebec in 1797.
[edit] Family
His wife was Marie-Renee (1697-1743), daughter of Chevalier Rene Legardeur de Beauvais (1660-1742), by his wife Marie-Barbe, daughter of Chevalier Pierre de Saint-Ours (1640-1724) of the Manoir de Saint Ours. His son Louis-René also served on the legislative council and his son Charles-Étienne was a member of the executive council and the special council that administered the province after the Lower Canada Rebellion. His daughter Catherine married seigneur Jacques-Philippe Saveuse de Beaujeu and was the mother of Georges-René Saveuse de Beaujeu. Another son, Gaspard-Joseph, married Louise Martel de Brouage in 1753, and they were the first Canadian couple to be presented to the English Court, drawing the compelent from His Majesty that if all Canadian ladies resembled Mme de Lery then he had made 'une belle conquete'.
[edit] Honours
The DeLery Building at the Royal Military College Saint-Jean was named in his honour.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Foundation, Toronto. 2011. http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0001547< Retrieved 31 Jan 2011>
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry |
