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The Life and Times of Charles Huault De Montmagny Jean-Claude Dubé. The Chevalier de Montmagny: First Governor of New France. French America Collection. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press, 2005. 381 pp. $35.00, paper, ISBN 978-0-7766-0559-3. Reviewed by Carl Kramer Published on H-Canada (February, 2008) Charles Huault de Montmagny was the last of supporter on the other side of the Atlantic. As su‐ seven children born to Antoinette du Drac and perior of the Jesuits and representing the reli‐ Charles I. Huault, he was baptized on March 11, gious authority in the colony, Le Jeune was the 1601, in Saint Paul in Paris, and by September one who later welcomed the new governor to 1610 his father was dead. Member of the secret Quebec in June 1636. religious order, the Order of Malta, and later the On March 7, 1622, as a young man, Montmag‐ first governor of New France, Montmagny has an ny and his brother Louis went to the priory inn of important place in both French and Canadian his‐ the Temple in Paris. Louis, already a member of tory. Since few records of his early life or his fami‐ the Order of Malta (an order that traced its her‐ ly survive, historian Jean-Claude Dubé, the author itage back to the crusaders), went to request ad‐ of this biography which is translated from French, mission for his brother. During the inquisition, relies mostly on notarial records as well as on the frst of several steps for admission to the Or‐ Paul Le Jeune's Jesuit Relations to present an out‐ der of Malta, an inquiry was made into the antiq‐ line of Montmagny's life prior to, during, and af‐ uity of the nobility of the Huault de Montmagny ter his tenure as the governor of New France.[1] lineage. Four people unrelated to the family all Feeling pressure from his family, Montmagny swore that the family lineage was noble and an‐ initially pursued a religious vocation. At La cient. Next, Louis presented titles that were meant Flèche, he was educated by the Jesuits, the best to prove beyond a doubt that the nobility of their teachers of the day. Learning languages, especial‐ paternal and maternal sides was more than one ly Latin and Greek, was standard to complement hundred years old. These documents, some au‐ religious education. While in college, he met Le Je‐ thentic and some false, were acts of fealty and une, a religious fgure and author of the frst Je‐ homage, noble successions, provisions of office, suit Relations, who helped him train in philoso‐ and noble services. Along with an examination of phy from 1615 to 1618 and later became his close the seigneurie of Montmagny, once this proof was H-Net Reviews submitted to confirm the antiquity of family no‐ them into a temporary peace out of necessity, bility, Montmagny passed the frst step. On clear‐ since his military forces were limited. ing the inquisition, prospective members passed Montmagny's last three years in New France, their novitiate, which included three caravans on from 1646 to 1648, were difficult. At the end of behalf of the order. Montmagny went on these June 1646, the Mohawk tribe sent presents to oth‐ caravans between Paris and Malta from August er Iroquois tribes to strengthen their alliances 1622 to October 1623, and he flled his time from and seek a common strategy: the ruin of the October 1623 to June 1636 with more caravans for French colony and their allies. This was a sudden the order. Montmagny continued in the service of reversal of the peace that Montmagny had the Order of Malta for the rest of his life, even worked hard for two years to achieve. Unfortu‐ during his time as governor of New France. nately, the French were not aware of this sudden Montmagny was named the frst governor of change. This spelled disaster for a party of mis‐ New France possibly as early as 1635. He entered sionaries who left Trois-Rivières on September 24. the St. Lawrence corridor at the end of May 1636. On reaching the village, the two Frenchmen were The population along its banks was concentrated "stripped, beaten with heavy blows of fsts and in mainly two areas: Quebec and Trois-Rivières. sticks" (p. 183). They were spared the agony of the Quebec's population was a mere 200 inhabitants, fire, being told: "Have courage, we will strike you the population of Trois-Rivières was about 50, and with the hatchet and set your heads on palings ... the whole population of New France numbered so that when we capture your brothers they may about 320. By far the most frequent users of the still see you" (p. 184). Negotiations for peace were St. Lawrence River and the largest population still possible in 1646 but they were unthinkable group in the area were nomadic natives who tra‐ by 1647. versed the river on canoes or small boats. Recog‐ The year 1647 marked the beginning of the nizing that the First Nations were the largest pop‐ systematic destruction and dispersal of "Huronia" ulation group, Montmagny sought closer relations by the Iroquois. One by one, Huron villages fell to with the Huron. In 1622, Samuel de Champlain different Iroquois tribes with the remainder of had obtained a peace with the Huron's enemy, the the Huron who could escape seeking refuge with Iroquois, but by the time Montmagny arrived that other bands of that tribe. Powerless to stop the at‐ peace was broken. Montmagny strengthened his tacks because of his meager supplies and men, predecessor's alliance with the Huron by periodi‐ Montmagny was forced to watch and intervene cally sending Jesuit missionaries to Christianize when Iroquois were close enough to his bases. At them. Because of its alliance with the Huron, New the beginning of 1648, the remaining Huron made France suffered frequent attacks by the Iroquois. a real attempt to make peace with the Iroquois. In 1639, the Iroquois became a much more formi‐ The central nations of the Iroquois (the Oneida, dable enemy when the Dutch from Fort Orange Onondaga, and Cayuga) lent an ear, but the Mo‐ began trading arquebuses in exchange for beaver hawk and Seneca remained steadfast against pelts. Champlain's policy to not sell or trade peace. They even killed six Huron ambassadors firearms with the natives put the Huron at a se‐ who came to Onondaga to talk peace. One Huron vere military disadvantage. Emboldened by Dutch ambassador was so disgusted by this treachery support and their new weapons, the Iroquois for‐ that he killed himself on his way back to "Huro‐ mally declared war in 1641. At Trois-Rivières, nia." To fnally alleviate attacks on the Huron, Montmagny held meetings with Iroquois repre‐ Montmagny sent a canoe manned by a soldier and sentatives, during which he was able to persuade two natives to escort them to Montreal to trade. 2 H-Net Reviews Montmagny went there to meet them, exchange analysis of the events surrounding the time in presents, and make speeches to strengthen their which that portion of the book took place. To alliance. A few days later, Montmagny's replace‐ present these introductions, the author uses nu‐ ment, Louis d'Ailleboust, arrived in Quebec. merous sources from Canada and France. Espe‐ On Montmagny's return to France, he found a cially evident in his discussion of Montmagny's very different political climate, having been gone family history and the Order of Malta, the author for twelve years. After he returned, less than one creatively uses probate listings in wills, inter‐ year went by before he found himself in the ser‐ twined with the few existing family writings, to vice of the grand master of the Order of Malta. present a sense of the social status of the family. Montmagny's task was to represent the grand When describing various family members, he dis‐ master personally in the Antilles by conducting a cusses different royal and governmental offices preliminary inquiry before the purchase of the is‐ held in France, and to assist the reader in identify‐ land and by bringing the island's lieutenant gen‐ ing the duties of the office, Dubé provides a glos‐ eral, Philipe de Lonvilliers de Poincy, entirely in sary. line with the order's interests. After 1652, Mon‐ Montmagny's tenure as the governor of New magny spent his remaining fve years as lieu‐ France depended on the success or failure of his tenant on the island. dealings with natives. Dubé places Montmagny in Dubé paints a valuable picture of the frst between the Huron and Iroquois struggle to domi‐ governor of New France in his well-written, well- nate the fur trade. Without much help from balanced, and well-researched book. To write the France, Montmagny was powerless to assist the book, the author waded through many accounts Huron. His strength showed more in the different of Montmagny that had been made up over the peace agreements he successfully concluded with years, and reconciled the truth versus the fction. the Iroquois. Additionally, Montmagny held fast to Much of the fake information even dated from the the spiritual mission of New France by continual‐ period of Montmagny's life when he and his ly sending Jesuit missionaries into "Huronia" to brother joined the Order of Malta. As noted teach about Christianity and set up missions. above, to join the order, the family had to prove The author relies on the Jesuit Relations as that its nobility was ancient, but in reality, their his predominant source for the section on New family nobility was not as old as the order re‐ France.
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