Eustache Chartier de Lotbinière
Encyclopedia
Eustache Chartier de Lotbinière (1688–1749), Seigneur
de Lotbinière
, Councillor of the Sovereign Council of New France
and Keeper of the Seals
of New France
; Vicar-General, Archdeacon
and the first Canadian Dean of Notre-Dame de Québec Cathedral
.
, Quebec City
, 14 December, 1688. He was the son of René-Louis Chartier de Lotbinière
and his wife Marie-Madeleine Lambert du Mont (1662–1695), daughter of Eustache Lambert du Mont (1618–1673), Seigneur
and Commandant of the Quebec Militia. He was the first cousin of Pierre François de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal
, the last Governor General of New France
.
appointed him a Councillor of the Sovereign Council of New France
. Six years later, the Intendant of New France
, Michel Bégon de la Picardière, granted him the commission of Keeper of the Seals
of New France
, which was confirmed by the King in 1717.
Like his father, the authorities in France
held high hopes that he would go on to occupy the same posts that his father and grandfather had held before him. Within the Sovereign Council of New France
he quickly distinguished himself by his competence, integrity and innate sense of justice, and temporalily served as Attorney General
. In 1719, his cousin, Pierre François de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal
, put his name forward to be Chief Councillor of the Sovereign Council of New France
, but the Intendant, Michel Bégon de la Picardière, withdrew his support as on more than one occasion de Lotbinière had opposed attempts to interfere with decrees which the intendant wanted to have changed. De Lotbinière did not get the promotion, and in 1722, his antagonism with Bégon was again evident when the intendant wrote of him that he "thinks that he knows as much as the most diligent. He is very fond of pleasure and not too fond of work".
He had inherited the Seigneury of Lotbinière
, rendering fealty and homage in 1724, and he also held land in the Seigneury of Maure. In 1717, he had started the construction of a large stone church at Lotbinière
, with the help of his brother, Father Valentin, who was the parish priest there. In 1722, he was appointed general agent at Quebec
for the Compagnie de l'Occident
.
, in 1723. This event prompted him to pursue a life in Holy Orders (Catholic Church)
. In consequence of his already official duties, he learned theology
through either his brother, Father Valentin, or Jean-Baptiste de La Croix de Chevrières de Saint-Vallier
, who held Eustache in high esteem. He was ordained into the Priesthood (Catholic Church)
in 1726, and only four days after this event the Bishop of Quebec
appointed him Canon (priest)
and Archdeacon
, which was followed a few months later to his appointment as Vicar general
to the Bishop. He resigned from the Compagnie de l'Occident
, but Louis XV of France
allowed him to retain his position on the Sovereign Council of New France
as a lay councillor, on condition that he abstain from attending trials of criminal cases and relinquish his office as Keeper of the Seals
.
, became a Knight of Malta
, and the youngest was Michel Chartier de Lotbinière, Marquis de Lotbinière
), though only two of them married and left a family. He was the uncle of Louis-Philippe Mariauchau d'Esgly and the grandfather of Antoine Juchereau Duchesnay (seigneur)
.
Seigneur
Seigneur may refer to:* The possessor of a seigneurie in medieval feudal or manorial systems.* The Seigneurial system of New France* The hereditary feudal ruler of the island of Sark, see also List of Seigneurs of Sark...
de Lotbinière
Lotbinière
-Places:*Lotbinière Regional County Municipality, Quebec**Lotbinière, Quebec, a municipality**Sainte-Agathe-de-Lotbinière, Quebec, a municipality**Saint-Édouard-de-Lotbinière, Quebec, a parish...
, Councillor of the Sovereign Council of New France
Sovereign Council of New France
The Sovereign Council of New France was a political body appointed by the King of France and consisting of a Governor General, an Intendant of New France answered to the French Minister of the Marine, And also the Bishop witch helped with laws and land...
and Keeper of the Seals
Keeper of the seals
The title Keeper of the Seals or equivalent is used in several contexts, denoting the person entitled to keep and authorize use of the Great Seal of a given country. The title may or may not be linked to a particular cabinet or ministerial office.- Canada :...
of New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
; Vicar-General, Archdeacon
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
and the first Canadian Dean of Notre-Dame de Québec Cathedral
Notre-Dame de Québec Cathedral
The Cathedral-minor basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec , located at 20, rue de Buade, Quebec City, Quebec, is the primate church of Canada and seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Quebec, the oldest see in the New World north of Mexico.It is also the parish church of the oldest parish in North...
.
Birth
Born at Duke of Kent House, QuebecDuke of Kent House, Quebec
Duke of Kent House or Kent House is situated on Rue Saint-Louis, behind the Château Frontenac in Quebec City. It is presently serves as the French Consulate...
, Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, 14 December, 1688. He was the son of René-Louis Chartier de Lotbinière
René-Louis Chartier de Lotbinière
René-Louis Chartier de Lotbinière was a French-Canadian Poet, 1st Seigneur de Lotbinière in New France , Judge of the Provost and Admiralty Courts and Chief Councillor of the Sovereign Council of New France.-Birth:...
and his wife Marie-Madeleine Lambert du Mont (1662–1695), daughter of Eustache Lambert du Mont (1618–1673), Seigneur
Seigneur
Seigneur may refer to:* The possessor of a seigneurie in medieval feudal or manorial systems.* The Seigneurial system of New France* The hereditary feudal ruler of the island of Sark, see also List of Seigneurs of Sark...
and Commandant of the Quebec Militia. He was the first cousin of Pierre François de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal
Pierre François de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal
Pierre François de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal was a Canadian-born French colonial governor in North America...
, the last Governor General of New France
Governor General of New France
Governor General of New France was the vice-regal post in New France from 1663 until 1760 and was the last French vice-regal post. It was replaced by the British post of Governor of the Province of Quebec following the fall of New France...
.
Early career
He was educated at the Jesuit's College, Quebec. With his two other brothers already in the church, his father desired for him to continue in the judicial positions that he and his father had held. In 1710, Louis XIV of FranceLouis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
appointed him a Councillor of the Sovereign Council of New France
Sovereign Council of New France
The Sovereign Council of New France was a political body appointed by the King of France and consisting of a Governor General, an Intendant of New France answered to the French Minister of the Marine, And also the Bishop witch helped with laws and land...
. Six years later, the Intendant of New France
Intendant of New France
New France was governed by three rulers: the governor, the bishop and the intendant, all appointed by the King, and sent from France. The intendant was responsible for finance, economic development, and the administration of justice . He also presided over the Sovereign Council of New France...
, Michel Bégon de la Picardière, granted him the commission of Keeper of the Seals
Keeper of the seals
The title Keeper of the Seals or equivalent is used in several contexts, denoting the person entitled to keep and authorize use of the Great Seal of a given country. The title may or may not be linked to a particular cabinet or ministerial office.- Canada :...
of New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
, which was confirmed by the King in 1717.
Like his father, the authorities in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
held high hopes that he would go on to occupy the same posts that his father and grandfather had held before him. Within the Sovereign Council of New France
Sovereign Council of New France
The Sovereign Council of New France was a political body appointed by the King of France and consisting of a Governor General, an Intendant of New France answered to the French Minister of the Marine, And also the Bishop witch helped with laws and land...
he quickly distinguished himself by his competence, integrity and innate sense of justice, and temporalily served as Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
. In 1719, his cousin, Pierre François de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal
Pierre François de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal
Pierre François de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal was a Canadian-born French colonial governor in North America...
, put his name forward to be Chief Councillor of the Sovereign Council of New France
Sovereign Council of New France
The Sovereign Council of New France was a political body appointed by the King of France and consisting of a Governor General, an Intendant of New France answered to the French Minister of the Marine, And also the Bishop witch helped with laws and land...
, but the Intendant, Michel Bégon de la Picardière, withdrew his support as on more than one occasion de Lotbinière had opposed attempts to interfere with decrees which the intendant wanted to have changed. De Lotbinière did not get the promotion, and in 1722, his antagonism with Bégon was again evident when the intendant wrote of him that he "thinks that he knows as much as the most diligent. He is very fond of pleasure and not too fond of work".
He had inherited the Seigneury of Lotbinière
Lotbinière
-Places:*Lotbinière Regional County Municipality, Quebec**Lotbinière, Quebec, a municipality**Sainte-Agathe-de-Lotbinière, Quebec, a municipality**Saint-Édouard-de-Lotbinière, Quebec, a parish...
, rendering fealty and homage in 1724, and he also held land in the Seigneury of Maure. In 1717, he had started the construction of a large stone church at Lotbinière
Lotbinière
-Places:*Lotbinière Regional County Municipality, Quebec**Lotbinière, Quebec, a municipality**Sainte-Agathe-de-Lotbinière, Quebec, a municipality**Saint-Édouard-de-Lotbinière, Quebec, a parish...
, with the help of his brother, Father Valentin, who was the parish priest there. In 1722, he was appointed general agent at Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
for the Compagnie de l'Occident
Compagnie de l'Occident
The Compagnie de l'Occident was a French Crown corporation that existed from 1664 to 1667. Its purpose was to exploit the resources of the French colonies and compete with the powerful Dutch and English companies....
.
The Church
His wife died on giving birth to their eighth child, Michel Chartier de Lotbinière, Marquis de LotbinièreMichel Chartier de Lotbinière, Marquis de Lotbinière
Michel Chartier de Lotbinière, 1st Marquis de Lotbinière , Seigneur of Vaudreuil, Lotbinière and Rigaud, Quebec etc. On his advice, the Marquis de Montcalm successfully attacked Fort William Henry in 1757...
, in 1723. This event prompted him to pursue a life in Holy Orders (Catholic Church)
Holy Orders (Catholic Church)
Holy Orders in the Catholic Church includes three orders: bishop, priest, and deacon. The Church regards ordination as a Sacrament. In the phrase "Holy Orders", the word "holy" simply means "set apart for some purpose." The word order designates an established civil body or corporation with a...
. In consequence of his already official duties, he learned theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
through either his brother, Father Valentin, or Jean-Baptiste de La Croix de Chevrières de Saint-Vallier
Jean-Baptiste de la Croix de Chevrières de Saint-Vallier
Jean-Baptiste de la Croix de Chevrière de St. Vallier was appointed to the see of Quebec as bishop in 1685 by Louis XIV. But, Blessed Pope Innocent XI was not granting any more bulls of investiture....
, who held Eustache in high esteem. He was ordained into the Priesthood (Catholic Church)
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
in 1726, and only four days after this event the Bishop of Quebec
Bishop of Quebec
The title Bishop of Quebec refers to more than one individual:* The Anglican Bishop of Quebec* The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Quebec- See also :* Bishop of Calgary * Bishop of Edmonton...
appointed him Canon (priest)
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
and Archdeacon
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
, which was followed a few months later to his appointment as Vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
to the Bishop. He resigned from the Compagnie de l'Occident
Compagnie de l'Occident
The Compagnie de l'Occident was a French Crown corporation that existed from 1664 to 1667. Its purpose was to exploit the resources of the French colonies and compete with the powerful Dutch and English companies....
, but Louis XV of France
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
allowed him to retain his position on the Sovereign Council of New France
Sovereign Council of New France
The Sovereign Council of New France was a political body appointed by the King of France and consisting of a Governor General, an Intendant of New France answered to the French Minister of the Marine, And also the Bishop witch helped with laws and land...
as a lay councillor, on condition that he abstain from attending trials of criminal cases and relinquish his office as Keeper of the Seals
Keeper of the seals
The title Keeper of the Seals or equivalent is used in several contexts, denoting the person entitled to keep and authorize use of the Great Seal of a given country. The title may or may not be linked to a particular cabinet or ministerial office.- Canada :...
.
Family
In 1711, he married Marie-Françoise (1693–1723), daughter of Captain François-Marie Renaud d’Avène des Meloizes (1655–1699) and Françoise-Thérèse (b.1670), daughter of Nicholas Dupont de Neuville (1632–1716). His wife's brother, Nicolas-Marie (1696–1743), married his sister, Angélique Chartier de Lotbinière (1692–1772), and their son inherited the Marquisate de Fresnoy. Eustache de Lotbinière was the father of five daughters and three sons (one, François-Louis Chartier de LotbinièreFrançois-Louis Chartier de Lotbinière
François-Louis Chartier de Lotbinière was the son of Eustache Chartier de Lotbinière and was a Recollet priest in Canada.Chartier de Lotbinière's career as a priest was marked by "drunkenness and dissoluteness"...
, became a Knight of Malta
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
, and the youngest was Michel Chartier de Lotbinière, Marquis de Lotbinière
Michel Chartier de Lotbinière, Marquis de Lotbinière
Michel Chartier de Lotbinière, 1st Marquis de Lotbinière , Seigneur of Vaudreuil, Lotbinière and Rigaud, Quebec etc. On his advice, the Marquis de Montcalm successfully attacked Fort William Henry in 1757...
), though only two of them married and left a family. He was the uncle of Louis-Philippe Mariauchau d'Esgly and the grandfather of Antoine Juchereau Duchesnay (seigneur)
Antoine Juchereau Duchesnay (seigneur)
Antoine Juchereau Duchesnay was a seigneur and political figure in Lower Canada.He was born in Beauport in 1740, the son of Antoine Juchereau Duchesnay. He served as an ensign in the army of New France. After the British gained control of Quebec, he served with the British Army. In 1767, he formed...
.
External links
- Portrait of Eustache Chartier de Lotbinière (1688-1749)
- His sister, Angelique (Chartier de Lotbinière) des Meloizes (1693-1772)
- His brother-in-law, Nicolas-Marie Renaud d'Avene des Meloizes (1696-1743)
- His son, Michel Chartier de Lotbinière (1723-1798), Marquis de Lotbinière
- Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
