Jacques Villeré
Encyclopedia
Jacques Phillippe Villeré (April 28, 1761 - 7 March 1830) was the second Governor of Louisiana
after it became a state
. He was the first Creole
and the first native of Louisiana to attain that office.
on the concession La Providence on the German Coast
somewhere in St. John the Baptist Parish in 1761. His father was Joseph Roi de Villeré, Naval Secretary of Louisiana under French
King Louis XV and one of the victims of Spain
Governor Alejandro O'Reilly
who was sent by the Spanish King to put down a revolt in Louisiana. Villeré's paternal grandfather, Etienne Roi de Villeré had accompanied Iberville
on the voyage to the colony. His mother was Louise Marguerite de la Chaise, granddaughter of the Chevalier d’Arensbourg.
as a first lieutenant of the artillery. On leave in Louisiana, Villeré was detained by the Spanish authorities.
in the territorial militia, a Police Juror
in Orleans Parish and a Justice of the Peace for St. Bernard Parish.
Villeré was a member of the convention which drafted Louisiana's first state constitution
. He ran for governor in 1812, but was defeated in the election by William C. C. Claiborne when the creole vote was split between Villeré and Jean N. Destréhan
.
He participated in the Battle of New Orleans
in 1815, commanding the First Division of the Louisiana Militia. His men stood fast, assigned to the area near Lake Borgne
and Bayou Dupre
, as the British Army
approached New Orleans. The Villeré Plantation, Conseil, located downriver from the city, was overrun by the British Army. His home was destroyed and he lost 52 slaves
, whom the British took aboard their ships and freed later.
Villeré was elected Governor in 1815, narrowly defeating Joshua Lewis
. He took office the following year and serving through 1820, a period of prosperity and growth for the new state. He retired to his plantation in St. Bernard Parish after his term. In 1824, Villeré was brought out of retirement to run again for Governor, but he and Bernard de Marigny
split the creole vote and Henry Johnson (Louisiana)
was elected Governor.
He died March 7, 1830 on his plantation Conseil after a long illness.
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
after it became a state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
. He was the first Creole
Louisiana Creole people
Louisiana Creole people refers to those who are descended from the colonial settlers in Louisiana, especially those of French and Spanish descent. The term was first used during colonial times by the settlers to refer to those who were born in the colony, as opposed to those born in the Old World...
and the first native of Louisiana to attain that office.
Early life
He was born near present day Kenner, LouisianaKenner, Louisiana
Kenner is a city in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, and a suburb of New Orleans. The population was 66,702 at the 2010 census....
on the concession La Providence on the German Coast
German Coast
The German Coast was a region of early Louisiana settlement located above New Orleans on the Mississippi River – specifically, from east to west, in St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, and St. James parishes of present-day Acadiana. The four settlements along the coast were Karlstein, Hoffen,...
somewhere in St. John the Baptist Parish in 1761. His father was Joseph Roi de Villeré, Naval Secretary of Louisiana under French
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...
King Louis XV and one of the victims of Spain
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
Governor Alejandro O'Reilly
Alejandro O'Reilly
Alejandro O'Reilly , was a military reformer and Inspector-General of Infantry for the Spanish Empire in the second half of the 18th century...
who was sent by the Spanish King to put down a revolt in Louisiana. Villeré's paternal grandfather, Etienne Roi de Villeré had accompanied Iberville
Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville
Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville pronounced as described in note] Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville pronounced as described in note] Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville pronounced as described in note] (16 July 1661 – 9 July 1702 (probable)was a soldier, ship captain, explorer, colonial administrator, knight of...
on the voyage to the colony. His mother was Louise Marguerite de la Chaise, granddaughter of the Chevalier d’Arensbourg.
Military service
Villeré joined the French army and was educated in France at the Crown's expense due to his father's death at the hands of O'Reilly. In 1776, he was assigned by the French army to Saint DomingueSanto Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
as a first lieutenant of the artillery. On leave in Louisiana, Villeré was detained by the Spanish authorities.
Political career and Later Life
In 1784, Villeré married Jeanne Henriette de Fazende, the daughter of Gabriel de Fazende, who owned a plantation seven miles (11 km) downriver from New Orleans in Saint Bernard Parish. In 1803, he secured a seat on the municipal council (the Cabildo) of New Orleans during the short French rule. The next year, Villeré was appointed a Major GeneralMajor General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
in the territorial militia, a Police Juror
Police Jury
In the U.S. state of Louisiana, the typical governing body of the parish is called the Police Jury. Not every parish is governed by a Police Jury, but 41 of the 64 parishes use this system....
in Orleans Parish and a Justice of the Peace for St. Bernard Parish.
Villeré was a member of the convention which drafted Louisiana's first state constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
. He ran for governor in 1812, but was defeated in the election by William C. C. Claiborne when the creole vote was split between Villeré and Jean N. Destréhan
Jean N. Destréhan
Jean Noel Destréhan was a Creole politician in Louisiana and one-time owner of Destréhan Plantation, one of Louisiana's most famous antebellum historical landmarks. The city of Destrehan, Louisiana is named after him....
.
He participated in the Battle of New Orleans
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815 and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. American forces, commanded by Major General Andrew Jackson, defeated an invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the vast territory the United States had acquired with the...
in 1815, commanding the First Division of the Louisiana Militia. His men stood fast, assigned to the area near Lake Borgne
Lake Borgne
Lake Borgne is a lagoon in eastern Louisiana of the Gulf of Mexico. Due to coastal erosion, it is no longer actually a lake but rather an arm of the Gulf of Mexico. Its name comes from the French word borgne, which means "one-eyed".-Geography:...
and Bayou Dupre
Bayou Dupre
Bayou Dupre is a bayou in southeastern Louisiana....
, as the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
approached New Orleans. The Villeré Plantation, Conseil, located downriver from the city, was overrun by the British Army. His home was destroyed and he lost 52 slaves
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
, whom the British took aboard their ships and freed later.
Villeré was elected Governor in 1815, narrowly defeating Joshua Lewis
Joshua Lewis (judge)
Joshua Lewis was a judge of the Superior Court of the Territory of Orleans and, after Louisiana became a state, the 1st Judicial District Court of that state.-Early life:...
. He took office the following year and serving through 1820, a period of prosperity and growth for the new state. He retired to his plantation in St. Bernard Parish after his term. In 1824, Villeré was brought out of retirement to run again for Governor, but he and Bernard de Marigny
Bernard de Marigny
Bernard Xavier Philippe de Marigny de Mandeville, was a French-Creole American nobleman, playboy, politician, and President of the Louisiana Senate between 1822-1823.-Early life:...
split the creole vote and Henry Johnson (Louisiana)
Henry Johnson (Louisiana)
Henry Johnson was the fifth Governor of Louisiana, and served as a United States Representative and as a United States Senator....
was elected Governor.
He died March 7, 1830 on his plantation Conseil after a long illness.