Olivier Le Jeune
Encyclopedia
Olivier Le Jeune was the first recorded slave purchased in New France
.
Olivier was a young boy from Madagascar
, believed to have been less than eight years of age when he was brought to the outpost of Quebec
in New France
, by British
commander David Kirke when he captured the colony in 1629. Shortly after his arrival, the boy was sold to Olivier Le Baillif, a French clerk in the pay of the English.
When Quebec was handed back to the French in 1632, Le Baillif left the colony and gave his slave to a Quebec resident, Guillaume Couillard. The boy was educated in a school established by the Jesuit priest, Father Le Jeune and later baptised as Olivier Le Jeune, taking the first name of the colony's head clerk, Olivier Letardif, and the surname of the Jesuit priest.
Olivier Le Jeune died on May 10, 1654. It is believed that by the time of his death his official status was changed from that of slave to that of free "domestic servant".
Although he is often referred to as a black African from Madagascar
, he also may have been of partial Malay ancestry, which would have been quite common owning to the fact that Madagascar
had been originally settled by diverse peoples of both South-East Asia as well as Africa
.
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...
.
Olivier was a young boy from Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, believed to have been less than eight years of age when he was brought to the outpost of 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....
in 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...
, by British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
commander David Kirke when he captured the colony in 1629. Shortly after his arrival, the boy was sold to Olivier Le Baillif, a French clerk in the pay of the English.
When Quebec was handed back to the French in 1632, Le Baillif left the colony and gave his slave to a Quebec resident, Guillaume Couillard. The boy was educated in a school established by the Jesuit priest, Father Le Jeune and later baptised as Olivier Le Jeune, taking the first name of the colony's head clerk, Olivier Letardif, and the surname of the Jesuit priest.
Olivier Le Jeune died on May 10, 1654. It is believed that by the time of his death his official status was changed from that of slave to that of free "domestic servant".
Although he is often referred to as a black African from Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, he also may have been of partial Malay ancestry, which would have been quite common owning to the fact that Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
had been originally settled by diverse peoples of both South-East Asia as well as Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
External links
See also
- Black CanadianBlack Canadian'Black Canadians is a designation used for people of Black African descent, who are citizens or permanent residents of Canada. The term specifically refers to Canadians with Sub-Saharan African ancestry. The majority of Black Canadians are of Caribbean origin...
, Slavery in CanadaSlavery in CanadaSlavery in what now comprises Canada existed into the 1830s, when slavery was officially abolished. Some slaves were of African descent, while others were aboriginal . Slavery which was practiced within Canada's current geography, was practiced primarily by Aboriginal groups...
, Underground RailroadUnderground RailroadThe Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...