Philippe DeJean
Encyclopedia
Philippe DeJean was a judge in Fort Detroit
until he was captured during the American Revolution
.
He was born 5 April 1736 in Toulouse, France, the son of Philippe Dejean and Jeanne de Rocques de Carbouere. His father was a legal officer, and may have given his son legal training.
DeJean was living in North American by 1761, and was a merchant in Detroit by 1766. By that time, the Seven Years War between Great Britain and France was over, and DeJean was under the jurisdiction of Great Britain. He was appointed Justice of the Peace in April 1767.
As the town surrounding Fort Detroit grew, DeJean's powers expanded, and he was soon appointed as Judge. The American Revolution created a crisis situation in which DeJean's authority as Judge and Henry Hamilton's authority as Lt-Governor went unchecked. DeJean's reputation as a harsh judge who sometimes overstepped legal bounds was noticed beyond Detroit. Governor Guy Carleton
criticized both DeJean and Hamilton for unjust and illegal acts, and they were both indicted in Montreal for "being tyrannical and acting illegally"
Hamilton left Detroit on an expedition to recapture Post Vincennes
, South of Detroit along the Wabash River
, which had recently declared its support for the Americans. DeJean, perhaps aware of his precarious legal position without the support of Hamilton, accompanied a convoy of reinforcements. Hamilton was captured at Fort Sackville by Colonel George Rogers Clark
, and DeJean- along with some papers he neglected to destroy- was captured on the Wabash by Captain Leonard Helm
.
DeJean was held as a prisoner in Williamsburg
for four months, after which time he was paroled because he was considered sympathetic to the American cause. He returned to Vincennes, but did not return to Detroit for fear of prosecution for his abuses of power. His family, however, was not permitted to leave Detroit, and it appears that DeJean finally returned by late 1780.
Detroit court records from July 1790 indicate that he lived outside British dominions. Various records indicate that DeJean may have returned to France for a time, and/or may have relocated to Vincennes. An 1807 census
of Vincennes lists Philip Dejean, Male over 21. The Dictionary of Canadian Biography lists his death in or after 1809, when documents cease to list his name.
Fort Detroit
Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit or Fort Détroit was a fort established by the French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac in 1701. The location of the former fort is now in the city of Detroit in the U.S...
until he was captured during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
.
He was born 5 April 1736 in Toulouse, France, the son of Philippe Dejean and Jeanne de Rocques de Carbouere. His father was a legal officer, and may have given his son legal training.
DeJean was living in North American by 1761, and was a merchant in Detroit by 1766. By that time, the Seven Years War between Great Britain and France was over, and DeJean was under the jurisdiction of Great Britain. He was appointed Justice of the Peace in April 1767.
As the town surrounding Fort Detroit grew, DeJean's powers expanded, and he was soon appointed as Judge. The American Revolution created a crisis situation in which DeJean's authority as Judge and Henry Hamilton's authority as Lt-Governor went unchecked. DeJean's reputation as a harsh judge who sometimes overstepped legal bounds was noticed beyond Detroit. Governor Guy Carleton
Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester
Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester, KB , known between 1776 and 1786 as Sir Guy Carleton, was an Irish-British soldier and administrator...
criticized both DeJean and Hamilton for unjust and illegal acts, and they were both indicted in Montreal for "being tyrannical and acting illegally"
Hamilton left Detroit on an expedition to recapture Post Vincennes
Vincennes, Indiana
Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 18,701 at the 2000 census...
, South of Detroit along the Wabash River
Wabash River
The Wabash River is a river in the Midwestern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near Fort Recovery across northern Indiana to southern Illinois, where it forms the Illinois-Indiana border before draining into the Ohio River, of which it is the largest northern tributary...
, which had recently declared its support for the Americans. DeJean, perhaps aware of his precarious legal position without the support of Hamilton, accompanied a convoy of reinforcements. Hamilton was captured at Fort Sackville by Colonel George Rogers Clark
George Rogers Clark
George Rogers Clark was a soldier from Virginia and the highest ranking American military officer on the northwestern frontier during the American Revolutionary War. He served as leader of the Kentucky militia throughout much of the war...
, and DeJean- along with some papers he neglected to destroy- was captured on the Wabash by Captain Leonard Helm
Leonard Helm
Leonard Helm was an early pioneer of Kentucky, and a Virginia officer during the American Revolutionary War. Born around 1720 probably in Fauquier County, Virginia, he died in poverty while fighting Native American allies of British troops during one of the last engagements of the Revolutionary...
.
DeJean was held as a prisoner in Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
for four months, after which time he was paroled because he was considered sympathetic to the American cause. He returned to Vincennes, but did not return to Detroit for fear of prosecution for his abuses of power. His family, however, was not permitted to leave Detroit, and it appears that DeJean finally returned by late 1780.
Detroit court records from July 1790 indicate that he lived outside British dominions. Various records indicate that DeJean may have returned to France for a time, and/or may have relocated to Vincennes. An 1807 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of Vincennes lists Philip Dejean, Male over 21. The Dictionary of Canadian Biography lists his death in or after 1809, when documents cease to list his name.