Charles Le Moyne de Longueuil et de Châteauguay

Le Moyne de Longueuil et de Châteauguay, Charles
Charles Le Moyne de Longueuil et de Châteauguay, soldier, seigneur (b at Dieppe, France 2 Aug 1626; d at Montréal Feb 1685). He came to New France at age 15 and worked for the Jesuits in Huron country. He settled at VILLE-MARIE [Montréal] in 1646, where he took part in numerous defences against the Iroquois. He distinguished himself as a fighter and was invaluable as an interpreter. In 1668 he received letters patent of nobility and in 1672 he was confirmed in his title to the seigneury of Longueuil; the following year he was granted a seigneury at Châteauguay. He was made governor of Montréal in 1683. He was the patriarch of a remarkable family: almost all of his 12 sons had spectacular careers, displaying the bravery, guile and savagery of the coureurs de bois.

Charles Le Moyne de Longueuil (b at Montréal 10 Dec 1656; d there 7 June 1729) is the only native-born Canadian to be made a baron in New France. As the eldest son of Charles Le Moyne, Sr, he inherited his father's honours, and his baronetcy was confirmed in 1700. He was governor of Trois-Rivières, Montréal and interim administrator of New France in 1725.

Jacques Le Moyne de Saint-Hélène (b at Montréal 16 Apr 1659; d at Québec Dec 1690) accompanied de TROYES on his expedition to drive the English from Hudson Bay, proving himself fierce in battle. In 1687 he led the vanguard in DENONVILLE's expedition against the Seneca. He was a commander of the punitive raid against Corlaer (Schenectady), New England, in 1689, in which some 60 settlers were massacred. In October 1690 Saint-Hélène was injured in the defence of Québec against the attack of English forces under Sir William PHIPS. He died of his wound in December.

The most renowned of Charles Le Moyne's sons was Pierre Le Moyne d' IBERVILLE.

Paul Le Moyne de Maricourt (b at Montréal 15 Dec 1663; d there 21 Mar 1704) also accompanied de TROYES and later sailed to James Bay with Iberville, commanding the captured forts in his brother's absence. To him fell much of the family burden, his father's estate and his brother Saint-Hélène's children. He was a regular emissary to the Iroquois and played a major role in the peace settlement of 1701-02.

Joseph Le Moyne de Serigny et de Louie (bap 22 July 1688 at Montréal; d at Rochefort, France 12 Sept 1734) was the 6th son of Charles Le Moyne. In 1694 he commanded the ship Salamandre in Iberville's service and he was left in command of the Bay posts in 1697. He sailed to Louisiana to trade in 1701 and lived in France 1702-06. He took part in Iberville's plunder of Nevis in 1706 and a cloud came over his career for his illicit gains. He returned to Louisiana in 1718 and captured the Spanish base of Pensacola. For this action he was promoted to naval captain and received the coveted Croix de Saint-Louis. He took up residence in Rochefort and was made governor of that French port in 1723.

Author JAMES MARSH