Intendant

An office created originally by Richelieu, in France, and

transferred to New France. The first intendant of Canada was Robert,

appointed in 1663, who was succeeded two years later by the ablest

occupant of the office, Jean Talon. The intendant was charged with the

supervision of practically all the civil affairs of the colony,

including the administration of justice, but his most important

function, from the point of v ew of the court, was to act as a virtual

spy upon the acts of the governor. Inevitably, harmony was impossible

between these two officials, and the history of New France is punctuated

with their perpetual quarrels. =Index=: (Count Frontenac era) Jean Talon appointed as, 51;

office revived, 105; Jacques Duchesneau appointed, 108; Jacques de

Meulles, 171; Jean Bochart de Champigny, 207. See also under names of

individual intendants. =Bib.=: Roy, Intendants de la Nouvelle France

(R. S. C., 1903); Parkman, Old Regime; Munro, The Office of Intendant

in New France in The American Historical Review, October, 1906.