Roberval Jean Francois De La Roque Sieur De
A gentleman of Picardy,
born about the year 1500. By a commission dated Jan. 15, 1541, Francis I
gave him the command of the expedition planned by Jacques Cartier, and
made him his viceroy and lieutenant-general in the new lands discovered
by Cartier. The commission granted to the latter in 1540 was revoked,
and Cartier sailed as Roberval's lieutenant. Cartier left St. Malo in
May, 1541, and Roberval did not follow unt
l April, 1542. His ships
entered the harbour of St. John's, Newfoundland, June 8, and there he
met Cartier on his way home. Sailing on into the gulf, and up the St.
Lawrence, he reached Charlesbourg Royal, where Cartier had wintered, and
set his men to work erecting forts and other buildings. Here he
wintered; explored the river in the spring; and sailed back to France
with his colonists in the autumn of 1543. Despite the failure of his
colonizing venture, commissioned by the king in 1544 to rebuild the
fortifications of Senlis; and in 1548 made controller of all mines in
France. Lost sight of about the year 1560. One story has it that he was
murdered in the streets of Paris; and another that he died at sea; but
both lack confirmation. There is reason to believe that he died in 1560,
or early in 1561. =Index=: (Samuel de Champlain era) Ravages of scurvy in his expedition, 23.