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 The commission granted to the latter in 1540 was revoked,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.



More

;