Chartier de Lotbinière, Michel, 1723-1798

Variant names

Dates:

Birth 1723-04-23

Death 1799-10-14

Birth 1723

Death 1798

Birth 1723

Death 1799

Biographical notes:

Michel-Alain Chartier de Lotbinière, 1st Marquis de Lotbinière (b. April 23, 1723, Quebec City, Canada-d. October 14, 1798, New York City, NY), was a wealthy land owner in New France (Quebec). In 1757, on his advice at the Siege of Fort William Henry, the Marquis de Montcalm successfully attacked Fort William Henry. In 1758, Lotbinière again advised Montcalm to await rather than attack the British Army, at Fort Carillon, the fort that Lotbinière had built, which led to the French victory at the Battle of Carillon. In 1784, Louis XVI of France created Lotbinière a Marquis, the only Canadian by family and birth to have attained that rank, and the last such creation made by Louis XVI. He was the last private owner of Château Vaudreuil in Montreal.

Taking the advice of his former superior officer, François de Gaston, Chevalier de Levis, he went to France and offered his services to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Charles Gravier, Comte de Vergennes who entrusted him with an unofficial mission as an observer. In 1776 he arrived in Massachusetts, but ignoring Vergenne's words immediately introduced himself to John Hancock as the unofficial envoy of the minister. He spent six months in Boston, and though a personal friend of Benjamin Franklin, he won few friends through his agitations. Lotbinière was desperate for France to recover her lost colonies, and did all he could to force the issue. He returned to France with his report in 1777, but Vergennes didn't see it as wise to send him on any further missions.

Lotbinière spent the next ten years in France. With de Lévis' support he re-established his military engineering reputation and clearly held favour at the court of King Louis XVI. Lotbinière returned to America in 1787 to once again try to recover his seigneuries at Alainville and Hocquart, but two years of effort proved to be futile. On arriving at New York he had asked permission to return to his home country but Quebec Governor Guy Carleton (Lord Dorchester) categorically refused him re-entry. Embittered and at odds with his family, Chartier de Lotbinière ended his days alone in New York. He died of yellow fever in October 1798, at the age of 75.