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Jacques-François de Mombeton de Brouillan
Governor of Plaisance, 1690-1701
Born in 1651 into a family of Protestant noblemen, Jacques-François de Mombeton de Brouillan
enlisted as member of the colonial regular troops and, in 1687, became a captain in the French
forces serving in Canada. In Québec, he renounced Protestantism and was baptized a Roman
Catholic.
After returning to France in 1689, he was designated governor of Plaisance (Placentia) on June 1,
1690. He arrived there aboard the Joly in the summer of 1691 with 23 soldiers and roughly an
equal number of Basque men, or engagés, who had enlisted to help the fishermen. As the colony
was in a desperate state, he was instructed to revive commerce, erect fortifications and form an
alliance with the natives. In order to renew commercial ties with Canada, he sent a ship to
Québec, and life at Plaisance began to return to normal. In 1691 the population of the colony was
83, excluding engagés.
Despite accusations that Brouillan made the garrison work in the fishery and collected a levy on
their catch, he defended the settlement three times against British attacks, in 1691, 1692 and
1693. In the attack of 1692, Brouillan remarkably managed to hold off the attackers, even though
the 300 cannon balls fired by the French paled in comparison to the 2,000 shots fired by the
British.
After a visit to France in 1695, Brouillan was instructed to team up with Pierre Le Moyne
d'Iberville. In the winter of 1696-1697 they attacked, captured and burned St. John's, the English
capital. Then throughout the winter d'Iberville raided and destroyed most English settlements in
Newfoundland.
In 1697, Brouillan returned to France because of health problems. Joseph de Monic governed
Placentia in his absence, although Brouillan continued to draw on his salary. In March 1701,
Brouillan was appointed the commandant of Acadia. Four years later, on September 22, 1705, he
died at Chedabouctou (Guysborough, Nova Scotia).
August, 2000.
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