Jacques Bizard (1642 – December 5, 1692) was seigneur of île Bonaventure, later renamed île-Bizard. Born in Benaix,

Neuchâtel Neuchâtel (, , ; german: Neuenburg) is the capital of the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel, situated on the shoreline of Lake Neuchâtel. Since the fusion in 2021 of the municipalities of Neuchâtel, Corcelles-Cormondrèche, Peseux, and Valangin, ...

to a Calvinist pastor, Bizard served in the Venetian army where he met

Louis de Buade Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac et de Palluau (; 22 May 162228 November 1698) was a French soldier, courtier, and Governor General of New France in North America from 1672 to 1682, and again from 1689 to his death in 1698. He established a nu ...

, better known as Comte de Frontenac. The two men later served together in the French army where Bizard was made aide-de-camp to Frontenac. After Frontenac's appointment as

Governor General of New France Governor General of New France was the vice-regal post in New France from 1663 until 1760, and it was the last French vice-regal post. It was replaced by the British post of Governor of the Province of Quebec following the fall of New France. W ...

, Bizard accompanied him and landed in

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...

in 1672. A few years later, he was sent to Montreal to investigate claims of illegal sale of alcohol to the Natives. However, the leader of the smugglers, Montreal Governor François-Marie Perrot, imprisoned Bizard. With the help of Frontenac, Bizard was liberated and Perrot was removed from office. A year later, in 1678, he was granted île Bonaventure on which he created a

seigneury ''Seigneur'' is an originally feudal system, feudal title in Ancien Régime, France before the French Revolution, Revolution, in New France and British North America until 1854, and in the Channel Islands to this day. A seigneur refers to the p ...

. That very same year, he married Jeanne-Cécile Closse. The couple had 9 children, 4 of whom would live to adulthood.Genealogy Jacques Bizar

. Retrieved September 19, 2007 During his tenure as seigneur, he continued Perrot's illegal alcohol trade. Despite being condemned by prominent Montrealers for this action, his friendship with Frontenac protected him from any legal actions.

Jacques Bizard Bridge Jacques Bizard Bridge is a bridge that crosses the Rivière des Prairies and connects L'Île Bizard to Montreal Island. Except for a cable ferry that connects Île Bizard with Laval-sur-le-Lac, it is the only access to Île Bizard, which had a po ...

, which connects

Île Bizard Île Bizard is an island near the Island of Montreal in the Hochelaga Archipelago region. History Historically named Île Bonaventure, by 1723 it had come to be named Île Bizard, after Jacques Bizard, to whom it was conceded as a fief in 167 ...

Montreal Island The Island of Montreal (french: Île de Montréal) is a large island in southwestern Quebec, Canada, that is the site of a number of municipalities including most of the city of Montreal and is the most populous island in Canada. It is the main ...

, was named after him.

References

External links

Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''
1642 births 1692 deaths People from the canton of Neuchâtel People of New France {{Quebec-politician-stub