Jacques Le Ber ( c. 1633 – 25 November 1706) was a merchant and

seigneur A seigneur () or lord is an originally feudal title in France before the Revolution, in New France and British North America until 1854, and in the Channel Islands to this day. The seigneur owned a seigneurie, seigneury, or lordship—a form of ...

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

New France New France (, ) was the territory colonized by Kingdom of France, France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Kingdom of Great Br ...

. In 1686 he was ennobled by

Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...

and took the title Jacques Le Ber de Saint-Paul de Senneville, based on his hometown of

Senneville-sur-Fécamp Senneville-sur-Fécamp (, literally ''Senneville on Fécamp'') is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France. Geography A farming village, by the coast of the English Channel, in the Pays de Caux, situa ...

Biography

Jacques Le Ber was born in c. 1633 in the parish of Pistre, Diocese of Rouen, son of Robert Le Ber and Colette Cavelier. He came to Canada in 1657 from France as a soldier but was mainly a businessman after his arrival. On January 7, 1658, he married Jeanne Le Moyne, the sister of

Charles le Moyne de Longueuil et de Châteauguay Charles le Moyne de Longueuil et de Châteauguay (; 2 August 1626 – February 1685),: gives dates (1 August 1626; d. at Ville-Marie, 1683) and mentions names/actions of several sons. was a French officer and merchant who was a prominent fi ...

and they became successful partners in the

fur trade The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal ecosystem, boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals h ...

and the mercantile trade. Le Ber also was active in the cod fishery and West Indian trade including slaves. Le Ber's wealth made him one of the most influential people of the time. For example, Governor General Frontenac sought his advice on important matters concerning trade and the welfare of the colony. Jacques Le Ber was ennobled in 1696. In 1686, he built a stone mill on the

Island of Montreal The Island of Montreal (, ) is an island in southwestern Quebec, Canada, which 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 island of the Hochelag ...

near the

Ottawa River The Ottawa River (, ) is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It is named after the Algonquin word "to trade", as it was the major trade route of Eastern Canada at the time. For most of its length, it defines the border betw ...

to provide the inhabitants of that area with a shelter in case of attack by the Five Nations. In 1693, he joined a war party of 300 Canadians, 100 soldiers, and 230 Indians that attacked the

Mohawks The Mohawk, also known by their own name, (), are an Indigenous people of North America and the easternmost nation of the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois Confederacy (also known as the Five Nations or later the Six Nations). Mohawk are an Iroquoi ...

in their own territory.

Family

Le Ber came to Canada in 1657 and took up residence in

. A brother, François, also settled there around the same time, and a sister, Marie, became an Ursuline nun in Quebec. Le Ber’s wife had died November 8, 1682, and two sons had also predeceased him: Louis, Sieur de Saint-Paul, who died in the early 1690s in

La Rochelle La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle'') is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime Departments of France, department. Wi ...

where he had acted as his father’s business agent, and Jean-Vincent, Sieur Du Chesne, fatally wounded during an encounter with an English and

Iroquois The Iroquois ( ), also known as the Five Nations, and later as the Six Nations from 1722 onwards; alternatively referred to by the Endonym and exonym, endonym Haudenosaunee ( ; ) are an Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Ind ...

war party near

Fort Chambly Fort Chambly is a historic fort in La Vallée-du-Richelieu Regional County Municipality, Quebec. It is designated as a National Historic Site of Canada. Fort Chambly was formerly known as Fort St. Louis. It was part of a series of five fortifica ...

in 1691. Three children survived their father:

Jeanne Le Ber Jeanne Le Ber (4 January 1662 – 3 October 1714) was a recluse in New France. Family and education Jeanne Le Ber was born in Ville-Marie (Montreal), on January 4, 1662. As a daughter of Jeanne Le Moyne and Jacques Le Ber, Jeanne was raise ...

, Pierre, and Jacques, Sieur de Senneville. His daughter,

Jeanne le Ber Jeanne Le Ber (4 January 1662 – 3 October 1714) was a recluse in New France. Family and education Jeanne Le Ber was born in Ville-Marie (Montreal), on January 4, 1662. As a daughter of Jeanne Le Moyne and Jacques Le Ber, Jeanne was raise ...

, used her inheritance to further the work of the Catholic Church in

. Le Ber was buried in the church of the sisters of the

Congregation of Notre Dame The Congrégation de Notre Dame (CND) is a religious community for women founded in 1658 in Ville Marie (Montreal), in the colony of New France, now part of Canada. It was established by Marguerite Bourgeoys, who was recruited in France to creat ...

, the place where his famous recluse daughter lived and which she had largely funded.

Honours

The village of

Senneville, Quebec Senneville () is an affluent Greater Montreal, on-island suburban village on the western tip of the Island of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the wealthiest town in the West Island. Situated close to the city of Montreal, it was historically a p ...

on the

island of Montreal The Island of Montreal (, ) is an island in southwestern Quebec, Canada, which 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 island of the Hochelag ...

, is named for him.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Le Ber, Jacques 1630s births 1706 deaths People of New France Date of birth unknown