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Germain Doucet dit Laverdure was born at "Couperans-en-Brie" (Couperans-en-Brie cannot be found
anywhere on todays maps), perhaps he was from Courpalay-en-Brie, in the department of Seine-en-Marne,
or from Conflans-en-Brie, near Paris. He came to Acadia in 1632 with Isaac de Razilly and Charles
de Menou, Sieur d'Aulnay, who wrote in his journal in 1649 concerning Germain Doucet that he
had known of " his loyalty and tenderness...for several years." The 10th of May 1632, the King
of France had commissioned Razilly, a Knight of the Order of Malte, to go and rebuild Acadia
which had been restored to France in the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. The 23rd of July
1632, a wave of three ships, of which were the L'Esperance-en-Dieu (Hope in God) and the Saint-Jean,
left Auray, in Bretagne carrying 300 elite men as well as a dozen families, a certain number
of soldiers and craftsmen and three Capuchin Friars.
Germain Doucet and his brother-in-law
Jacques Bourgeois were among the officers that commanded the small troupe of soldiers. Germain
had to bring with him his wife Marie Bourgeois, as well as his son Pierre (11) and his daughter
Louise-Marguerite (2); Pierre would eventually marry at Port-Royal in 1640, Louise-Marguerite
in 1647, and the presence of his wife is noted in the journal of d'Aulnay in 1649.
In
1632, they began work on a Fort they would name " Sainte-Marie-de-Grâce, near the mouth of
the River La Hève.
Around mid-November 1632, Razilly confided in Menou d'Aulnay the
mission to recapture Port-Royal, which was still in the hands of Scottish. Germain Doucet who
would always be his loyal friend, accompanied him. The garrison at Port-Royal, lead by Andrew
Forrester, as well as a few Scottish settlers were captured and taken aboard the ship "Saint-Jean"
and were brought to La Héve. Several Scottish families were authorized to stay at Port-Royal,
perhaps because they were allies by marriage to the French settlers brought by Poutrincourt
and Biencourt and who were being used to maintain Port-Royal, despite the Scottish occupation.
From
La Héve, the Saint-Jean and L'Esperance-de-Dieu set sail for Europe. Menou d'Aulney is ordered
to go to England to release the 42 Scots taken prisoner at Port-Royal, however he did not go
on the Saint-Jean which had the Scottish, but rather was on the L'Esperance-de-Dieu. Did he
trust his friend Germain Doucet to be in charge of the Scots ?
The two sailors sailed
together up until they reached the English coast, after which the L'Esperance-de-Dieu continued
to cross up to La Rochelle, where they set ancor on the 24 January 1633, the Saint-Jean went
to unload the Scottish on " the dunes of coast of England," then went on to the Port of "Hâvre-de-Grâce"
in Normandie where they arrived 11 February 1633.
The 9 March 1633, Menou d'Aulnay
and Germain Doucet embarked on the L'Esperance-de-Dieu for Dieppe with some new colonists.
They arrived at La Héve during the month of May.
No later than August 1635, Razilly
confided in d'Aulnay the mission to retake the Fort Pentagouët (Today Castine, Maine), which
the English still held, despite the conditions of the treaty. Germain Doucet accompanied Menou
d'Aulnay in this expedition. The English handed over the Fort without any fight after learning
of the commissions of the Kings of England and France. After having seized the stored materials
at the post and giving leave to the English, d'Aulnay returned to La Héve, leaving at Pentagouët
a small garrison commandeered by Germain Doucet. Several months later, the Governor of Plymouth,
Massachusetts where the English had returned to, sent a detachment, carried on the ship Hope
of Ipswich, with the intent to retake the Fort Pentagouët. Germain Doucet had the time time
to organise his defense of the Fort and the English were driven back.
The Fort of
Pentagouët was of great importance to the French (it was for this reason that d'Aulnay left
it in charge of his loyal friend and right-hand-man, Germain Doucet). On top of being an important
center for the fur business, it had a view of the Baie Française (Bay of Fundy) and was at
the head of the shortest route between Acadie and Québec, used in case of emergency by the
messengers. Although difficult and dangerous, it was often used by the Indians and Trappers.
The Commander de Razilly was the Governor of only a part of Acadia. The other part was Governed
by Charles de Saint-Étienne de La Tour, who came to Acadia with his father Claude in 1610.
La Tour and Razilly worked well together, but in December 1635, Razilly died suddenly in his
home at La Héve. His brother and beneficiary, Claude de Razilly, succeeded him as head of half
of Acadia. As he did not desire to come to Acadia, he left his duties to Charles de Menou d'Aulnay.
After this, the relations between these two Governors deteriorated to a point of open war.
The
25th of January 1636 the troupe from New France had conceded the station of Pentagouët to it's
founders, Claude de Sainte-Étienne de La Tour who had a station there in 1613, and his son,
Charles Saint-Étienne, and for Menou d'Aulnay to give to it's owner the post he was holding.
It appears that d'Aulnay refused and gave orders to Germain Doucet to to oppose any initiative
made my La Tour to reclaim his station. This would be the start of the quarrel between the
French Governors that would last until 1650. The King tried hard to manage the conflict, but,
poorly counselled by his ministers who had never even placed their feet on Acadian Soil, he
did nothing but aggravate the quarrel. He named La Tour and d'Aulnay each a Governor of a part
of Acadia, but he entrusted La Tour with the part of Acadia where the Seigneuries of d'Aulnay
were situated, and likewise gave to d'Aulnay the part of Acadia which housed the Seigneuries
of both La Tour's. As this was not enough to increase the friction between two, he gave to
each of them half of the returns on the treaty governing pelts, each having the right to inspect
the others warehouse. Strange solution ! The King's solution was to enflame the quarrel.
In
1640, after having learned of the planned attack against Pentagouet by the English, D'Aulnay
sent nine men by boat with provisions and ammunition to reinforce their post.
But
these reinforcements having been intercepted on the way by Charles de La Tour, D'Aulnay sent
a team two ships, The Notre-Dame and the Saint-François, and he went himself to the aid of
Pentagouet. On his return, D'Aulnay brought back two Capuchin Monks who had been on an Indian
Mission while at Pentagouët. Arriving at the Bay in Port-Royal, he encountered the ship of
La Tour, who was on his way out, and a battle began between the two rivals. La Tour was defeated
and was brought as a prisoner to Port-Royal, but he was released on the condition, among others,
that he release D'Aulnays men that had been captured in the preceding month of March. The 14
July 1640, Germain Doucet is at Port-Royal. Did he go back to Pentagouët with D'Aulnay ? Or,
which is more likely, did he go to Port-Royal in the preceding March to pick up the provisions,
ammunition and men for the fort at Pentagouët where he was commanding ? He would have been
made prisoner by La Tour on his return from Pentagouët and would have been freed during the
exchange of prisoners. Whatever happened, the 14 July 1640, he testified at the inquiry held
by Mathieu Cappon, the courts clerk, concerning the naval battle between the two Governors.
In the report of this inquiry he is referred to as " Germain Doucet, dit La Verdure, Captian
of the army at Pentagouët." After the inquiry, he had to return to Pentagouët.
In
1645, after the death of Isaac Presley, probably killed in combat, Germain Doucet succeeded
him as " Major of the garrison at Port Royal." At this time, Germain Doucet had with him his
wife Marie Bourgeois and his daughter Marguerite, aged 20 years. His son had been married for
five years already and had a boy of five years named Germain, like his grand-father. Germain
had with him a type of assistant, namely his brother-in-law Jacques Bourgeois, who was " Lieutenant
'de la place'," his nephew Robert Bourgeois who was one the principle officers of the garrison
at Port-Royal, and another nephew Jacob Bourgeois who was the military surgeon who arrived
at the settlement three years previous and who would marry Jeanne Trahan.
In 1647,
Charles de Menou d'Aulnay, thanks to his stronghold on the heart of the King of France, was
able to get rid of his rival, who had been staying at Québec with the Governor of New France.
D'Aulnay was named as the only Governor of Acadia. The 24 May 1650, he was killed when his
canoe capsized while going down the Moulin River. One year earlier, he gave two succesive testimonies
at one month intervals. The first was given 20 January 1649, he made to his wife Jeanne de
Mottin following comments : " I received help from La Verdure and his wife " and later he recommended
to Father Pascal, Capuchin Monk, to mention to his father : " Some debts I have of little consequence,
and for my soul, for the which I have received my needs, I want to give Germain Doucet dit
La Verdure, of the parish Couperan-en-Brie, cinquante "escus" of income for the rest of his
life and that of his wife's, in recognition of the love he has always shown towards me."
The
3rd of November 1650, René de Menou de Charissay, father of Menou d'Aulnay, was named guardian
of thw eight young children of the former. He had already sent someone to take care of them
at Port-Royal a certain Sieur of Saint-Mars, but he didn't appear to be diligent with this
charge. Never-the-less, it was Jeanne de Mottin, widow of D'Aulnay, who handled the administration
of the children's inheritance with the help of Germain Doucet who was their qualified substitute
guardian. During the accomplishment of these functions, Germain learned first hand the difficulties
experienced by the creditors of Menou d'Aulnay and by the Sieur de Saint-Mars.
The
25th of February 1651, Charles de Saint-Etienne de la Tour was named Governor and Lieutenant-General
of the King in Acadia. The 23rd of September 1651, he was at Port-Royal and assisted Germain
Doucet in his duties as Major of the garrison of Port-Royal. The 24th of February 1653, signed
as a witness at the marriage of Charles de Saint-Etienne de La Tour and Jeanne de Mottin, widow
of Menou d'Aulnay the 13th July 1653.
During the summer of 1654, Charles de Saint
Etienne was residing at his Fort on the river Saint-Jean, and Germain Doucet was commanding
at Port-Royal. The 13th of July 1654, despite it being a time of peace, Major Robert Sedgewick
appeared at the base of Port-Royal, at the head of an army of 500 men, carried on three warships.
He arrived at Fort Saint-Jean and took possession of it after three days, and took Charles
Saint-Etienne as prisoner. The following is the testimony of John Leverett, son-in-law of Sedgewick
in a letter dated at Boston the 8th of September 1654.
" Major Sedgewick, without
any orders, took the Forts of La Tour, demolished his main Fort (Saint-Jean) and killed his
men and looted the place for 10,000 * Louis'. Hi arrived the 14 July 1654 before the Fort Saint-Jean,
defended by seventy men and twelve canons who were being commandeered by Charles LaTour, who
surrendered on the 17th of July 1654."
(In the dates given by the English and the
French, there must be an adjustment of ten days. During this time period, the English had not
yet adopted the Gregorian Calendar. In 1582, following a bad calculation of leap years, the
calendar was off by 10 days. In order to correct this error, Pope Gregory XIII gave orders
that the day after the 4th of October 1582 would be 15 October. The Catholic nations adopted
the new calendar immediately, but the other nations took about another century before they
accepted the change. It then makes it necessary to add ten days to any English documents when
comparing them to French. As such the 14 and 17 of July noted above are actually the 24th and
27th of July 1654, as per the Gregorian Calendar.)
Germain Doucet had nothing but
120 men to fight against the 500 men from Sedgewick. He sent 15 men under the orders of the
Sergeant of the Garrison to lie in wait to ambush the English. The Sergeant was killed and
the others took refuge in the Fort. On the 16th of August 1654, after sixteen days of resistance,
Germain Doucet had to surrender to an enemy who was larger in number and in armament. These
were the terms of the surrender:
" Between Mr. La Verdure, commander of Port-Royal
and surrogate guardian of the young children of the late Mr. D'Aulnay, and Mr. Robert Sedgewick,
English Commander, Esquire.
The Sieur came out of the Fort with his garrison with
their weapons and beating drums, flag deployed, "balle en bouche", musket or gun on shoulders,
wick burning on both ends, and their baggage. They will be granted safe passage to France with
their provisions for two months. As for the children (of D'Aulnay) we will take possession
of all the furniture, property, merchandise and animals that belong to them. The inhabitants
will have their freedom of conscience, and can live in their own homes and property with all
the furniture that belongs to them. Their staying by means of recognition of their Seigneurial
duty for which they are obliged to pay by their grants; with the freedom to sell said furniture
and property as seemeth good to English persons or the French who are staying in the Country..
and
to ensure the the above articles are followed, The Sieur La Verdure has left as hostage Mr.
Jacques Bourgeois, his brother-in-law and Lieutenant of the area, and the Sieur Emmanuel Le
Borgne, son, until the terms of the treaty have been fulfilled.
We have signed, Robert
Bourgeois, Robert Sedgewick, Robert Salem, Marke Harrison, Robert Martin, Richard Morse, plus
the Reverend Father Léonard de Chartres and Mr. Guillaume Trouen (Trahan), representative of
the people and the Sieur Borgne (father)."
After a stay of 22 years in Acadia, Germain
Doucet returned to France with his wife and all of the garrison of Port-Royal who were among
the officers, his brother-in-law, Jacques Bourgeois and his nephew Robert Bourgeois. He left
at Port-Royal his son Pierre, who must have been widowed and who had a son of thirteen years,
as well as his daughter Marguerite, married to Abraham Dugast and who had one boy and two girls
(aged 6 years and a few months); he left also a nephew, Jacob Bourgeois, the area surgeon.
While
Charles de Saint Etienne de La Tour was brought as a prisoner to England, Germain Doucet and
his companions boarded the ship Chateaufort, owned by Emmanuel LeBorgne, Sieur of Coudray,
who himself returned to France with his son Emmanuel.
It does not seem that Germain
Doucet returned to Acadia, which was under the control of England until 1670. By this time,
he was either dead, or too old to return to the colony.
All subsequent documents are
silent on his fate and to that of his wife.
* A Louis was a small piece of gold stamped
with the image of the King of France. It had a value of 10 Pounds, 24 pence.
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