From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Canadian politician
Philippe Pastour de Costebelle
(ca. 1661 ? October 1717) was a French naval officer and Governor of
Newfoundland
and then
Louisbourg
. He was born in
Languedoc
, France and died in
Louisbourg
,
New France
.
Costebelle served in the
French Navy
as early as 1683, and in 1692 served as lieutenant to a
marine infantry company
sent to
Plaisance
, the principal French settlement on
Newfoundland
. There he was immediately involved in defending the port from
English
naval assaults in the ongoing
King William's War
, and embarked on raiding expeditions against English settlements on the island. Costebelle distinguished himself, and was promoted to
captain
in 1694, and
lieutenant
in 1695. That year he was ordered to improve the fortifications and establish contact with the English colonists in
St. Mary's Bay
. In 1696 Costebelle was sent to France, and thus did not participate in
Pierre LeMoyne d'Iberville
's celebrated and destructive
Avalon Peninsula Campaign
.
When he returned to Plaisance in 1697 he had hoped to succeed to the governorship, but was instead forced to continue in the role of king's lieutenant under first
Joseph de Monic
and then
Daniel d'Auger de Subercase
. Monic was frequently absent from the colony, so Costebelle spent a significant time during Monic's tenure in actual command of the colony. In 1702, while awaiting Subercase's arrival, Costebelle rallied the province's defences against English Captain
John Leake
's
raiding expedition
that brought
Queen Anne's War
(the
War of the Spanish Succession
) to Newfoundland.
Subercase arrived to take command in 1703, and adopted a vigorous strategy against the English. In 1705 he led
a raiding expedition
against English outposts that sought to repeat d'Iberville's successes in 1696. Costebelle went on the expedition, but was injured in an accident en route and saw no action. Subercase's expedition was partly successful, destroying many English settlements, but he was unable to take St. John's. Subercase was rewarded with the governorship of
Acadia
, and Costebelle was finally appointed governor of Plaisance in 1706. In June 1708 he was awarded the
Order of Saint Louis
.
In December 1708 Costebelle organized a
successful attack
on the British at
St. John's
. Although he captured the town and its fortress, he did not have the resources to hold it, and it was eventually reoccupied by the English. By the
Treaty of Utrecht
of 1713 Newfoundland was handed over to Britain and the
king of France
ordered Costebelle to evacuate the colony in the spring of 1714. Costebelle oversaw the evacuation of French subjects from Newfoundland to
Cape Breton Island
, where the colony of
Ile-Royale
was established. Costebelle became its first governor, and oversaw the establishment of
Louisbourg
(although construction of
its fortress
was not begun until after his death). Costebelle returned to France briefly in 1717, and died at
Fort Dauphin
(satellite fort of
Louisbourg
) not long after his return in October 1717.
Costebelle was twice married, and had two daughters.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
|
---|
Proprietary Governors
(1610?1660)
| |
---|
French Governors of Plaisance
(1655?1713)
| |
---|
Lieutenant-governors of Placentia
(1713?1770)
| |
---|
Commodore-Governors
(1729?1825)
| |
---|
Civil Governors
(1825?1855)
| |
---|
Colonial Governors
(1855?1907)
| |
---|
Dominion Governors
(1907?1934)
| |
---|
Commission Governors
(1934?1949)
| |
---|
Lieutenant Governors
(1949?present)
| |
---|
|
---|
International
| |
---|
National
| |
---|
Other
| |
---|