The French in Placentia Researched by Tanya White

The first official grant in France was made in 1655 to Sieur de Kereon, but he couldn't take possession because of objections by merchants in France. King Louis XIV appointed Nicholas Gargot governor in 1660. He had the same problems but convinced both merchants and the fishermen that a resident governor would be an advantage with increased English activity in the area. In 1662 he arrived as Count of Plaisance with 80 colonists, mainly Basques and residents of St. Malo.

The first Irish settlers came from the Waterford area via English fishing vessels from Devon and Dorset in the late 1600's and were readily accepted by the French. The French also cleared land for farming and offered generous subsidies to settlers regardless of nationality, in contrast to restrictions imposed by the English. Most Irish and many English settlers moved to Plaisance ("pleasant place") and accepted French citizenship. However, two English families, those of a merchant, Isaac Beth(n)ick, and a Mr. Mullins, were forced to sell their property at a loss and leave.

Sieur de Perron was put in charge of the colony but was murdered by deserters who tried to escape but were thwarted by a storm. They were captured and taken to Gargot in Quebec City. The Quebec government wanted to try them, but Gargot insisted their crimes had been committed in Newfoundland and dispensed his own justice on an island in the middle of the St. Lawrence.

Gargot realized the perilous position of the new colony on his return to Plaisance. He sent more soldiers, increased army wages, appointed Bellot LaFontaine as governor in 1663, and had forts constructed at the summits of the steep, wooded hills. A school and hospital were built soon after 1662, and the Franciscan Order was established by the Bishop of Quebec. A shipbuilding industry was also started.

The French government tried to recruit new settlers, especially girls of marriageable age who were in short supply, with limited success. LaFontaine was finally recalled to France in 1667 for unscrupulous activities. When Sieur de la Palme arrived as governor in 1667 there were 60 families and 150 soldiers. Placentia consisted of Great Placentia (Jersey Side and Townside Placentia), Little Placentia and Point Verde. In 1671, the resident French population was 73 and there were two Englishmen, Thomas Pic (Pike?) and Phillip Zemar, and the first doctor, Joseph Bonnafou. A Roman Catholic priest, Martin d'Hurte, had arrived the year before.

The French fishery was much greater than reported and an illicit trade in liquor was conducted by Jersey and Guernsey merchants. Trade with the French at St-Pierre was already quite extensive. English merchants were becoming increasingly concerned about the growing French presence and the mayor of Southampton wrote in March 1675:

"The French draw away many Englishmen by intermarrying with them, and during the fall they prepare fish for the ships coming in the spring. They also break down the stages of the English, causing merchants to send out their ships a month earlier. Five French ships loaded at Bonavista, and many others fish under the guise of Jerseymen to the great prejudice of the English merchants."

Sir John Barry underlined the growing threat the same year:

"The strongly garrisoned French fortifications in Placentia and other places are for securing their fishing trade only and are not for the beaver trade as pretended, for no Indians ever come to their port."

The fishery failed in 1674 but the French government refused to provide help, so the colonists carried on an illegal trade in fish with New England ships. The French did send a naval convoy to Placentia two years later when Basque fishermen returned to harass the French. Dutch ships may also have destroyed a large number of French ships and small settlements in 1676. This was a particularly good year for fish and more colonists arrived, but a fishery failure in 1680 brought more complaints. Sieur de Parat arrived as governor in 1685 and reported that the Plaisance fort was in a state of ruin. The earliest military fortification was Mount Pleasant, which was built on the beach. A plaque next to the RCMP building in Placentia is mounted on rock from The Quarry, used by the French as a source of easily cut stone for fortifications. The fort was moved to Jersey Side where Fort Louis was constructed along the shore on the same site as a 1687 gun platform.

Parat tried to get Paris to intervene and stop the trade with New England, but the French government decided it was cheaper to let New England protect its own trade and the French colony. There were 150 colonists in 1685 and 256 residents the following year. Over 200 ships dried fish on the beaches in 1688-most ships were from Nantes, Bayonne and Bordeaux. When Bishop St. Vallier visited in 1689 with three Recollet fathers and a brother from St-Denis, France, there was already a small chapel. The bishop bought the property of George Jongle and built its monastery, Our Lady of the Angels, which opened on September 7, 1689, under Father Sixt la Tac. The Franciscans also established the first school in Newfoundland the same year, and the complex also included a courthouse. Only one priest remained in 1700, but the Recollects returned the following September and stayed until the takeover by the British in 1713.

In February 1690, 45 British privateers captured Plaisance and destroyed the fort, escaping onto captured French fishing vessels. The fort was rebuilt the same year, which was another good fishing year. The Basques took over the town in August 1690 because of Governor Parat's continued belligerence towards them. Parat escaped and returned to France via St-Pierre. He managed to convince the French king the Basques were troublemakers, and they were banned from entering the port the following year when a new governor, Sieur de Brouillon, arrived.

Baron Lahontan, who lived at Plaisance, described the fort in 1692:

"It is nearly 300 paces in circumference and consists of four curtains of stone piled up between stakes. There are cannon of 18 and 24 pound shot on the side facing the roadstead and 14 guarding the entrance of the little straight. The governor's cottage is in the middle of the fort, the inhabitants' cottages were scattered here and there. The number of inhabitants is 50 families."

Lahontan, who spent much of his time with the soldiers in the garrison, was extremely scathing of the government:

"It must be considered that at Placentia....the governors, intendents, and other officials only think of swelling their purses with the King's money. That is why each of them looking on his own post only as a lucrative place, where he only wishes to stay for the length of time necessary to make himself rich. They have constructed cardhouses, with some sort of appearance at very little expense, and think of nothing less than they do of the King's service; however, they send back memoirs to the Court with plans, although faithful in appearance, very dissimilar in solidity to the works that they have had made."

Nor was he complimentary about the inhabitants:

"The garrison is small, badly fed, badly paid and badly maintained, that is why the majority of soldiers desert to St. John's and to the Forillon (Ferryland)...The number of the inhabitants of Placentia may amount to 50 families, but there would be land to place easily a hundred more, if they wanted to cut a little isthmus of gravel which separates the roadstead from a small bay around which they could settle themselves."

A major English attack took place in September 1692, but Lahontan prevented troops from landing at La Fontaine (Freshwater) and his resistance persuaded the English to leave after a bombardment of the town. The limitations of Fort Louis were noted and a new fort was built on Castle Hill the next year.

A Basque privateer, John Svigaricipi, sailed from Placentia and captured hundreds of merchant vessels and warships, including the 100-gun Princess-a feat for which he was honored by the King of France. He was killed in a later attempt to capture Ferryland in 1694. Svigaricipi was buried at Placentia, where parts of a monument and other Basque headstones were preserved at the old Anglican church. His headstone is now preserved in the Castle Hill Visitor Centre. Translated, the inscription reads: "John Svigaraicipi, called Croisie, Captain of the King's frigate Envieux, 1964. For the honor of my prince I went to follow my career to attack the enemy even in their own (lands). Pray for me."

Baron Lahontan had certainly distinguished himself in the defence of Placentia against the English in 1692, but he was always at odds with the governor and eventually deserted . He later provided military information to the English, including a very detailed plan for capturing the town with 400 men and fishing supply vessels anchored at Point Verde and Fox Harbour.

D'Iberville arrived at Plaisance the same year and was annoyed that an attack had been made on St. John's and had been stopped at Ferryland. He planned the next assault very carefully, setting out on New Year's Day 1697 by land, and de Brouillon went by sea. D'Iberville's campaign was the most successful carried out by the French in Newfoundland and resulted in the capture or more than 90 English settlements, 439 fishing boats and 226,000 quintals of fish. Many major fishing premises were also destroyed. D'Iberville knew he couldn't defend the Avalon Peninsula and returned to Plaisance. In 1697, the stonework was raised in preparation for war.

The French and British were again at war in 1702 and D'Iberville was once more commander when an overland attack sacked St. John's in January 1705. The arrival of 300 Micmac Indians and 150 Acadians at St-Pierre was also noted. The Micmac Indians were settled in St-Pierre and were encouraged to carry out raids on English settlements, but Abenaki Indians sent by the Governor of Quebec returned home. Sieur de Constabelle, who had lived in Plaisance since 1687, was appointed governor in 1707. He authorized another successful attack on St. John's in 1708 and added improvements to the Fort Royal fortifications in 1710 when the garrison was 50 men.

Constabelle refused to surrender Plaisance in 1711, and English Admiral Hovenden's pitiful attempt to capture the town received very poor press in English newspapers:
"The taking of the French capital of Newfoundland would have been as easy a task for the Admiral as a citizen riding home in his chaise from Hampstead, calling at a cakehouse to regale himself and his wife with a glass of cider and cheesecake."

The English made no more attacks, but privateers captured several French and Basque vessels. When Plaisance fell to the English, it was at the stroke of the pen rather than the sword, when it was handed over in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. An era ended and another began.

Sources: :
School of Continuing Studies and Extension, Memorial University. (1988). Decks Awash . The Placentia Area. Vol. 17, No. 3.

McCarthy, Michael. (1970). A History of Plaissance and Placentia. 1501 - 1970. Mount Pearl, St. John's, Nfld.

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