The Governor of New France was the viceroy of the King of France in North America. A French noble, he was appointed to govern the colonies of New France, which included Canada, Acadia and Louisiana. The residence of the Governor was at the Château St-Louis in the capital of Quebec City. Acadia, Louisiana, and the towns of Trois-Rivières and Montreal had their own particular governors.
Prior to the establishment of the 1663 Sovereign Council, the highest positions in New France were that of Governor and Lieutenant-General, which were often held by the same person. The Governor then had responsibilities over both military and civil affairs in the colonies. With the new royal administration of 1663, the title of Governor General was given to the person responsible for the military and diplomatic relations. The administration of justice, police, and finance was given to the Intendant, who presided over the Sovereign Council. The Governor General answered to the French Secretary of State of the Navy and the Controller General of Finance.
Beginning with Charles de Montmagny, North American Indians referred to the governor as Onontio, meaning "Great Mountain". Each Onontio was the head of the Franco-Indian alliance.
| Office Holder | Term | Appointed by |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinal Richelieu | 1627–1632 | Louis XIII |
| Samuel de Champlain | 1632–1635 | Louis XIII |
| Charles de Montmagny | 1635–1648 | Louis XIII |
| Louis d'Ailleboust de Coulonge | 1648–1651 | Louis XIV |
| Jean de Lauson | 1651–1657 | Louis XIV |
| Pierre de Voyer d'Argenson, Vicomte de Mouzay | 1657–1661 | Louis XIV |
| Pierre Dubois Davaugour | 1661–1663 | Louis XIV |
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| Preceded by Lieutenant General of New France |
Governor of New France 1627–1663 |
Succeeded by Governor General of New France |
Famous quotes containing the words governor of, governor and/or france:
“Three years ago, also, when the Sims tragedy was acted, I said to myself, There is such an officer, if not such a man, as the Governor of Massachusetts,—what has he been about the last fortnight? Has he had as much as he could do to keep on the fence during this moral earthquake?... He could at least have resigned himself into fame.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Ah, Governor [Murphy, of New Jersey], don’t try to deceive me as to the sentiment of the dear people. I have been hearing from the West and the East, and the South seems to be the only section which approves of me at all, and that comes from merely a generous impulse, for even that section would deny me its votes.”
—William Howard Taft (1857–1930)
“But as some silly young men returning from France affect a broken English, to be thought perfect in the French language; so his Lordship, I think, to seem a perfect understander of the unintelligible language of the Schoolmen, pretends an ignorance of his mother-tongue. He talks here of command and counsel as if he were no Englishman, nor knew any difference between their significations.”
—Thomas Hobbes (1579–1688)