Louis-Hector de Callière or Callières (12 November 1648 – May 26, 1703) was a French politician, who was the governor of New France from 1698 to 1703. He played an important role in defining the strategy that New France followed during the Queen Anne's War.

De Callière was born in Thorigny-sur-Vire, Lower Normandy. He received his background experience for the position of governor of New France as the governor of Montreal from 1684 to 1699. During his era there, the Iroquois war had enhanced the importance of that position. He conducted himself so well during this period that he was awarded the prestigious cross of Saint-Louis in 1694 partly under the recommendation of Buade de Frontenac.

[edit] Family

He was the son of Jacques de Callières, governor of Cherbourg and the author of La Fortune des gens de qualité et des gentilshommes particuliers, enseignant l'art de vivre à la cour suivant les maximes de la politique et de la morale ("The Fortune of people of quality and private gentlemen, teaching the art of living at court according to the maxims of politics and morality").

François de Callières, the eldest, was elected to the French Academy in 1689 and also served with distinction in Louis XIV’s diplomatic corps. In 1701, thanks to his ability to imitate the royal handwriting and to his mastery of the French language, succeeded Toussaint Rose as the secretary “who held the pen.” His duties, designed to save the monarch time and fatigue, consisted of writing in a hand and style similar to those of the king letters and memoirs to dignitaries and foreign heads of state and of signing them with the royal name. Such a position of trust gave Callières great power which he frequently used to further the career of Louis-Hector in Canada.

[edit] External links

• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
• Pointe-à-Callière Museum, Montréal

v • d • e Governors of Montreal Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve • Louis d'Ailleboust de Coulonge (acting) • Charles-Joseph d'Ailleboust des Musseaux (acting) • Raphaël-Lambert Closse (acting) • Zacharie Dupuis de Verdun (acting) • Étienne Pézard de LaTouche (acting) • Zacharie Dupuis de Verdun (acting) • Annibal-Alexis ou Balthazar de Flotte de La Frédière (acting) • Zacharie Dupuy de Verdun (acting) • Pierre de Lamotte de Saint-Paul • Michel-Sidrac Dugué de Boisbriand • François-Marie Perrot • Thomas Tarieu de LaNouguère (acting) • Louis-Hector de Callière • François Provost • Philippe de Rigaud de Vaudreuil (acting) • Philippe de Rigaud de Vaudreuil • Claude de Ramezay • Charles Le Moine, 1st Baron de Longueuil • Jean Bouillet, sieur de la Chassaigne • J.-M.-Josué Berthelot, sieur de Beaucourt • Charles Le Moine, 2nd Baron de Longueuil • François-Pierre Rigaud de Vaudreuil • Thomas Gage • Ralph Burton

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