Jacques Villeré: Difference between revisions

Jacques Villeré
Jacques Villeré
26th, 2nd since U.S. Statehood Governor of Louisiana
	In office; December 16, 1816 – December 18, 1820
Preceded by	William C. C. Claiborne
Succeeded by	Thomas B. Robertson
Personal details
Born	April 28, 1761; Louisiana (New France)
Died	March 7, 1830 (aged 68); St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana
Political party	Democratic-Republican
Spouse	Jeanne Henriette de Fazende

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Jacques Philippe Villeré (April 28, 1761 – March 7, 1830) was the second Governor of Louisiana after it became a state. He was the first Creole and the first native of Louisiana to hold that office.

Early life

He was born in 1761 near present-day Kenner, Louisiana, on his maternal grandfather's plantation La Providence. ^[1]

His father was Joseph Antoine de Villeré, an official in the French Navy during the reign of King Louis XV and later a colonial militia captain in the German Coast area of present-day southeast Louisiana. A few years after 1763's cession of La Louisiane to Spain, Joseph was sentenced to death by Spanish Governor Alejandro O'Reilly, who was sent by King Charles III to suppress a local revolt. Joseph Villeré mysteriously died prior to the firing squad execution of the rebels, in October 1769.^[2] Jacques Villeré's grandfather, Etienne Roy de Villeré, had accompanied Iberville on the voyage from France to the Gulf coast, late in the 17th century, during the reign of Louis XIV.

Jacques's mother was Louise Marguerite de la Chaise, daughter of Jacques de la Chaise and granddaughter, on her mother's side, of Charles Frederick d’Arensbourg.

Military service

Villeré joined the French Army and was educated for two years in France at the Crown's expense, due to his father's death at the hands of O'Reilly. In 1776, while still an adolescent, he was assigned to Saint-Domingue as a first lieutenant in the artillery. His mother's death in the 1780s brought him back to settle in Louisiana (New Spain), which became again a possession of France in 1800 and finally of the United States in 1803 through the Louisiana Purchase.

In 1814–15, he served with distinction in the (War of 1812's) Battle of New Orleans, as a major general commanding the 1st Division of the Louisiana Militia. His men stood fast, assigned to the area near Lake Borgne and Bayou Dupre, as British forces approached New Orleans by sea.

The Villeré plantation, Conseil, located downriver from the city, was overrun by the British. In fact, Villeré's son Gabriel, who had the rank of major and guarded the plantation with thirty soldiers, was surprised and captured when the British Army initially made its presence known. Maj. Villeré managed to escape and report the news to Gen. Andrew Jackson, who ordered the night attack of December 23, 1814.^[3]

The Villeré home was used as British headquarters throughout the Louisiana campaign for nearly one month.^[4] The family's property was damaged and they lost a number of slaves, who were taken aboard Royal Navy vessels and later freed.

Family, political career, and later life

In 1784, Villeré married Jeanne Henriette de Fazende, the daughter of Gabriel de Fazende, who owned a plantation seven miles (11 km) below New Orleans in present-day Saint Bernard Parish. The couple raised eight children. Jeanne Villeré died in 1826.^[5]

In 1803, Villeré secured a seat on the municipal council (the Cabildo) of New Orleans during the brief return to French colonial administration. The next year, after the Louisiana Purchase took effect, Villeré was appointed a major general in the territorial militia, a Police Juror in what in a few years would be the "county" of Orleans Parish, and a justice of the peace for the area which would soon become St. Bernard Parish.

Villeré was a member of the convention which drafted Louisiana's first state constitution. He ran for Governor in 1812, to serve as the first governor after statehood, but was defeated in the election by William C. C. Claiborne who was elected overwhelmingly with over 70% of the vote.

Jacques Villeré was elected as the second state governor in 1816, narrowly defeating Joshua Lewis. He took office in December of that year and served through 1820, a period of prosperity and growth for the new state. His gubernatorial administration was noted for efforts to provide bankruptcy protection for debtors, the designation of death-by-dueling as a capital offense, and reduction of the level of state debt.^[6]

He retired to the family's sugar plantation in St. Bernard Parish after his term, as the law did not permit him to succeed himself in office.^[7] Villeré was brought out of retirement to run again for governor in the 1824 election, but he and Bernard de Marigny split the Creole vote and Henry Johnson was elected governor.

He was preparing to run for Governor again in the 1830 special election; but he died March 7, 1830, before the election, at the plantation Conseil after a long illness. His remains were interred at St. Louis Cemetery No. 2, in New Orleans.

References

^ VILLERE, Jacques Philippe Archived September 16, 2021, at the Wayback Machine in the Louisiana Historical Association's Dictionary of Louisiana Biography, accessed 04 July 2020.
^ Ibid.
^ Reilly, Robin. The British at the Gates. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1974 (Reprinted 2002 by Robin Brass Studio, Toronto), p. 251 ff.
^ Wilson, Samuel, Jr. Plantation Houses on the Battlefield of New Orleans. New Orleans: Louisiana Landmarks Society, 1989 (Reprinted 2011 by Pelican Publishing Co.), p. 87.
^ Jacques P. Villeré at La-Cemeteries.com, retrieved 18 April 2017.
^ Villere, Jacques Philippe Archived September 16, 2021, at the Wayback Machine in the Dictionary of Louisiana Biography, accessed 04 July 2020.
^ Jacques Philippe Villeré in the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities' encyclopedia, accessed 18 April 2017.

External links

Political offices
Preceded by William C. C. Claiborne	Governor of Louisiana 1816–1820	Succeeded by Thomas B. Robertson

[1] VILLERE, Jacques Philippe Archived September 16, 2021, at the Wayback Machine in the Louisiana Historical Association's Dictionary of Louisiana Biography, accessed 04 July 2020.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Reilly, Robin. The British at the Gates. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1974 (Reprinted 2002 by Robin Brass Studio, Toronto), p. 251 ff.

[4] Wilson, Samuel, Jr. Plantation Houses on the Battlefield of New Orleans. New Orleans: Louisiana Landmarks Society, 1989 (Reprinted 2011 by Pelican Publishing Co.), p. 87.

[5] Jacques P. Villeré at La-Cemeteries.com, retrieved 18 April 2017.

[6] Villere, Jacques Philippe Archived September 16, 2021, at the Wayback Machine in the Dictionary of Louisiana Biography, accessed 04 July 2020.

[7] Jacques Philippe Villeré in the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities' encyclopedia, accessed 18 April 2017.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|American politician (1761–1830)}}
 {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2012}}
-{{Infobox governor
+{{Infobox officeholder
 | image       = Jacques Villere.jpg
 | order       = 26th,  2nd since U.S. Statehood
@@ Line 9: / Line 10: @@
 | successor   = [[Thomas B. Robertson]]
 | birth_date  = April 28, 1761
-| birth_place = [[Jefferson Parish, Louisiana]]
+| birth_place = [[Louisiana (New France)]]
 | death_date  = {{Death date and age|1830|3|7|1761|4|28}}
-| death_place = [[Saint Bernard Parish, Louisiana]]
+| death_place = [[St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana]]
 | party       = [[Democratic-Republican]]
 | spouse      = Jeanne Henriette de Fazende
-| religion    = Catholic
 }}
-'''Jacques Phillippe Villeré''' (April 28, 1761 – March 7, 1830) was the second [[Governor of Louisiana]] after it became a state. He was the first [[Louisiana Creole people|Creole]] and the first native of Louisiana to hold that office.
+'''Jacques Philippe Villeré''' (April 28, 1761 – March 7, 1830) was the second [[Governor of Louisiana]] after it became a state. He was the first [[Louisiana Creole people|Creole]] and the first native of Louisiana to hold that office.
 ==Early life==
-He was born in 1761 near present-day [[Kenner, Louisiana|Kenner]], [[Jefferson Parish, Louisiana]] on his maternal grandfather's [[Plantations in the American South|plantation]] ''La Providence.'' <ref>http://www.lahistory.org/site39.php</ref>
+He was born in 1761 near present-day [[Kenner, Louisiana]], on his maternal grandfather's [[Plantations in the American South|plantation]] ''La Providence.'' <ref>[https://www.lahistory.org/resources/dictionary-louisiana-biography/dictionary-louisiana-biography-v/ VILLERE, Jacques Philippe] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916104958/https://www.lahistory.org/resources/dictionary-louisiana-biography/dictionary-louisiana-biography-v/ |date=September 16, 2021 }} in the [[Louisiana Historical Association]]'s ''Dictionary of Louisiana Biography'', accessed 04 July 2020.</ref>
-His father was Joseph Antoine de Villeré, an official in the [[French Navy]] under King [[Louis XV]] and later a [[Louisiana (New France)|colonial]] [[militia]] captain in the [[German Coast]] area of present-day southeast [[Louisiana]]. After [[Kingdom of France|France]]'s territory was ceded to [[Imperial Spain|Spain]] in 1763, Joseph became one of the victims of [[Louisiana (New Spain)|Spanish]] Governor [[Alejandro O'Reilly]], who was sent by King [[Charles III of Spain|Carlos III]] to put down a [[Rebellion of 1768|revolt]].<ref>http://www.lahistory.org/site39.php</ref> Villeré's grandfather, Etienne Roy de Villeré, had accompanied [[Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville|Iberville]] on the voyage from [[France]] to the [[Gulf of Mexico|Gulf]] [[coast]], late in the 17th century, under [[Louis XIV]].
+His father was Joseph Antoine de Villeré, an official in the [[French Navy]] during the reign of King [[Louis XV]] and later a [[Louisiana (New France)|colonial]] [[militia]] captain in the [[German Coast]] area of present-day southeast [[Louisiana]]. A few years after [[Treaty of Paris (1763)|1763's cession]] of ''[[La Louisiane]]'' to Spain, Joseph was sentenced to death by [[Louisiana (New Spain)|Spanish]] Governor [[Alejandro O'Reilly]], who was sent by King [[Charles III of Spain|Charles III]] to suppress [[Louisiana Rebellion of 1768|a local revolt]]. Joseph Villeré mysteriously died prior to the firing squad execution of the rebels, in October 1769.<ref>''Ibid''.</ref> Jacques Villeré's grandfather, Etienne Roy de Villeré, had accompanied [[Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville|Iberville]] on the voyage from France to the [[Gulf of Mexico|Gulf]] [[coast]], late in the 17th century, during the reign of [[Louis XIV]].
-Jacques' mother was Louise Marguerite de la Chaise, daughter of Jacques de la Chaise and granddaughter, on her mother's side, of the [[Chevalier]] Charles Frederick d’Arensbourg.
+Jacques's mother was Louise Marguerite de la Chaise, daughter of Jacques de la Chaise and granddaughter, on her mother's side, of [[Charles Frederick d’Arensbourg]].
 ==Military service==
-Villeré joined the [[French army]] and was educated for two years in [[France]] at the [[monarch|Crown]]'s expense, due to his father's death at the hands of [[Alejandro O'Reilly|O'Reilly]]. In 1776, while still in his teens, he was assigned to [[Santo Domingo|Saint Domingue]] as a first lieutenant of the [[artillery]]. His mother's death in the 1780s brought him back to settle in [[Louisiana (New Spain)]], which became a possession of the [[United States]] about twenty years later.
+Villeré joined the [[French Royal Army|French Army]] and was educated for two years in France at the [[monarch|Crown]]'s expense, due to his father's death at the hands of [[Alejandro O'Reilly|O'Reilly]]. In 1776, while still an adolescent, he was assigned to [[Saint-Domingue]] as a first lieutenant in the [[artillery]]. His mother's death in the 1780s brought him back to settle in [[Louisiana (New Spain)]], which became again a possession of France in 1800 and finally of the [[United States]] in 1803 through the [[Louisiana Purchase]].
-In 1814-1815, he served with distinction in the ([[War of 1812]]'s) [[Battle of New Orleans]], as a major general commanding the 1st Division of the [[Louisiana]] [[Militia (United States)|militia]]. His men stood fast, assigned to the area near [[Lake Borgne]] and [[Bayou Dupre]], as [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] forces approached [[New Orleans]] by sea.
+In 1814–15, he served with distinction in the (War of 1812's) [[Battle of New Orleans]], as a major general commanding the 1st Division of the [[Louisiana]] [[Militia (United States)|Militia]]. His men stood fast, assigned to the area near [[Lake Borgne]] and [[Bayou Dupre]], as [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|British]] forces approached [[New Orleans]] by sea.
-The Villeré plantation, ''Conseil'', located downriver from the city, was overrun by the [[British Army|British]] army. His family's home was destroyed and he lost 52 [[Slavery in the United States|slaves]], whom the British took aboard [[Royal Navy|their ships]] and freed later.
+The Villeré plantation, ''Conseil'', located downriver from the city, was overrun by the British. In fact, Villeré's son Gabriel, who had the rank of major and guarded the plantation with thirty soldiers, was surprised and captured when the [[British Army]] initially made its presence known. Maj. Villeré managed to escape and report the news to Gen. [[Andrew Jackson]], who ordered the night attack of December 23, 1814.<ref>Reilly, Robin. ''The British at the Gates''. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1974 (Reprinted 2002 by Robin Brass Studio, Toronto), p. 251 ff.</ref>
+The Villeré home was used as British headquarters throughout the Louisiana [[military campaign|campaign]] for nearly one month.<ref>Wilson, Samuel, Jr. ''Plantation Houses on the Battlefield of New Orleans''. New Orleans: Louisiana Landmarks Society, 1989 (Reprinted 2011 by Pelican Publishing Co.), p. 87.</ref> The family's property was damaged and they lost a number of [[history of slavery in Louisiana|slaves]], who were taken aboard [[Royal Navy]] vessels and later freed.
 ==Family, political career, and later life==
-In 1784, Villeré married Jeanne Henriette de Fazende, the daughter of Gabriel de Fazende, who owned a [[Plantations in the American South|plantation]] seven miles (11&nbsp;km) below New Orleans in present-day [[Saint Bernard Parish]]. The couple raised eight children. Jeanne Villeré died in 1826.<ref>http://www.la-cemeteries.com/Governors/Villere,%20Jacques%20Phillipe/Villere,%20Jacques%20Phillipe.shtml</ref>
+In 1784, Villeré married Jeanne Henriette de Fazende, the daughter of Gabriel de Fazende, who owned a [[Plantations in the American South|plantation]] seven miles (11&nbsp;km) below New Orleans in present-day [[St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana|Saint Bernard Parish]]. The couple raised eight children. Jeanne Villeré died in 1826.<ref>[http://www.la-cemeteries.com/Governors/Villere,%20Jacques%20Phillipe/Villere,%20Jacques%20Phillipe.shtml Jacques P. Villeré] at La-Cemeteries.com, retrieved 18 April 2017.</ref>
-In 1803, Villeré secured a seat on the municipal council (the ''Cabildo'') of New Orleans during the brief return to [[French First Republic|French]] colonial administration. The next year, after the [[Louisiana Purchase]] took effect, Villeré was appointed a [[Major General]] in the [[Territory of Orleans|territorial]] [[militia]], a [[Police Jury|Police Juror]] in what in a few years would be the "[[County (United States)|county]]" of [[Orleans Parish]], and a [[Justice of the Peace]] for the area which [[List of parishes in Louisiana|would soon become]] St. Bernard Parish.
+In 1803, Villeré secured a seat on the municipal council (the ''Cabildo'') of New Orleans during the brief return to [[French First Republic|French]] colonial administration. The next year, after the [[Louisiana Purchase]] took effect, Villeré was appointed a [[major general (United States)|major general]] in the [[Territory of Orleans|territorial]] [[militia (United States)|militia]], a [[Police Jury|Police Juror]] in what in a few years would be the "[[County (United States)|county]]" of [[Orleans Parish]], and a [[justice of the peace]] for the area which [[List of parishes in Louisiana|would soon become]] St. Bernard Parish.
-Villeré was a member of the convention which drafted [[Louisiana]]'s first [[U.S. state|state]] constitution.  He ran for Governor in 1812, to serve as the first governor after [[U.S. state|statehood]], but was defeated in the election by [[William C. C. Claiborne]] when the [[Louisiana Creole people|Creole]] vote was split between Villeré and [[Jean N. Destréhan]].
+Villeré was a member of the convention which drafted [[Louisiana]]'s [[Constitution of Louisiana#Louisiana Constitution of 1812|first state constitution]].  He [[1812 Louisiana gubernatorial election|ran for Governor in 1812]], to serve as the first governor after [[U.S. state|statehood]], but was defeated in the election by [[William C. C. Claiborne]] who was elected overwhelmingly with over 70% of the vote.
-Jacques Villeré was elected as the second state Governor in 1815, narrowly defeating [[Joshua Lewis (judge)|Joshua Lewis]]. He took office the following year and served through 1820, a period of prosperity and growth for the new state. His gubernatorial administration was noted for efforts to provide [[bankruptcy]] protection for debtors, the designation of death-by-[[duel]]ing as a [[capital offense]], and reduction of the level of state debt.<ref>http://www.lahistory.org/site39.php</ref>
+Jacques Villeré was elected as the second state governor in [[1816 Louisiana gubernatorial election|1816]], narrowly defeating [[Joshua Lewis (judge)|Joshua Lewis]]. He took office in December of that year and served through 1820, a period of prosperity and growth for the new state. His gubernatorial administration was noted for efforts to provide [[bankruptcy]] protection for debtors, the designation of death-by-[[duel]]ing as a [[capital offense]], and reduction of the level of state debt.<ref>[https://www.lahistory.org/resources/dictionary-louisiana-biography/dictionary-louisiana-biography-v/ Villere, Jacques Philippe] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916104958/https://www.lahistory.org/resources/dictionary-louisiana-biography/dictionary-louisiana-biography-v/ |date=September 16, 2021 }} in the ''Dictionary of Louisiana Biography'', accessed 04 July 2020.</ref>
-He retired to the family's [[sugar cane|sugar]] plantation in St. Bernard Parish after his term, as the law didn't allow him to succeed himself in office.<ref>http://www.knowla.org/entry/923/&view=summary</ref>                In 1824, Villeré was brought out of retirement to run again for Governor, but he and [[Bernard de Marigny]] split the Creole vote and [[Henry Johnson (Louisiana)|Henry Johnson]] was elected Governor.
+He retired to the family's [[sugar cane|sugar]] plantation in St. Bernard Parish after his term, as the law did not permit him to succeed himself in office.<ref>[http://www.knowlouisiana.org/entry/jacques-philippe-viller Jacques Philippe Villeré] in the [[Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities]]' encyclopedia, accessed 18 April 2017.</ref> Villeré was brought out of retirement to run again for governor in the [[1824 Louisiana gubernatorial election|1824 election]], but he and [[Bernard de Marigny]] split the Creole vote and [[Henry Johnson (Louisiana)|Henry Johnson]] was elected governor.
-He died March 7, 1830, at the plantation ''Conseil'' after a long illness. His remains were interred at [[St. Louis Cemetery]] No. 2, in [[New Orleans]].<ref>http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=21309300</ref>
+He was preparing to run for [[Governor of Louisiana|Governor]] again in the [[1830 Louisiana gubernatorial election|1830 special election]]; but he died March 7, 1830, before the election, at the plantation ''Conseil'' after a long illness. His remains were interred at [[St. Louis Cemetery]] No. 2, in [[New Orleans]].
+==See also==
+*[[Charles Jacques Villeré]]
 ==References==
 {{reflist}}
-==Sources==
+==External links==
+* [http://hnoc.minisisinc.com/thnoc/catalog/3/15 Jacques Philippe Villeré Papers] at [https://www.hnoc.org/ The Historic New Orleans Collection]
-*[http://www.knowla.org/ Encyclopedia of Louisiana]
+* {{FAG|21309300}}
 {{s-start}}
 {{s-off}}
@@ Line 58: / Line 63: @@
 {{Governors of Louisiana}}
-{{Authority control|VIAF=72731455}}
+{{Authority control}}
-{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
-| NAME              = Villere, Jacques
-| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
-| SHORT DESCRIPTION =  American politician
-| DATE OF BIRTH     = April 28, 1761
-| PLACE OF BIRTH    = [[St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana]]
-| DATE OF DEATH     = 1830-03-07
-| PLACE OF DEATH    = [[Saint Bernard Parish, Louisiana]]
-}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Villere, Jacques}}
 [[Category:1761 births]]
 [[Category:1830 deaths]]
 [[Category:Governors of Louisiana]]
-[[Category:People from New Orleans, Louisiana]]
+[[Category:Politicians from New Orleans]]
-[[Category:American people of the War of 1812]]
+[[Category:American militiamen in the War of 1812]]
 [[Category:Louisiana Creole people]]
 [[Category:American people of French descent]]
 [[Category:Louisiana Democratic-Republicans]]
-[[Category:American Roman Catholics]]
 [[Category:Democratic-Republican Party state governors of the United States]]
+[[Category:American slave owners]]
+[[Category:Catholics from Louisiana]]
+[[Category:American militia generals]]

v t e Governors of Louisiana
State (1812–1861)	Claiborne Villeré Robertson Thibodaux H. Johnson Derbigny Beauvais Dupré Roman White Roman Mouton I. Johnson Walker Hébert Wickliffe Moore
Confederate (1861–1865)	Moore H. Allen
Union (1862–1865)	Shepley Hahn
Reconstruction (1865–1868)	Wells Flanders Baker
State (since 1868)	Warmoth Pinchback J. McEnery Kellogg Packard Nicholls Wiltz S. McEnery Nicholls M. J. Foster Heard Blanchard Sanders Hall Pleasant Parker Fuqua Simpson H. Long King O. Allen Noe Leche E. Long Jones Davis E. Long Kennon E. Long Davis McKeithen E. Edwards Treen E. Edwards Roemer E. Edwards M. Foster Blanco Jindal J. Edwards Landry

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