Illustration of Rocheblave's capture at Kaskaskia. He was in bed with his wife when Americans led by
George Rogers Clark seized the lightly guarded British outpost.
(
March 23 1727 –
April 3 1802) was a soldier, businessman and political figure in
Lower Canada. He was sometimes referred to as the Chevalier de Rocheblave.
He was born in
Savournon in the
Hautes-Alpes region of
France in 1727 and served in the
French Army. He led French troops in
New France during the
Seven Years' War, serving as lieutenant at
Fort de Chartres in the
Illinois Country. He later established a business at
Kaskaskia. After the
British took control of Kaskaskia, he became commander of
Fort Sainte-Geneviève for the
Spanish. Around 1774, he took command of Kaskaskia for the British.
In 1778, during the
American Revolutionary War,
George Rogers Clark, commander of the
Kentucky militia,
captured Kaskaskia for the Americans and took Rocheblave prisoner. Rocheblave was sent to
Virginia, where he eluded parole and fled to the British forces in
New York City.
After the end of the American Revolutionary War, Rocheblave brought his family to
Montreal; they later settled at
Varennes around 1789. He became involved in the
fur trade in the
Detroit region. In 1796, he was elected to the
Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada for Surrey; he was re-elected in 1796 and 1800, serving until his death at
Quebec City in 1802.
His sons, Noël and
Pierre, also became members of the legislative assembly and Pierre was also a member of the legislative council.
