François Bigot facts for kids

François Bigot (1703 - 12 January 1778) was an important French government official. He worked as a financial manager on Île Royale, which is now Cape Breton Island. He also managed supplies for the Duc d'Anville expedition, a big military mission. Later, he became the Intendant of New France. This was a very high position.

Bigot was the last person to hold this job. He lost it when the British took over New France in 1760. After this, he faced serious accusations about his financial dealings. He was put on trial in France. When he was found guilty, he was imprisoned for eleven months. After his release, Bigot was told he could never return to France. However, he soon escaped to Switzerland, where he lived for the rest of his life.

Early Life and Career

François Bigot was born in Bordeaux, France, in 1703. His family was wealthy and well-known. His father was a successful lawyer and held important government jobs. Bigot received a good education, including legal studies.

In 1723, at age 20, he began working for the French navy. He started as a chief clerk and quickly moved up. By 1732, he was a resident manager for the Navy in Rochefort. This port was very busy, preparing many ships for voyages to the Americas.

As a young man, Bigot enjoyed playing games of chance. This caused him some financial pressure. So, he decided to accept a job as the financial manager for Louisbourg. Louisbourg was a strong French fort in North America. The Secretary of State of the Navy told him that working in the colonies was a good way to get a better job later. Bigot arrived in Louisbourg in September 1739.

Working in Louisbourg

Bigot wanted to do well in his new role. He worked hard to organize the financial records. He also personally watched over many operations. He made sure to avoid arguments with the governor, unlike previous managers.

Bigot's reconstructed home and storage building at Fortress Louisbourg

After the governor died in 1740, Bigot became friends with the Du Pont family. They were a powerful military family in the colony. Bigot often used his position to help his friends. He gave them money for things like boats, even though he already received money for his own travel. He was known for using public funds for his own benefit. He also sometimes rented out the King's workers and kept the money.

By 1744, Bigot was involved in supplying privateers. These were private ships that attacked enemy vessels. Many French people in Louisbourg, from top officials to sailors, were part of this business. Bigot was a strong supporter of the Du Pont brothers in these ventures. He even owned parts of some privateer ships.

Also in 1744, a mutiny (rebellion) happened among the soldiers in Louisbourg. The mutiny ended peacefully. Bigot was not directly in charge of stopping it. But as the financial manager, his role in ending the crisis was likely very important.

Keeping enough supplies was a big challenge for Bigot. There had been food shortages in Canada for several years. Sometimes, events in Europe also affected supplies. Bigot tried new ways to get food. He even sent an agent to New England (which was British at the time) to buy fish and other goods. This was unusual, but it helped keep Louisbourg well-stocked. The colony always had enough food, even during difficult winters.

Bigot also thought about building a large warehouse to store extra food. He also wanted to try farming on Île Royale or Île Saint-Jean (Prince Edward Island). But he never found a lasting solution to the supply problem. Still, the people never went hungry.

Before the British attack on Louisbourg in 1745, Bigot warned France that an attack was coming. His warning was correct. In April 1745, British warships blocked Louisbourg. American troops landed nearby. On May 26, 1745, the French leaders decided to surrender. Bigot returned to France in July 1745.

The Duc d'Anville Expedition

After Louisbourg was lost, Bigot returned to France. He hoped for a new job there. But instead, he was put in charge of supplies for a large mission. This mission, led by the duc d'Anville, aimed to recapture Louisbourg and other French lands.

Bigot had to prepare a huge amount of food for the mission. He prepared about 1,100,000 food portions. The expedition left in June 1746. But it faced many problems. Storms hit the ships, and some were captured by the British. When they finally reached Chebucto (now Halifax, Nova Scotia), many soldiers and sailors became very sick.

The duc d'Anville died, and leaders changed quickly. Louisbourg could not be retaken. The mission was a complete failure. Bigot watched as all his hard work fell apart. He managed to return to France safely, though his ship was wrecked near the coast.

This failure caused problems in France. Bigot spent the next two years writing many reports about what went wrong. But his reputation remained good.

Intendant of New France

On August 26, 1748, Bigot was sent back to New France to become the Intendant. He was not happy about this, as he preferred to be in France. As the Intendant of New France, Bigot was in charge of many things. These included trade, money, industry, food, prices, and keeping order. His main job was to help the Governor expand the French empire.

Bigot was very good at managing food supplies. Even though he was accused of seeking personal gain, he made sure the soldiers and people had enough to eat. This was especially important during the difficult winters of 1751-1752, 1756-1757, and 1757-1758.

Bigot made many rules about how to distribute and price grain, flour, and bread. People in charge of food supplies often face criticism, even when they do a good job. Bigot's rules were very strict. For example, he told people where they could move and how they should behave. He also set out harsh punishments for those who broke the rules. This kind of strict control was common in France at the time.

Many of Bigot's rules also aimed to help the people of the colony. He tried to stop people from firing guns in towns or fighting in church. He also made rules about dumping trash and letting farm animals wander in the streets. He even paved and maintained the streets of Québec. He paid for this with a tax on tavern owners. He was very strict, and some ministers even told him to let the courts handle more of the policing. But Bigot liked to be in control.

In 1754, Bigot was called back to France because of accusations of unfair dealings. However, he was sent back to New France the next year. Bigot saw his job in Québec as a kind of exile. Yet, he performed his duties as Intendant very well for 12 years.

In Canada, he owned three slaves. Two were from First Nations, and one was from Africa.

The "Canada Affair"

The accusations against Bigot were not just about small acts of fraud. They were about a large system of private business dealings. Many other officials, army officers, and merchants were involved. This kind of system was part of the political culture in France at the time. It was a way of life that changed only after the French Revolution.

The main difference for Bigot was that he had more chances to get rich. More money was being spent in Canada than ever before. Bigot tried to get involved in every business and always asked for a percentage of the profits. While Bigot and other officials were making personal fortunes, the people of Canada suffered. Prices went up, food was scarce, and there were sometimes severe famines.

By 1759, prices in Canada were perhaps eight times higher than before the war. Goods in Canada cost about seven times more than in France. Reports about Bigot's business dealings and the high prices soon reached France.

The rising prices greatly increased the government's costs in Canada. In 1750, the colony cost France about two million livres. By 1754, this cost more than doubled. By 1759, Bigot estimated the costs would be over 30 million livres. Because of these huge expenses, the French government decided to investigate Bigot. It was the large bills, more than the stories of unfair dealings, that led to the official investigation.

During the Seven Years' War, government spending for Canada increased five times in just four years. François Bigot and some of his business partners were accused of misusing a lot of this money.

The Fall of New France and Bigot's Fate

François Bigot was known for being very interested in making money. Even when he was young, his superiors in the Navy warned him about his love for gambling. Some people later blamed him for France losing New France to the British Empire during the Seven Years' War.

During the Battle for Quebec City, the British attacked from the Plains of Abraham. The French commander, Montcalm, asked for all 25 available cannons. These cannons were located east of Quebec City. But Governor Vaudreuil only released three. The British had only one cannon.

François Bigot, as Intendant, had a habit of renting out the artillery unit's horses to farmers for his own profit. Because of this, the horses were not available to move the cannons quickly to the battle. Some argue that if the cannons had been available, the French might have won the battle.

After the war, France agreed to let the British keep New France in exchange for Guadeloupe. However, France needed someone to blame for its defeat in North America. So, Bigot and his associates were put on trial in what became known as the "Canada Affair." They were forced to repay the money they were accused of misusing.

When the Seven Years' War began to go badly for France, the government started looking for people to blame. It was easy for them to connect Bigot's financial dealings with the high prices in Canada. By showing that these were linked, the government had an excuse to stop paying the bills from Canada. This also helped hide France's own financial problems. Bigot and other officials from Canada became scapegoats for the military and financial failures.

On November 17, 1761, Bigot and his partners were arrested. Their trial ended on December 10, 1763. Bigot was found guilty and told he could never return to France. All his property was taken away. Heavy fines were also given to the other men found guilty.

Soon after the judgment, Bigot left for Switzerland. He changed his name to François Bar. He lived in Fribourg for a while, then moved to Neuchâtel. He was allowed to live there from March 18, 1765, until he died.

François Bigot died on January 12, 1778, in Neuchâtel. He was buried in a small Catholic church in Cressier, a nearby village. He had asked for a simple burial, "just as the poorest person in the parish would be."

No known portrait of François Bigot exists. Sometimes, an engraving made in 1855 is used to represent him. The ruins of his home and storage building at Louisbourg were uncovered and rebuilt in the 1960s. They are now part of the Fortress Louisbourg national historic site. This site helps visitors learn about Bigot's role in the colony.

See also

• Angélique des Méloizes