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  Researching the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site of Canada
  Recherche sur la Forteresse-de-Louisbourg Lieu historique national du Canada

The Administration Of Justice At The Fortress Of Louisbourg (1713-1758)

1721

• Plumitif d'audiences - Cahier non entier portant sur les années 1720-1725. (Les pages sont numérotées de 1 à 45, avec plusieurs pièces détachées insérées ici et là dans le registre.) Folios 734-836: 1720-1725 G2 178 Folios 734-836 H J 31 Archives Nationales, Section Outre-Mer, G2, Volume 178

• There was a dramatic case when a mother imported her daughter from France to Louisbourg. On the sea voyage over it was alleged that the girl had been violated by a young man. The young man denied the charge though he did admit that he had taken certain liberties with the girl. The mother was furious and skeptical, and demanded an examination of the girl's person. A commission made up of a priest, a surgeon and a mid-wife examined the-girl and came up with the decision that she was only "partially deflowered". [Source: R. J. Morgan, Gossips' Tour of Louisbourg, Unpublished Report H F 30 (Fortress of Louisbourg, July, 1975), p. 6]

• Another case of alleged male victimization of a female was brought to the Louisbourg Conseil Supérieur in November 1721. In contrast with Carrerot and de Gannes, however, the principals in this case were an adolescent, an érivain named Claude Auguste de Brise, aged seventeen, and a child, eleven-year-old Marie-Louise Plantin. Marie-Louise's mother (Anthoinette Isabeau, veuve Plantin) claimed that her daughter had been "deflowered" by the young man during their ocean voyage to Louisbourg and she wanted the civil authorities to force the youth to marry the girl. To back up her argument she submitted a promise of marriage which she had obtained from the young man. In his defence de Brise admitted that he had been intimate with the girl, but only at her insistence and that he had refrained from "deflowering" her. As for the promise to marry, he stated that it should be considered invalid because the girl's mother had extracted it from him at knife-point. Aside from ordering a medical examination of Marie-Louise, which determined that there had not been "a complete deflowering," the Conseil was uncertain as to what to do with the case. So it passed it on to an ecclesiastical court in France, the officialité at La Rochelle, which specialized in cases dealing with promises of marriage. The officialiaté's final judgment in the matter is not known, but while it was considering the evidence the Marine authorities took the precaution of detaining de Brise, just in case he would have to marry young Marie-Louise [A. J. B. Johnston, Religion in Life at Louisbourg, 1713 - 1758 (Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1984), p. 126]

Veuve Planton versus Briere

[October 15, 1721]

[752: p. 13a -] Council assembled to consider the "viol pretendu" of Marie Louise, minor daughter of Anthoinette Isabeau veuve du S^r. Planton, by Sieur Briere, "écrivain du Roy dans le vaisseau du Roy le portefaix" during a trip from France to Isle Royalle. After examining the conclusions of the Procureur Général, the Council ordered that a 

"Visitte Sera faitte a la d. Marie Louise ... par le frere claude ... Religieux de la charitté, chirugien Major des Troupes, le Sieur la grange, M^e. chirgien en ce port, du s^r. lartigue. aussy chirugien, en presence de La femme du s^r. delachaume sergent des Troupes et De la dubordieu Mere qui Cettiffiront ensemble la d. visitte et letet de la fille et [?] sera fait en presence de la mere partye plaignante et de Mons. degoutin conseiler deputé par le Conseil pour estre present a cette Visitte..."

Signed De Mesy.

[759-762: pp. 17-18a - November 27, 1721] Council assembled to consider the dispute between "Anthoinette Isabeau Veuve Planton Mere de Marielouise planton fille Mineur demandeur en Requeste de laccomplissem^t d'une promisse de Mariage faitte par le s^r. Briere ecrivain sur le vaisseau du Roy le portefaix En datte du 24^e. septem. dernier faittes abord du. d. Vaisseau ..." Briere appeared before the Council and, after taking the oath to tell the truth declared 

• that his name was Claude Auguste de Briere de Raney "Natif de versailles age de dis sept ans et demy ... fils [760] de sebast en Briere controlleur general de la maison de feu Mad^e. la dauphine ... et dauguste lecompte sa Mere ..., servant a present decrivain de Roy Sur le vaiseau le portefais;" 

• that he knew Marie Louise (age 11 years) and recognized. "son billet ou promesse de mariage;" 

• that on the night of Sept. 23 

"la petitte fille estant couchée dans sa chambre, et luy dans un hamac en dehors elle lavoit poussé avec la Main en luy disant de venir coucher avec elle; sur quoy Il semoqua delle et luy dit ce quen peut dire a Un enfant, ensuitte sendormitt, Mais quelque Temps après la petitte fille layant, de Rechif poussé et Reveillé, et le fanal de la s^te. Barbe se trouvant estain il alla couche avec elle et Resta un Instant pour contante sa passion sans cepandant lavoir defflorée, se contentant de Badiner entre ses Cuisses, ensuitte se Restira dans son hamac;" 

• that he had not done this a second time; 

• that there were 12 or 15 persons "dans la s.^t Barbe" that night; 

• that the next day Antoinette Isabeau came to him and after several "Reproches & [761] Menasse, sur 1uy avec un Couteau que le d. declarant luy osta en luy disant qui la S^te. Barbe Nestoit point Un endroit a disputte sur cette Matier et sortit"; 

• that on that afternoon 

"estant Redemandu dans la s^te. barbe et sestant Raproché de la d. Anthoinette planton mere qui estoit sur son lit, il luy demanda cequelle souhaittoit de luy elle luy Repondit quil ny avoit quune dotte pour sa fille qui pent 1uy Rachette lhonneur quil luy avoit osté;" 

• that he answered that they could settle nothing on board ship, but would do what was necessary when they went ashore; 

• that he had gone "en haut sur le pont," and an hour and a half later she came and told him that "elle estoit convenue avec M^r. de Verville and the latter wished to see him; 

• that he went to find Verville in his chamber and conferred with him a long time; 

• that Verville told him that the woman wanted a promise of marriage from him; 

• that he explained to Verville why this was impossible and told him that she had said only that she wanted a "dotte" and not a promise of marriage when he spoke to her earlier; Verville told him to that the promise would carry no weight and would appease the woman so he made. the promise in Verville's chamber [762] that same hour; 

• that the promise was only "pour calmer cette femme et lappaiser ...."; 

• that the promise was not binding because he needed the consent ...

Signed by Briere, De mesy and Genier.

"Ensuite le conseil a fait venir Marie Louise planton fille Mineur danthoinette Isabeau Veuve planton, de laquelle on a peu Tire aucun [interrogation]

Attendu son peu d'avancem^t. en Raison, et Meme dans la confrontation faitte avec le d. S^r. Briere ..."

Signed by Briere, De Mesy and Genier.

The Council assembled to examine and judge "diffinitivem^t." the complaint brought against Briere by the Veuve Planton. After hearing all the evidence, including the certificate of the surgeons to the effect that 

"Il ne paroit pas Une entiere defloration de la d. Marie louise louise planton," they "Ne voit dans cette affaire aucune preuve de Rap Ny de Viollence en consequance Renvoye la d. anthoinette lsabeau veuve planton Mere plaignante par devant lofficialité de la Rochelle pour luy estre fait droit sur la validité de la promesse de Mariage du d. s^r. Briere cy Mentionné et autres pretentions le deffendeur condemné aux depens de linstance."

Signed by De Mesy.