Date Published:
January 2005

L’Encyclopédie de l’histoire du Québec / The Quebec History Encyclopedia

François, chevalier de La Vérendrye

La Vérendrye, François, Chevalier de (1715-1794), explorer, was born at Sorel, Canada, on December 22, 1715, the third son of Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, Sieur de La Vérendrye. He joined his father in the West about 1736, and in 1738 he accompanied his father on the expedition to the Mandan country. In 1739 he discovered the Saskatchewan river, and in 1742-3 he made an expedition to the south-west, in company with his younger brother, Louis Joseph, which resulted, apparently, in the discovery of the foothills of the Rocky mountains. He remained in the West until 1749; then he returned to Canada, and obtained a commission in the army. He served in Canada during the Seven Years' War; and after the conquest he lived in Montreal. Here he died on July 31, 1794 . As early as 1738 he enjoyed the use of the title "Chevalier", possibly as a chevalier banneret; and after he inherited from his brother in 1762 the seigniory of Tremblay, he became known as the Sieur du Tremblay. He was unmarried, and with him the name of La Vérendrye became extinct. See Abbé I. Caron, Pierre Gaultier de Varennes de La Vérendrye et ses fils (Bull. rech. hist ., 1917), and A. H. de Trémaudan, Who was the Chevalier de la Vérendrye? (Can. hist. rev ., 1920).

Source : W. Stewart WALLACE, ed., The Encyclopedia of Canada, Vol. IV, Toronto, University Associates of Canada, 1948, 400p., pp. 3-4.