Charles de Saint-Étienne de la Tour
| Charles de Saint-Étienne de La Tour | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 1593 France |
| Died | 1666 (age 73) Port La Tour, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Allegiance |
 Kingdom of France
|
| Years of service | 1631-45 and 1653-1657 |
| Rank | Governor of Acadia |
Charles de Saint-Étienne de La Tour (1593–1666) was a French colonist and fur trader who served as Governor of Acadia from 1631–1642 and again from 1653–1657.
Charles de Saint-Étienne de La Tour was born in France in 1593 to Huguenot Claude de Saint-Étienne de la Tour and his wife Marie Amador de Salazar, a descendant of Georges de La Trémoille, the Grand Chamberlain of France to King Charles VII of France. In 1610, at the age of 17, Charles arrived at Port-Royal in Acadia with his father in an expedition that was led by Jean de Biencourt de Poutrincourt who had been one of the original settlers in 1604 at Saint Croix Island, Maine before they moved in 1605 to their permanent settlement at Port-Royal. The habitation had been previously abandoned in 1607 by Biencourt de Poutrincourt and others due to financial troubles. The 1610 expedition also included Poutrincourt's 19-year-old son Charles de Biencourt de Saint-Just and a Catholic priest who set about himself the task of baptizing the local Mi'kmaq people, including their chief Membertou.
In 1613, the habitation at Port-Royal was attacked by Virginia colonists led by Captain Samuel Argall. Several settlers were killed, others taken prisoner and the fort and goods were destroyed. Poutrincourt who had wintered in France to gather supplies returned to Port Royal the next spring. He was forced to return to France with the surviving settlers, and left his interest in the colony to his son. The young Biencourt and Charles de la Tour remained, living amongst the Mi'kmaq and engaging in the fur industry. Charles de Biencourt died in 1623 and left La Tour as his heir, though this was not recognized by the French crown. La Tour took charge of the colony and migrated from Port-Royal to establish himself at Cap de Sable (present-day Port La Tour, Nova Scotia), building a strong post called Fort Lomeron in honor of David Lomeron who was his agent in France. Soon after, La Tour married a woman from the Mi'kmaq tribe and started a family.
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