Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry (military engineer)
| Gaspard Chaussegros de Léry | |
|---|---|
| Chief Engineer of New France | |
|
In office 1719–1756 |
|
| Preceded by | Josué Boisberthelot de Beaucours |
| Succeeded by | Nicolas Sarrebouce de Pontleroy |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
October 3, 1682 Toulon, France |
| Died | March 23, 1756 (aged 73) Québec City, New France |
| Spouse(s) | Marie-Renée Legardeur de Beauvais |
Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry (October 3, 1682 – March 23, 1756), was Louis XV's Chief Engineer of New France. He is recognised as the father of the first truly Canadian architecture. In 2006, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada designated him a person of national historic importance. It highlighted his contribution to the development of New France through the quality, variety, importance and scope of his work in the fields of military engineering, civil and religious architecture, and urban planning.
Baptised at Toulon Cathedral in 1682, he was the son of Gaspard d'Estienne de Chaussegros (d.1690), King's engineer and the architect of Toulon in Provence, by his first wife, Anne Vidal de Léry. His family were ennobled in 1325 and long settled in Provence, where their principal residence was the Château de Mimet, near Aix-en-Provence. Mimet was given away as a dowry in 1700 on the marriage of his aunt, Lucrèce d'Estienne de Chaussegros, to Charles II (1675-1741) de Grimaldi, Marquis de Régusse; President of the Parliament of Aix-en-Provence; grandson of Charles de Grimaldi-Régusse.
From his family papers kept at the National Archives of Canada, Chaussegros de Léry enjoyed the patronage of various high-ranking relatives of King Louis XV. Throughout his life he kept up a friendly personal correspondence with Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, Louis Alexandre, Count of Toulouse, and the Duc de Penthièvre, who all expressed their affection for him and his family and assured of him of their support. He was probably trained as a military engineer by his father, afterwards serving in an engineering capacity in the French Royal Army. He fought at the Battle of Turin as aide-de-camp to the Marquis de Vibraye. In 1708, he took part in the abortive attempt to land James, the Old Pretender, at Scotland. He was afterwards a Captain in the Régiment de Sault.
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