Le Borgne (father & son)
STUCK IN A FRAME(1610-c1693):
-- CLICK HERE --There were two: Emmanuel Le Borgne (1610-1675) and his son, Alexandre Le Borgne, (1640-1693). I first deal with the father, Emmanuel.
Emmanuel Le Borgne was a merchant banker at La Rochelle, France. He was to invest in the new world venture of Charles de Menou d'Aulnay. By the year, 1650, Le Borgne had a sizable investment in d'Aulay and his establishments in Acadia. In was in that year, 1650, that d'Aulay died in a boating accident at Port Royal. Word travelled slowly in those days, back across the wide Atlantic, but in time Le Borgne was to hear of d'Aulay's death: news, which was to give him considerable alarm: he determined to sail to Acadia, likely with his two oldest sons: Emmanuel, jr.; and Alexandre.
"In 1653 le Borgne himself came to Port Royal, and on 30 August made the widow, who in July had married her husband's rival in the hope of safeguarding her interests, sign an account showing that 206,286 livres were still due to him. He used this document as authority to seize property belonging to the d'Aulnay heirs both in Acadia and in the French ports. Continuing his effort to monopolize the Acadian trade, he captured the posts at Pentagouet (Castine, Maine), La Heve, Saint-Pierre, and Nipisiguit (Bathurst, N.B.) ..." (DCB.)Le Borgne proceeded on the basis that all of Acadia was in the hands of the late Monsieur d'Aulnay and that La Tour and Denys were mere vassals to be crushed, if necessary.
Though it seems he stayed over at least one winter, likely at Port Royal, we see that, in 1655, Le Borgne sailed for France in the Châteaufort leaving family members behind to protect the Le Borgne interests in Acadia (Port Royal and LeHave). Emmanuel Le Borgne never returned to Acadia; he died broke at La Rochelle in 1675.
I surmise that Alexandre Le Borgne came over from La Rochelle, France, during 1653, with his father, Emmanuel, the principal creditor of the d'Aulnay estate. While attempting to gathering up the pieces of the Acadian enterprises run by d'Aulnay, Le Borgne was to be trumped, in July of 1654, by a very powerful English force under General Robert Sedgwick; Sedgwick captured Pentagoet, Port Royal, and Le Heve. The following year, 1655, Le Borgne senior sailed back to France leaving his son (sons?) to pick up the pieces in Acadia, best he can.
In May of 1658, Alexandre Le Borgne was to establish himself at Le Heve, which presumably the English had let go. Thomas Temple, who held English papers, came up "from Boston and attacked Alexandre Le Borgne's improvised fort. Le Borgne was wounded during the engagement then taken to London, where he was held captive for some years." (DCB.)
By The Treaty of Breda (1667), Acadia was to be handed back to the French. While the official handback did not occur until 1670, we see that Alexander Le Borgne, by October, 1668, was sailing the entire coast of Acadia with the news of the handback; he was now sporting a new title, Le Borgne de Belle-Isle.
Alexandre Le Borgne had married Marie La Tour (b.1654). Marie's parents were Charles La Tour & his third wife, Jeanne Motin. And while Alexandre was never to take charge in Acadia, as a whole. (The authorities at Quebec were not much impressed with him as it was figured he liked wine too much.) Alexandre continued on however at Port Royal and was to be one of the leading men of that community up until his death at Port Royal, c. 1693.
Alexandre Le Borgne (1640-1693)