Jacques Villeré | |
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| 2nd Governor of Louisiana | |
| In office December 16, 1816 – December 18, 1820 | |
| Preceded by | William C. C. Claiborne |
| Succeeded by | Thomas B. Robertson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 28, 1761 |
| Died | March 7, 1830(1830-03-07) (aged 68) |
| Political party | Democratic-Republican |
| Spouse | Jeanne Henriette de Fazende |
Jacques Philippe Villeré (April 28, 1761 – March 7, 1830) was the secondGovernor of Louisiana after it became a state. He was the firstCreole and the first native of Louisiana to hold that office.
He was born in 1761 near present-dayKenner, Louisiana, on his maternal grandfather'splantationLa Providence.[1]
His father was Joseph Antoine de Villeré, an official in theFrench Navy during the reign of KingLouis XV and later acolonialmilitia captain in theGerman Coast area of present-day southeastLouisiana. A few years after1763's cession ofLa Louisiane to Spain, Joseph was sentenced to death bySpanish GovernorAlejandro O'Reilly, who was sent by KingCharles III to suppressa local revolt. Joseph Villeré mysteriously died prior to the firing squad execution of the rebels, in October 1769.[2] Jacques Villeré's grandfather, Etienne Roy de Villeré, had accompaniedIberville on the voyage from France to theGulfcoast, late in the 17th century, during the reign ofLouis XIV.
Jacques's mother was Louise Marguerite de la Chaise, daughter of Jacques de la Chaise and granddaughter, on her mother's side, ofCharles Frederick d’Arensbourg.
Villeré joined theFrench Army and was educated for two years in France at theCrown's expense, due to his father's death at the hands ofO'Reilly. In 1776, while still an adolescent, he was assigned toSaint-Domingue as a first lieutenant in theartillery. His mother's death in the 1780s brought him back to settle inLouisiana (New Spain), which became again a possession of France in 1800 and finally of theUnited States in 1803 through theLouisiana Purchase.
In 1814–15, he served with distinction in the (War of 1812's)Battle of New Orleans, as a major general commanding the 1st Division of theLouisianaMilitia. His men stood fast, assigned to the area nearLake Borgne andBayou Dupre, asBritish forces approachedNew Orleans by sea.
The Villeré plantation,Conseil, located downriver from the city, was captured by the British. In fact, Villeré's son Gabriel, who had the rank of major and guarded the plantation with thirty soldiers, was surprised and captured when theBritish Army initially made its presence known. Maj. Villeré managed to escape and report the news to Gen.Andrew Jackson, who ordered the night attack of December 23, 1814.[3]
The Villeré home was used as British headquarters throughout the Louisianacampaign for nearly one month.[4] The family's property was damaged and they lost a number ofslaves, who fled to British warships and gained their freedom.
In 1784, Villeré married Jeanne Henriette de Fazende, the daughter of Gabriel de Fazende, who owned aplantation seven miles (11 km) below New Orleans in present-daySaint Bernard Parish. The couple raised eight children. Jeanne Villeré died in 1826.[5]
In 1803, Villeré secured a seat on the municipal council (theCabildo) of New Orleans during the brief return toFrench colonial administration. The next year, after theLouisiana Purchase took effect, Villeré was appointed amajor general in theterritorialmilitia, aPolice Juror in what in a few years would be the "county" ofOrleans Parish, and ajustice of the peace for the area whichwould soon become St. Bernard Parish.
Villeré was a member of the convention which draftedLouisiana'sfirst state constitution. Heran for Governor in 1812, to serve as the first governor afterstatehood, but was defeated in the election byWilliam C. C. Claiborne who was elected overwhelmingly with over 70% of the vote.
Jacques Villeré was elected as the second state governor in1816, narrowly defeatingJoshua Lewis. He took office in December of that year and served through 1820, a period of prosperity and growth for the new state. His gubernatorial administration was noted for efforts to providebankruptcy protection for debtors, the designation of death-by-dueling as acapital offense, and reduction of the level of state debt.[6]
He retired to the family'ssugar plantation in St. Bernard Parish after his term, as the law did not permit him to succeed himself in office.[7] Villeré was brought out of retirement to run again for governor in the1824 election, but he andBernard de Marigny split the Creole vote andHenry Johnson was elected governor.
He was preparing to run forGovernor again in the1830 special election; but he died March 7, 1830, before the election, at the plantationConseil after a long illness. His remains were interred atSt. Louis Cemetery No. 2, inNew Orleans.
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Governor of Louisiana 1816–1820 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
