Translation © Donald E.

Pusch 2008, Some Rights Reserved

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État des Services de M[onsieu]r de Rochemore, Paris, December 19, 1764, signed Gaston de
Rochemore (Rochemore’s widow, Marie-Magdeline Gaston de Rochemore), a document from the
service dossier of Vincent-Gaspard-Pierre de Rochemore; A.N., Marine C7 280; microfilm, Library
and Archives Canada, reel F-805. This document summarizes Rochemore’s career in the Marine
but has as its primary objective an appeal to the Minister of the Marine for additional
compensation for Rochemore’s widow and the couple’s surviving children. Translation by Donald
E. Pusch, June 2006.

[p. 1:]

[Marginal notes at the beginning of the text:]

o
N 2
Paris, December 19, 1764
8
Rochemore

[Body of the report:]

Report of the Services of Monsieur de Rochemore

Messire Vincent-Gaspard-Pierre de Rochemore, commissaire général of the Marine, heretofore

ordonnateur in Louisiana, was the third son of the senior branch of his family (maison), resident of
Nismes [Nîmes], in the person of the marquis de Rochemore. The third [son] was destined, by his
family, for the clergy (état ecclesiastique). He took, in consequence, his studies and prepared to
commit himself to the orders. [However,] he expressed his dislike for this profession.

It was necessary to work closely with the minister [of the Marine] in 1729 in order to procure for
him a place in the [ministry of the] Marine. Monsieur de Maurepas, 1 who thought, as did his
predecessors, that it was necessary for the corps de l’epée and the [corps] de la plume to be
closely united, had—out of principle, when he was presented two children of one family (maison)
for whom places [in the Marine] were requested—to make the elder écrivain du Roy and the
younger garde de la Marine. [Maurepas] proposed that since he [Rochemore] already had a
brother [in the] garde de la Marine, who is today [a] chef d’escadre, to place this one [Rochemore]
in the [corps de] la plume. He even had the goodness to add to this proposal that he needed
subjects of this caliber to fill intendances, which determined the family to carry out the intentions
of this minister who wanted Monsieur de Rochemore to make two campaigns in a volunteer
capacity in the ports of the Levant before breveting him. After which, he expedited his brevet of
écrivain of the Marine in 1732 under the orders of Monsieur Miton, intendant at Toulon.2

Monsieur de Rochemore made, the same year, a third campaign in the Mediterranean. He was
made écrivain principal May 18, 1738. Monsieur de Maurepas, who had his eye on him, required
that he be graduated in order to attain, some day, an intendance; in consequence, Monsieur de
Rochemore went to the University of Avignon where he took his degrees October 15, 1738. He
went, in 1740, to the Department of Rochefort where he served 17 years under the orders of
Messrs. de Ricoüart, Le Normant de Mezy, et Druis,3 intendants, with the result that he learned
there the details of the colonies that were directly supported at this port.

During these 17 years, Monsieur de Rochemore was employed.

[p. 2:]

in the most instructive assignments of his profession, such as those of armament, personnel
(classes), construction and repair, troops, stores, colonies, provisions and hospitals, and funds,
where he obtained the greatest knowledge of all the management of the accounts, expenses,
ports, and colonies. He was even responsible, the last few years, for an immense work, which
was that of finalizing and verifying all the expenses of the War of 1744.

He had performed the functions of commissaire on several of these assignments, even in

inspecting, where he was responsible, in 1747, for all the coast guard, batteries, and artillery of
Saintonge, Aunis, and Poitou for nearly a year. It would be difficult, one dares to say, to collect up
commendations, on the part of his superiors, more flattering in regard to all his duties than those
that exist in his papers.

Monsieur de Rochemore requested of Monsieur de Maurepas to permit him to go on a voyage to

the colonies. He embarked, in consequence, in 1744 on the flûte Eléphant, commanded by Sieur
Sallé and bound for Louisiana. This ship laid over at Saint-Domingue in order to pick up Monsieur
Le Normand de Mezy, going as ordonnateur to Louisiana, where Monsieur de Rochemore
remained for nearly a year, with the result that he gained there knowledge of the country.

Monsieur de Rochemore was made commissaire of the Marine on October 24, 1751. It was, after
all the favorable accounts of his work, of his capability, and of his integrity, that he was made
ordonnateur in Louisiana on August 1, 1757. He was made commissaire général of the Marine
the following November 10th and departed to go to his destination on May 10, 1758, where he
arrived August 27 of the same year.

This voyage and the one [made as a result] of his recall had taken place during the most critical
time of the war without his having received any compensation (gratification). Quite the contrary,
he had only 11,200# [# = livres] of salary (appointement) for himself and his secretary. This was
by far insufficient for the expenses of his house in the colony, where he was obliged to consume
part of his assets in order to sustain himself.

It is easy to show that his voyage of eight months to return to Paris and the layover in Spain cost

[p. 3:]

him heavily. Nevertheless, when his death came three months later, his widow, having requested
eleven months salary, which was owed to her at the beginning of her situation [as Rochemore’s
widow], it was paid to her only at the rate of four thousand livres. She did not receive any
compensation from the Court for a year, which obliged her to remain in Paris.

According to this exposé and the one that was made of all that which this ordonnanteur suffered
in Louisiana, his widow and his children await the justice that an enlightened minister cannot
refuse them.

Paris,
December 19, 1764

[Signed:] Gaston de Rochemore

End Notes
1
Jean-Frédérec Phélypeaux, comte de Maurepas, was minister of the Marine from 1723 to
e
1749. Michel Vergé-Franceschi, La Marine française au XVIII siecle: Guerres, Administration,
Exploration ( Paris: Sedes, 1996), 58.
2
Mithon de Senneville served as intendant at Toulon from 1720 to 1737. Ibid., 210.
3
These indendants and their terms of office at Rochefort were: Ricouart d’Hérouville (1739–
1749), Le Normand de Mezy, (1749–1757), and Ruis-Embito (1757–1771). Ibid.