Philippe de Corguilleray

Who is Philippe de Corguilleray?

Philippe de Corguilleray, Sieur du Pont, was a Burgundian nobleman who is known for leading a group of Calvinist men from Geneva to the French colony of France Antarctique in Brazil in 1556. The contingent he led included writer Jean de Léry.

Philippe de Corguilleray, who was in retirement near Geneva, had been ask by Admiral Coligny to lead the contingent, following a letter from Villegagnon to Coligny asking for support in his effort to consolidate the French establishment in Rio de Janeiro. He was also sollicitated by the Church of Geneva, and accepted to lead the mission.

Philippe de Corguilleray further recruited for the trip theologians, including Pierre Richier and Guillaume Chartrier, altogether 14 people from Geneva. The party arrived in Honfleur where they joined a French fleet of three ships financed by the king of France, the Vice-Admiral of which was Sieur De Bois le Comte, a nephew of Villegagnon. They left for Brazil on 19 November 1556.