Pierre de Sales Laterrière

Who was Pierre de Sales Laterrière?

Pierre de Sales Laterrière, was an adventurer who left France in 1766. He was inspector and director of the Forges du Saint-Maurice and seigneur of Les Éboulements in New France.

Laterrière was the son of a French count, Jean Pierre De Sales. He was employed as a clerk by Alexandre Dumas at Quebec City. In 1769, he left Quebec City to practice medicine with a doctor at Montmagny. Though he said he had studied medicine in Paris, Laterrière probably began practicing medicine with no formal medical training, not uncommon at that time.

In 1771, he was employed as an agent for the Saint-Maurice ironworks at Quebec City. In 1775, Laterrière was hired as inspector for the ironworks and he moved to Trois-Rivières. In 1776, the director of the ironworks, Christophe Pélissier, was arrested by the British for supplying weapons and ammunition to the American army that was advancing towards Quebec. Laterrière was given the post of director after Pélissier fled to the United States. He also began living with Pélissier's wife, Marie-Catherine Delezenne. Despite public opinion and criticism from the clergy, this free thinker, defender of midwives and freemason lived unmarried with Marie-Catherine until they finally married in 1799, after the death of her first husband.