René Gaultier de Varennes

Who was René Gaultier de Varennes?

René Gaultier de Varennes is best known in Canadian history as being one of the early governors of Trois-Rivières, Quebec and the father of Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye, a famous Canadian explorer and fur trader. Part of the Ancien Régime, the Gaultier family of aristocrats came from the Anjou area of France.[1]

René married the daughter of Pierre Boucher, the governor of Trois-Rivières in 1667 and part of the marriage contract contained a request to the governor of New France, Daniel de Rémy de Courcelle, that he should retain the office and the privileges of his father-in-law when Boucher retired. Boucher did retire in 1667 and René became governor.