Société Notre-Dame de Montréal
The Société Notre-Dame de Montréal, otherwise known as the Société de Notre-Dame de Montréal pour la conversion des Sauvages de la Nouvelle-France, was a religious organisation responsible for founding Ville-Marie, the original name for the settlement that would later become Montreal. The original founders of the organization were Jérôme le Royer de la Dauversière, Jean-Jacques Olier and Pierre Chevrier. They were later joined by Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve, and by Jeanne Mance. The organization's mission was to convert the Indigenous population to Christianity and found a Christian settlement, which would be known as Ville-Marie. Founding and activities Marie-Madeleine de Vignerot, the Duchess of Aiguillon, a strong lay leader of the Catholic Church, was a proponent of foreign missionaries. To develop a colony in Montreal, she instigated the formation of the Societe Notre-Dame de Montreal. Her ideas caught the attention of Jérôme le Royer de la Dauversière, Pierre Chevrier, Baron de Fanchamp and Jeanne Mance, who expressed great interest and enthusiasm. A friend of Chevrier, Jean-Jacques Olier, future founder of the Seminary of St-Sulpice also expressed great interest in the project, donating a hundred pistoles to de la Dauversière and telling him to "commence the work of God." Olier was also instrumental in recruiting three more associates to the Society, most notably the Baron de Renty. He played an important financial role as a financial benefactor for the project. These six individuals would form the core of the Société Notre-Dame de Montréal. They intended to establish the colony for the purpose of the religious conversion of the Indigenous population, whom they considered pagans, and the development of a Christian settlement. The venture was very expensive, and the Society initially had trouble finding potential financiers. The next step was to acquire the rights to the Island of Montreal. At the time, the entire island had been ceded to a Jean de Lauson, the intendant of Dauphiné. Through negotiations with de Lauson, the territory was formally ceded to de la Dauvisière and Chevrier on 17 December 1640. On the very same day the Society engaged itself to transport thirty men, and thirty tons of provisions to New France by its own means and vessels. Planning for the eventual colonial project would take over the activities of the Society for the next year. This planning was extensive, meticulous, and closely modelled after the Quebec settlement. Ville-Marie, as the settlement was to be called, largely copied its three main institutions from the Quebec settlement. These were the clergy residences, a hospital, and a school for young Natives. The next step for the Society was to choose a secular governor for the new colony. For this they required a man with certain military capabilities, proven leadership, and notable piety. The man chosen to for the job was Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve, who had a reputation for excellent military strategy, as well as piety. The King of France, Louis XIII, in recognizing the cessation of the Island of Montreal to the Society, also