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CHAPTEE III 

 GABEIEL BEENON 



ABEIEL BEENON came of an ancient family The Bemon 

 elaimiug descent from the house of the Counts of Ancient 

 Burgundy. Even without this noble lineage the 

 Bernous had an independent patent of nobility, due to the 

 fact that they had furnished several mayors to the inde- 

 pendent city of La Eochelle. Gabriel, who succeeded his 

 father Andre in business, was born April 6, 1664. He 

 was a skillful man of affairs and under his guidance the 

 house of Bernon became one of the wealthiest and most 

 influential concerns in the flourishing seaport. The de- 

 velopment of a considerable trade with Canada caused 

 Bernon to take up his residence there for a number of 

 years, and so successful was he that the governor of 

 Canada, de Denonville, refers to him as the principal 

 merchant in the colony. 



But Bernon was a Protestant, as his father had been 

 before him : indeed, the family had been one of the first staunch 



' T • Protestants 



m La Eochelle to adopt the Eeformed religion, and it was 

 in the Bernon mansion that many of the earliest Protes- 

 tant services were held. His religion made him obnoxious 

 to the Jesuits, who had by this time gained control of 

 Canada and were bent on persecuting the Huguenots as 

 heartily as did their compatriots at home, and so he was 

 given notice to recant or quit. " It is a pity that he can- 

 not be converted, ' ' wrote de Denonville, "as he is a 

 HugTienot, the bishop wants me to order him home this 

 autumn, which I have done, though he carries on a large 

 business and a great deal of money remains due to him here.^^ 



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