CHAMPFLOUR, FRANÇOIS DE, governor of Trois-Rivières, commandant at Fort Richelieu; b. into the Parisian branch of a family originally from Clermont-Ferrand, in Auvergne.

In 1636, a Bertrand de Champflour was a member of the Compagnie des Cent-Associés, and in 1639 M. Huault de Montmagny named François de Champflour governor of Trois-Rivières, with responsibility for reorganizing the defences of that fort and for negotiating with the enemy tribes. The commandant showed himself to be a firm and skilful diplomat. When in 1641 the Iroquois requested his presence to discuss a peace-treaty, Champflour sent François Marguerie to tell them, at the latter’s suggestion it must be added, that the governor-general alone possessed this authority. Since the Indians insisted on his presence, he suspected a trap. He caused a reply to be made to them that he did not know their language, and delegated the excellent interpreters, Jean Nicollet and Father Paul Ragueneau, to meet with them. This delay was necessary to allow M. de Montmagny to appear before the Iroquois in full official dress, and accompanied by a retinue capable of impressing them. The Iroquois withdrew farther towards the south, and the governor sent Champflour to Fort Richelieu as commandant in order to keep them there. He stayed there from August 1642 to December 1643, at which time he returned to Trois-Rivières with the title of governor. In July 1645 he received a visit from the Mohawk ambassadors, one of whom was Kiotseaeton, who wished to open peace negotiations. He sent for Governor de Montmagny to come from Quebec. After long speeches on both sides, peace was concluded. In the fall of 1645 he went to Paris, apparently to settle his affairs with the intention of returning to the colony. In 1646, in Paris, he still bore the title of governor of Trois-Rivières. He did not return to New France, and in 1649 he sold the fief that the Compagnie des Cent-Associés had granted him at Trois-Rivières to Jacques Leneuf de La Poterie.

Raymond Douville

Desrosiers, Iroquoisie, 303–8 et passim. E. Éverat, Archives inédites de la famille de Champflour (Clermont-Ferrand, 1928). P.-G. Roy, Inv. concessions, II, 71f. Benjamin Sulte, Chronique trifluvienne (Montréal, 1879); “Les gouverneurs des Trois-Rivières,” BRH, II (1896), 67. Mélanges historiques (Malchelosse), XIV, 64, 71; XIX, 70–73.