Bigot, Francois (1742) (Commissaire at Louisbourg). Letter to the Minister of the Marine: 
     
     1742: 4 October. [PAC, AC, C“B, Vol. 24, fols. 111—119] 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     After thirteen years working his way up the civil service ladder in the department of the Marine at the port of 
     
     Rochefort in France, Francois Bigot lb. c. 7703, d. 1778] arrived for the first time in the New World in September 
     
     1739 to take up the post of commissaire at Louisbourg, an office he was to hold until the surrender of Louisbourg 
     
     to forces from New England in June 7745, after which he returned to France. As commissaire (after the governor, 
     
     the next most important office), Bigot had responsibility for all financial matters relating to lie Bo ya/e and i/e Saint- 
     
     Jean. Like his predecessors in the post, he was hopeful that i/e Saint-Jean would become a major source of food 
     
     supplies for Louisbourg, an aim that was never achieved. Although Bigot had visited ile Saint-Jean in 7 740, his 
     
     comment on the fire at ’St—Pierre’ in 1742 is likely to be based on information received from Louis Duchambon, the 
     
     commandant on the island. in 7748, three years after his return to France, Bigot was again posted to Canada, this 
     
     time based at Quebec in the even more prestigious office of intendant of New France, a post he was to hold until 
     
    
   
   
    
     the fall of Quebec in 7759. On his return to France in 1761, he was tried on charges of corruption and was forced 
     
     to end his days in banishment in Switzerland. 
     
    
   
   
    
     REFERENCES: 
     
    
   
   
    
     Bigot. F. (1740) Letter of 25 October to the minister. (PAC, AC, CHB, Vol. 22; copy in CEA: J.-H. Blanchard 
     
     papers, 22.1-10, p. 9). 
     
    
   
   
    
     Bosher, J. F. & Dubé, J.-C. (1979) Bigot, Francois. Dictionary of Canadian Biography, IV: 59—71. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     1742: 4 October 
     
    
   
   
    
     [Ie blé] y est tres beau cette année, et les habitans de St. Pierre en auroient eu a 
     
     A fire at vendre sans le malheureux accident du feu qu’ils ont eu cet été qui du bois ou il était 
     
     St. Peters. gagna dans leur champs et leur maisons. ll y périt quatorze personnes qui 
     
     composoient deux families. 
     
    
   
   
    
     [PAC, AC, CHB, Vol. 24, fols. 113-113V] 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     1 742: 4 October 
     
    
   
   
    
     [the wheat crop] is very good this year, and the residents of Saint-Pierre would 
     
     have had some to sell had they not had the unfortunate accident of the fire this 
     
     summer, which spread from the woods where it occurred. to their fields and houses. 
     
     Fourteen persons perished comprising two families. 
     
    
   
   
    
     A fire at 
     
     St. Peters. 
     
    
   
   
    
     [PAC, AC, CHB, Vol. 24, fols. 113-113v] 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     97