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'''Charles Marie Bonaventure du Breil, Marquis de Rays''' (2 January 1832 – 29 July 1893) was a |
'''Charles Marie Bonaventure du Breil, Marquis de Rays''' (2 January 1832 – 29 July 1893) was a French nobleman who had ambitions of starting a great French colony in the South Pacific.<ref name=KMB>{{cite web |
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| url = http://www.kmb-associates.com/familysearchitalyrayhistory.htm |
| url = http://www.kmb-associates.com/familysearchitalyrayhistory.htm |
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| title = History and Passenger Lists of the Marquis de Ray Expedition to New Ireland in 1880 |
| title = History and Passenger Lists of the Marquis de Ray Expedition to New Ireland in 1880 |
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| publisher = KMB Associates |
| publisher = KMB Associates |
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| year = 2003 |
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}}</ref> He led four European expeditions<ref name=IARP>{{cite web |
}}</ref> He led four European expeditions<ref name=IARP>{{cite web |
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|url = http://w2.vu.edu.au/iarp/Publications/italianpioneers.html |
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|title = ITALIAN PIONEERS, From the forthcoming publication, The Australian People |
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|publisher = Ilma O'Brien |
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|url-status = dead |
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}}</ref> to establish colonies in a place he called New France which is the island now referred to as [[New Ireland]] in the [[Bismark Archipelago]] of present day [[Papua New Guinea]]. |
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|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070704144927/http://w2.vu.edu.au/iarp/Publications/italianpioneers.html |
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|archive-date = 2007-07-04 |
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}}</ref> to establish colonies in a place he called '''New France''' which is the island now referred to as [[New Ireland (island)|New Ireland]] in the [[Bismarck Archipelago]] of present-day [[Papua New Guinea]].<ref name="PIM32">{{cite web| last = | first = | work= III(2) Pacific Islands Monthly |title= A Nightmare Expedition |date = 21 September 1932|url= https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-311002647/view?partId=nla.obj-311018019#page/n22/mode/1up| accessdate=26 September 2021}}</ref> |
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[[File:La Nouvelle France 2.jpg|thumb|right|280px|Marquis De Rays 1883]] |
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Charles was born on the family estate [[Quimerc'h]] in [[Brittany]], the son of Charles du Breil and Mari Prevost. As a child in 1838 he succeeded his father as marquis and spent his youth in fortune-seeking but ineffective adventures abroad: in the |
Charles was born on the family estate [[Quimerc'h]] in [[Brittany]], the son of Charles du Breil and Mari Prevost. As a child in 1838 he succeeded his father as marquis and spent his youth in fortune-seeking but ineffective adventures abroad: in the United States, [[Senegal]], [[Madagascar]], and [[Indo-China]]. He eventually returned to France, where, on 22 September 1869, he married Emilie Labat, who gave him five children, including one known son: Eugène Paul Emile. |
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[[Image:Derays2.jpg|thumb|right|Example of the marquis's self-promotion]] |
[[Image:Derays2.jpg|thumb|right|Example of the marquis's self-promotion]] |
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It was the defeat of France in the [[Franco-Prussian War]] and the readings he made of some navigators' journals that prompted de Rays to embark on further adventures for the glorification of France and the [[Roman Catholic Church]]. The theatre for his ambitions was to be the South Pacific, where in 1877 he was self-proclaimed "Charles, King of New France" (''La Nouvelle France''), an imaginary Oceanic empire covering territories as yet unclaimed by any European powers. Through advertisements, word of mouth, and a journal of his own publishing, ''Nouvelle France'', de Rays brought to public attention his plans for converting and then colonising the South Pacific, which he claimed abounded in fertile soil. Specifically, de Rays planned to start a colony, "Colonie Libre de Port Breton", at Port Praslin.<ref>He had been inspired ''Voyage Autour du Monde'' (Paris, 1839) by R. P. Lesson, an account of the 1823 |
It was the defeat of France in the [[Franco-Prussian War]] and the readings he made of some navigators' journals that prompted de Rays to embark on further adventures for the glorification of France and the [[Roman Catholic Church]]. The theatre for his ambitions was to be the South Pacific, where in 1877 he was self-proclaimed "Charles, King of New France" (''La Nouvelle France''), an imaginary Oceanic empire covering territories as yet unclaimed by any European powers. Through advertisements, word of mouth, and a journal of his own publishing, ''Nouvelle France'', de Rays brought to public attention his plans for converting and then colonising the South Pacific, which he claimed abounded in fertile soil. Specifically, de Rays planned to start a colony, "Colonie Libre de Port Breton", at Port Praslin.<ref>He had been inspired ''Voyage Autour du Monde'' (Paris, 1839) by R. P. Lesson, an account of the 1823 exploration of southern [[New Ireland (island)|New Ireland]] by [[Louis Isidore Duperrey]].</ref> His ideas were universally rejected by governments, but enough people believed his wild predictions to support an expedition.<ref name="PIM1933-3">{{cite web| last = | first = | work= IV(1) Pacific Islands Monthly |title= Echo of 1880 – Survivor of De Rays’ Expedition Dead|date = 22 August 1933|url= https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-310912829/view?partId=nla.obj-310919622#page/n29/mode/1up| accessdate=27 September 2021}}</ref> |
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The third of his expeditions, often referred to simply as the [[de Rays Expedition]], in 1880 is most famous for its absolute failure. Aboard the ships ''Chandernagore'', ''Gentil'', ''Nouvelle Bretagne'', and ''[[India (ship)|India]]'', a motley group of 570 ill-prepared colonists, in the main French, [[German people|German]], and [[Italian people|Italian]], arrived at [[Port Breton]]. The marquis is widely believed to have deliberately misled the colonists, distributing literature claiming a bustling settlement that did not exist, near present |
The third of his expeditions, often referred to simply as the [[de Rays Expedition]], in 1880 is most famous for its absolute failure. Aboard the ships ''Chandernagore'', ''Gentil'', ''Nouvelle Bretagne'', and ''[[India (ship)|India]]'', a motley group of 570 ill-prepared colonists, in the main French, [[German people|German]], and [[Italian people|Italian]], arrived at [[Port Breton]]. The marquis is widely believed to have deliberately misled the colonists, distributing literature claiming a bustling settlement that did not exist, near present-day [[Kavieng]], which had numerous public buildings, wide roads, and rich, [[arable land]].<ref name=Satchel>{{cite web |
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|url = http://www.teachingheritage.nsw.edu.au/c_building/wc2_floriantext.html |
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|title = story of the Italian settlement near Woodburn, NSW |
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|publisher = Satchel |
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|url-status = dead |
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| ⚫ | }}</ref> This port was further purported to be capital of a great empire, his "Kingdom of New France". In fact, the site was an extremely poor choice: supplies were difficult to get through and malaria was unavoidable. The high death rate convinced most colonists to soon flee to |
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|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070828184851/http://www.teachingheritage.nsw.edu.au/c_building/wc2_floriantext.html |
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|archive-date = 2007-08-28 |
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| ⚫ | }}</ref> This port was further purported to be capital of a great empire, his "Kingdom of New France". In fact, the site was an extremely poor choice: supplies were difficult to get through and malaria was unavoidable. The high death rate convinced most colonists to soon flee to Australia, [[New Caledonia]], and the [[Philippines]]. |
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De Rays himself did not visit his colony and was arrested for fraud in |
De Rays himself did not visit his colony and was arrested for fraud in Spain in July 1882. He was extradited to France and sentenced to six years in prison for [[criminal negligence]], but his career as an adventurer was not over. He died in a French asylum near [[Rosporden]] after accruing several more failures to his name.<ref name=pngbd>{{cite web |
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| url = http://www.pngbd.com/travel/tourism_guide_tpa/index.php |
| url = http://www.pngbd.com/travel/tourism_guide_tpa/index.php |
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| title = New Ireland Province |
| title = New Ireland Province |
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| publisher = Papua New Guinea Business and Tourism |
| publisher = Papua New Guinea Business and Tourism |
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| year = 2002 |
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}}</ref> |
}}</ref> |
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==See also== |
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* [[French Indochina]] |
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* [[New Caledonia]] |
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* [[French Polynesia]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
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==Bibliography== |
==Bibliography== |
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*Laracy, Hugh. [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A060012b.htm "Rays, Marquis de (1832–1893)."] ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', Online Edition. Australian National University: 2006, <small>ISSN 1833-7538</small> |
*Laracy, Hugh. [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A060012b.htm "Rays, Marquis de (1832–1893)."] ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', Online Edition. Australian National University: 2006, <small>ISSN 1833-7538</small> |
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Daniel Raphalen "L'Odyssée de Port-Breton ou le rêve océanien du marquis de Rays" éditions les Portes du Large France 2006 |
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== External links == |
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* Blog - [https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/la-nouvelle-france-nineteenth-century-propaganda La Nouvelle France: Nineteenth century propaganda], State Library of Queensland. |
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* [https://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/permalink/61SLQ_INST/bumb4u/alma99183978086302061 La Nouvelle France : journal de la colonie libre de Port-Breton, Oceanie], 1879- 1881 - digitised Journal issued to advertise the enterprise launched by the Marquis de Rays. |
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{{authority control}} |
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{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. --> |
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| NAME = Rays, Marquis de |
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| ALTERNATIVE NAMES = |
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| SHORT DESCRIPTION = |
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| DATE OF BIRTH = 2 January 1832 |
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| PLACE OF BIRTH = |
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| DATE OF DEATH = 29 July 1893 |
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| PLACE OF DEATH = |
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}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rays, Marquis de}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rays, Marquis de}} |
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[[Category:1832 births]] |
[[Category:1832 births]] |
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[[Category:1893 deaths]] |
[[Category:1893 deaths]] |
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[[Category:French |
[[Category:French marquesses]] |
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[[Category:French fraudsters]] |
[[Category:French fraudsters]] |
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[[Category:People extradited from Spain]] |
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[[Category:People extradited to France]] |
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[[Category:French explorers]] |
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[[Category:French prisoners and detainees]] |
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[[Category:19th-century French businesspeople]] |
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Revision as of 06:20, 1 February 2024
Charles Marie Bonaventure du Breil, Marquis de Rays (2 January 1832 – 29 July 1893) was a French nobleman who had ambitions of starting a great French colony in the South Pacific.[1] He led four European expeditions[2] to establish colonies in a place he called New France which is the island now referred to as New Ireland in the Bismarck Archipelago of present-day Papua New Guinea.[3]
Charles was born on the family estate Quimerc'h in Brittany, the son of Charles du Breil and Mari Prevost. As a child in 1838 he succeeded his father as marquis and spent his youth in fortune-seeking but ineffective adventures abroad: in the United States, Senegal, Madagascar, and Indo-China. He eventually returned to France, where, on 22 September 1869, he married Emilie Labat, who gave him five children, including one known son: Eugène Paul Emile.
It was the defeat of France in the Franco-Prussian War and the readings he made of some navigators' journals that prompted de Rays to embark on further adventures for the glorification of France and the Roman Catholic Church. The theatre for his ambitions was to be the South Pacific, where in 1877 he was self-proclaimed "Charles, King of New France" (La Nouvelle France), an imaginary Oceanic empire covering territories as yet unclaimed by any European powers. Through advertisements, word of mouth, and a journal of his own publishing, Nouvelle France, de Rays brought to public attention his plans for converting and then colonising the South Pacific, which he claimed abounded in fertile soil. Specifically, de Rays planned to start a colony, "Colonie Libre de Port Breton", at Port Praslin.[4] His ideas were universally rejected by governments, but enough people believed his wild predictions to support an expedition.[5]
The third of his expeditions, often referred to simply as the de Rays Expedition, in 1880 is most famous for its absolute failure. Aboard the ships Chandernagore, Gentil, Nouvelle Bretagne, and India, a motley group of 570 ill-prepared colonists, in the main French, German, and Italian, arrived at Port Breton. The marquis is widely believed to have deliberately misled the colonists, distributing literature claiming a bustling settlement that did not exist, near present-day Kavieng, which had numerous public buildings, wide roads, and rich, arable land.[6] This port was further purported to be capital of a great empire, his "Kingdom of New France". In fact, the site was an extremely poor choice: supplies were difficult to get through and malaria was unavoidable. The high death rate convinced most colonists to soon flee to Australia, New Caledonia, and the Philippines.
De Rays himself did not visit his colony and was arrested for fraud in Spain in July 1882. He was extradited to France and sentenced to six years in prison for criminal negligence, but his career as an adventurer was not over. He died in a French asylum near Rosporden after accruing several more failures to his name.[7]
See also
References
- ^ "History and Passenger Lists of the Marquis de Ray Expedition to New Ireland in 1880". KMB Associates. 2003.
- ^ "ITALIAN PIONEERS, From the forthcoming publication, The Australian People". Ilma O'Brien. Archived from the original on 2007-07-04.
- ^ "A Nightmare Expedition". III(2) Pacific Islands Monthly. 21 September 1932. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
- ^ He had been inspired Voyage Autour du Monde (Paris, 1839) by R. P. Lesson, an account of the 1823 exploration of southern New Ireland by Louis Isidore Duperrey.
- ^ "Echo of 1880 – Survivor of De Rays' Expedition Dead". IV(1) Pacific Islands Monthly. 22 August 1933. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
- ^ "story of the Italian settlement near Woodburn, NSW". Satchel. Archived from the original on 2007-08-28.
- ^ "New Ireland Province". Papua New Guinea Business and Tourism. 2002.
Bibliography
- Laracy, Hugh. "Rays, Marquis de (1832–1893)." Australian Dictionary of Biography, Online Edition. Australian National University: 2006, ISSN 1833-7538
Daniel Raphalen "L'Odyssée de Port-Breton ou le rêve océanien du marquis de Rays" éditions les Portes du Large France 2006
External links
- Blog - La Nouvelle France: Nineteenth century propaganda, State Library of Queensland.
- La Nouvelle France : journal de la colonie libre de Port-Breton, Oceanie, 1879- 1881 - digitised Journal issued to advertise the enterprise launched by the Marquis de Rays.
