If you need a historical reason to celebrate your shrimp boil today, I’m here to the rescue. On April 28, 1761, the second governor of Louisiana was born. Jacques Phillipe Villeré came into the world at La Providence, his grandfather’s plantation. This is somewhere in St. John the Baptist Parish. In 1763, Spanish governor Alejandro O’Rielly ordered the death of a colonial militia captain of in the German Coast, Joseph Antoine de Villeré. It is doubtful Jacques had any lasting memory of his father. Because of this, the French Crown paid for two years of his education when he joined the French Army. He returned to Louisiana in 1780 when his mother died.
During the Battle New Orleans, Major General Villeré served with distinction. He commanded the First Division of the Louisiana Militia. Stationed at Lake Borgne and Bayou Dupre, they fought the British forces as they approached the Crescent City by sea. Jacques son commanded the unit guarding the family plantation, Conseil. It was overrun by the British and held in their hands for over a month. General Andrew Jackson ordered a night attack on December 23, 1814, to reclaim the Villeré homestead.
Jacques was a member of the convention that drafted Louisiana’s first state constitution. He ran for governor in 1812 but lost the first ever state governor election to William C. C. Claiborne. Four years later, he succeeded William as the second governor of Louisiana. During his time in office, his administration provided bankruptcy protection for debtors, the designation of death-by-dueling as a capital offense, and reduction of the level of state debt.
Jacques Phillipe Villeré died on March 7, 1830, at his plantation. He is buried in St. Louis Cemetery No. 2 in New Orleans.
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What I’m Reading – Many readers I know like to inquire what their favorite author is reading. At the end of each blog post, I’ll let you know what book is open on my Kindle. I hope my choice of reading material inspires you to read a variety of authors and topics. Currently, I’m reading Stormy Weather by Carl Hiaasen.