Marquis de Rays
Encyclopedia
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
. He led four European expeditions 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
.
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. His ideas were universally rejected by governments, but enough people believed his wild predictions to support an expedition.
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
. 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.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
nobleman who had ambitions of starting a great French colony in the South Pacific
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
. He led four European expeditions to establish colonies in a place he called New France which is the island now referred to as New Ireland
New Ireland (island)
New Ireland is a large island in Papua New Guinea, approximately 7,404 km² in area. It is the largest island of the New Ireland Province, lying northeast of the island of New Britain. Both islands are part of the Bismarck Archipelago, named after Otto von Bismarck, and they are separated by...
in the Bismark Archipelago of present day Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
.
Charles was born on the family estate Quimerc'h in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, 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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
, Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, 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.
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
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
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. 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. His ideas were universally rejected by governments, but enough people believed his wild predictions to support an expedition.
The third of his expeditions, often referred to simply as the de Rays Expedition
De Rays Expedition
The Third de Rays Expedition, or simply the de Rays Expedition, was the third New Guinea expedition of Marquis de Rays, a French nobleman who attempted to start a colony in the South Pacific...
, 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
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
, 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
Kavieng
Kavieng is the capital of the Papua New Guinean province of New Ireland and the largest town on the island of the same name. The town is located at Balgai Bay, on the northern tip of the island. As of 2000, it had a population of 10,600....
, which had numerous public buildings, wide roads, and rich, arable land
Arable land
In geography and agriculture, arable land is land that can be used for growing crops. It includes all land under temporary crops , temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens and land temporarily fallow...
. 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
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
De Rays himself did not visit his colony and was arrested for fraud in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in July 1882. He was extradited to France and sentenced to six years in prison for criminal negligence
Criminal negligence
In the criminal law, criminal negligence is one of the three general classes of mens rea element required to constitute a conventional as opposed to strict liability offense. It is defined as an act that is:-Concept:...
, but his career as an adventurer was not over. He died in a French asylum near Rosporden
Rosporden
Rosporden is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.The small city specializes in the manufacture of "chouchen," a version of mead native to Bretagne, and is known as "The Capital of Chouchen."-Population:...
after accruing several more failures to his name.