Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Roch de Ramezay

Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Roch, Seigneur de Ramezay, (4 September 1708, in Montreal, New France – 7 May 1777, in Blaye, France) was an officer of the marines and colonial administrator for New France during the 18th century. Joining at age 11, as an ensign, he fought campaigns against the Meskwaki tribe in Illinois, and the British in Acadia. In 1759, during the Seven Years' War, as the King's lieutenant; he signed, in the name of Louis XV, the Articles of Capitulation of Quebec, for which he was later criticised.

Early life Jean-Baptiste Nicholas Roch was the youngest son of Claude de Ramezay and Marie-Charlotte Denys de la Ronde, daughter of Pierre Denys de La Ronde (1631 – 1708) and Catherine Le Neuf. He was born on 4 September 1708 and raised in the family chateau in Montreal with his sister, Louise de Ramezay and two sisters. On 7 May 1720, he became an ensign of the colonial regulars, in which his older brother, Charles Hector de Ramezay, was a lieutenant. When his brother died, in August 1725, Jean's mother, Charlotte Denys de Ramezay, purchased the lieutenancy for him.

Career After his promotion was confirmed, on 23 April 1726, he served under Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry, an engineer employed in the rebuilding of Fort Niagara. On 10 July, he landed with 700 men at Baie Verte in New Brunswick, stationing himself in Beaubassin, he began gathering troops before laying siege to Fort Anne. The main strategy for the defence of Quebec therefore was to oppose the British landing, specifically between the Saint-Charles River and the Montmorency Falls.

Nevertheless, some steps were taken to fortify the city and prepare for a siege. Ramezay describes in his diary how for two weeks thousands of men, soldiers and sailors, carried, dug and hacked at the earth. Houses with their backs to the water had their walls strengthened, and those along the Beauport shore were punched through with loopholes. Warehouses were demolished to improve fields of fire, and footpaths were rendered impassable. To lessen the burden on the city's rations, Montcalm sent all the women, children, magistrates and all those not contributing to the defence of the city, to Trois-Rivières.

After being defeated on the Plains of Abraham on 13 September 1759, the French troops were dispersed; Montcalm, mortally wounded, managed to retire to Quebec with some of his troops, Bougainville and the remainder retreated in the direction of Montreal whilst the governor of New France, Lieutenant General Pierre de Rigaud de Vaudreuil de Cavagnal abandoned the Beauport shore and marched west in order to rendezvous with him.

Vaudreuil sent word to Ramezay notifying him of his withdrawal and instructing him to defend the city until "he shall fall short of provisions", at which point he was to select the most capable officer to propose its capitulation. A battery on the opposite shore at Point Levi had already made it impossible for the defenders of the city to remain on its walls and Vice-Admiral Saunders who had hitherto kept his largest ships downstream, now brought seven of the most powerful to join the frigates already in the basin. The British were keen to settle things quickly before the onset of winter, and this show of strength was to facilitate a prompt surrender.

A review on 14 September revealed Ramezay to have 2,200 men comprising 330 French and colonial regulars, 20 artillery men, 500 sailors and 1,300 militiamen. Together with the 4,000 inhabitants, Ramezay reasoned he had enough rations for eight days. On 15 September, he received a remonstrance from some of the most important townspeople asking him to capitulate rather than risk the sacking of the city. Ramezay called a council of war, giving everyone an opportunity to air their views. Only one, Louis-Thomas Jacau de Fiedmont, was against surrender. The British took control of the city on the afternoon of 18 September 1759.

Ramezay received some criticism for his actions not least from Vaudreuil and Bougainville but others were quick to defend him; Francois Daine, lieutenant general for civil and criminal affairs at the court of Quebec, wrote a letter to Versailles stating that Ramezay had surrendered in order not to, "...expose the garrison and the people to a general assault, and thereby the fury of the avenger, according to the laws of war". He also told how they were on the brink of dying from hunger.

Later life Ramezay was returned to France. His wife sold their possessions in Canada and left with her daughter, son in law and their two children to join him in 1765. He died in Blaye on 7 May 1777.