VILLIEU, SÉBASTIEN DE, naval officer, son of Claude-Sébastien and Judith Leneuf de Beaubassin; b. 1693 at Quebec; d. 27 July 1715 on board the Paix at La Rochelle.

Sébastien de Villieu began his service around 1698 as a cadet in his father’s company in Acadia. In 1701 Governor Brouillan [Monbeton] put his name forward for a commission as sub-lieutenant, but he did not obtain it, no doubt because of his youth. On 1 May 1704, at Rochefort, he was appointed a midshipman. He did most of his service in the navy, then transferred to the service of the Compagnie du Castor, which entrusted several of its ships to him.

In 1712 he was in command of the Providence carrying 16 guns and 50 crew members, which had been fitted out to sail to Hudson Bay. On 19 July he fought a brilliant battle with an English frigate of 32 guns, which had to withdraw after an explosion on board. On 20 Jan. 1713 Villieu was appointed deputy-brigadier of the Gardes de la Marine. That same year he vainly solicited a naval lieutenant’s commission, then in June he received command of the frigate Louise, which had been fitted out by Pagès and Fleury, business men at La Rochelle. It was also in 1713 that he made an agreement with the Compagnie du Castor to take command again of the Providence, which was to proceed to Hudson Bay to evacuate the posts handed over to England under the terms of the treaty of Utrecht.

Étienne Taillemite