Paul de Chomedey sieur de Maisonneuve

French explorer

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June 30, 2026

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Paul de Chomedey, sieur de Maisonneuve, was a French explorer and the founder of Montreal, which he named Ville-Marie. He led the first settlers to the site in 1642, establishing a missionary center with dwellings, a chapel, and a hospital. Despite facing constant attacks from the Iroquois, the settlement was protected by a stockade. Maisonneuve became the first governor of Montreal when it received its first civic charter in 1644. He was instrumental in the early development of the city, which would later become a significant fur-trade center. Jeanne Mance, who arrived with the first settlers, founded the Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal hospital in 1644.12

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Montreal
Early settlement
…named Ville-Marie by its founder, Paul de Chomedey, sieur (lord) de Maisonneuve, in May 1642. He built dwellings, a chapel, a hospital, and other structures, protecting the settlement against Indian attack with a stockade. Indeed, the community was under constant attack from the Iroquois, who were aligned with the British…
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…named Ville-Marie by its founder, Paul de Chomedey, sieur (lord) de Maisonneuve, in May 1642. He built dwellings, a chapel, a hospital, and other structures, protecting the settlement against Indian attack with a stockade. Indeed, the community was under constant attack from the Iroquois, who were aligned with the British…
Read More