The Rare Autograph Of Jean De Lamberville, The French Jesuit Missionary Who Worked With The Five Nations

JEAN DE LAMBERVILLE (1633-1714). Lamberville was a French Jesuit priest who landed in New France in 1669 and was largely stationed in Montreal. He was an important missionary to the Onondagas and converted their chief, and he was a conduit between the Five Nations and the European settlers. He was one of the most influential Frenchman in the New World. ADS. 1pg. 7 ½” x 5 ½”. July 15, 1705. Paris. An autograph document signed “Jean De Lamberville” twice, once in the text and once at the conclusion. Writing in French, Lamberville penned: “I, the undersigned Jean De Lamberville, priest of the company of Jesus and attorney of the mission of said company in New France, called Canada, in North America, confess to have received of the sum of eighty livres for the last six months of the year 1705 on account of 800 livres rent [government obligation], belonging to said mission and issued on the 7th of January 1682. For the said eighty livres I discharge Mr. Layeur and all others. Done at Paris the fifteenth of July, 1705. Jean De Lamberville SJP”. Father Lamberville likely returned to France around 1700 and remained in France for the rest of his life. The statement is written on vellum and has a red wax seal in the lower right corner that was largely removed. There is a stamp at the top stating that it came from the Department of Rents in Paris, and a small circular hole in the exact center of the document where two folds merged. Generally, autographs of New World missionaries are very difficult to find. According to the RareBookHub, the last Lamberville signed document to sell at auction occurred in 1924, attesting to their rarity.