Jean Lefebvre

Jean Lefebvre was a French merchant and entrepreneur in Quebec City. He was born in Pays de Caux, France, and he came to Quebec City in 1732 to be the assistant of François Havy, at the trading company Dugard et Cie.

LeFebvre and Havy conducted trade business on behalf of the Dugard et Cie for whom they handled 13 major incoming cargoes and 14 return cargoes and they also built the company six ships, making a significant contribution to the growth of Canadian industry. Due to Atlantic storms and English privateers between 1743 and 1748 Dugard et Cie was forced to abandon the Canada trade.

Besides working for Dugard et Cie, LeFebvre and Havy conducted trade for their own account. They had acquired interests in sealing stations on the north shore of the St Lawrence at Mingan and on the coast of Labrador at Grand Saint Modet, Chateau Bay, and Baie des Esquimaux (probably Hamilton Inlet) and were involved in the fur trade by joining a company that leased the King’s Posts from 1749 to 1755. Eventually they became money-lenders as well.

Because of the Seven Years’ War (1754–1763) partners separated. Lefebvre remained at Quebec while Havy moved to La Rochelle, France. In October 1760 Lefebvre left his Canadian business in the hands of his agent Levesque and boarded the Trident bound for Portsmouth, England, from where he would make his way to La Rochelle to join Havy. However, the Trident experienced an accident in which Lefebvre lost his life.