Essence:
Research project dedicated to finding out as much about Mathieu DaCosta as possible. A team
of two qualified historical researchers investigates Mathieu Da Costa over two five-week periods
in 2006 and 2007. They travel to Europe, the Azores, and perhaps North Africa – they also conduct
archival research in Ottawa. They nail down as much as they can about Mathieu Da Costa and
deliver a final report of professional standards on their findings.
Mathieu DaCosta is the first namable Black person to come to Canada. We know Pierre Dugua,
sieur de Mons hired him as an interpreter in Paris in 1604 or 1605 for his settlement in Canada.
We know from legal transcripts (the highest evidence) that three years later in 1607 and 1608
an eleven-year-long court case began in Amsterdam and The Hague. Pierre Dugua, sieur de Mons
sued a Dutch merchant for Da Costa’s services. The trial’s transcripts stated that Da Costa had
made “previous voyages” to Canada. That is about it...
Was DaCosta in Port Royal? There is no evidence so far. Circumstantial evidence - why would de
Mons hire Da Costa, an interpreter, for his expedition without bringing him along? We know from
the court case that Da Costa was employed with de Mons and sailed to the New World at least twice,
perhaps more. And de Mons’ only transatlantic trips were to the New World between 1604 and 1606.
However, DaCosta is not mentioned again until the trial in 1608. There are recent “reports”
that Da Costa’s birthplace has been discovered in the Azores and that he is named in ships’
logs in the National Marine Museum in Lisbon. None of these reports have been verified. And,
certain Canadian-Portuguese organizations have declared him the first Portuguese person to
come to Canada.
Goal:
To find out as much as we can about Da Costa. A dedicated, focused, specific project. Dedicated
only to DaCosta. Not an adjunct or part of another project. Deliver a final report of
professional historian standards.
Time Line:
Historical research can take years. Luck, accident and random actions are huge factors in taking
us closer to the truth. It could take seven years or seven months. However, a two-part
expedition-investigation of five weeks each over two years is a reasonable amount of research
time.
Recommendation:
It’s about time a serious effort is launched with reasonable funds and time to try to ascertain
as much about DaCosta as possible. From our research across Canada we know two people who can do
the job: John LeBlanc is a historian whose passion for DaCosta is well-known in Black history
circles; and Denyse Beaugrand-Champagne is a multilingual author-historian who has written
several history books, her latest being Le Procès de Marie-Josèphe-Angélique, on the Black
slave who was falsely accused of burning Montreal and executed. Both are interested and will
take the time from their careers to do the project.
copyright - Da Costa 400
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