Boutheroue, Guillaume

SUBJECT AREA: Canals

[br]

b. Loire Valley (?), France d. 1648

[br]

French canal entrepreneur.

[br]

Nothing is known of Boutheroue's early life, but he later became Controller of the salt store at Sully-sur-Loire and in 1623 he was the Poor Rate and Tax Collector at Beaugency. Ten years later he was described as "King's Counsellor". In 1638, jointly with his brother-in-law Jacques Guyon, he obtained letters patent from Louis XIII authorizing them to complete the Canal de Briare, which was commenced by Cosnier to connect the Loire and the Seine but was abandoned on the death of Henri IV. In anticipation of their proposed work they were granted full proprietary rights in the canal, subject to holding the canal in fief from the king, and were ennobled. In order to raise the necessary funds they were allowed to bring in others as shareholders; a partnership was formed and included Boutheroue's brother François. After many difficulties largely stirred up by the riparian owners, the 37-mile (60 km) canal was completed and opened to navigation in 1642. Another brother, Hector, also worked on the canal and later, in 1655, directed the navigation works on the Lot.

JHB