Philippe de Grandpré

Philippe Olivier de Grandpré (1722 - 1773) was a wealthy French merchant who lived in New Orleans, the father of the Assassin Aveline de Grandpré, and is an ancestor to "Subject 1" of the Animus Project.

Early life
Philippe was born in France in 1722 to a family of successful merchants. As a young man, he traveled to Louisiana in search of business opportunities and established a trading enterprise there, shipping goods from the new world to the old.

Marriage
In 1744, whilst on a business in Saint-Domingue, Philippe purchased a slave named Jeanne and brought her back to New Orleans. After allowing Jeanne to stay within his mansion, the two began to grow quite close and Philippe soon asked Jeanne to become his bride. She accepted, and in 1747, Jeanne gave birth to their daughter, Aveline. Overjoyed at his newborn daughter, Philippe granted both Aveline and her mother freedom.

In order to broaden his business opportunities, Philippe married Madeleine de L'Isle in 1752. Although this marriage put a strain on the relationship between Jeanne and Philippe, Aveline and her mother were allowed to remain at the de Grandpré's mansion. However, in 1757, Jeanne mysteriously vanished. Although he was devastated by her sudden disappearance, Philippe was confident that Madeleine would raise his daughter with care and support.

In 1773, Philippe was poisoned by Madeleine after discovering the interference of the Templars in his business and the true identity of his wife as the head of the Templar Order in Louisiana.

Characteristics and personality
Philippe was a caring and considerate person, who treated both Aveline and her mother Jeanne with kindness and affection. A loving father, he saw to Aveline's education in business and was confident that she would develop into a woman of independent means, despite the law preventing her from inheriting his property. He was especially protective of his daughter, often voicing his concerns about her safety and always looking out for her well being.

Philippe also treated Jeanne with kindness and consideration, even though he was not required to. Once they had arrived in New Orleans, he displayed an act of generosity towards Jeanne by allowing her to stay within his estate instead of in slave quarters. Upon their daughter's birth, Philippe was ashamed to have kept her enslaved, and vowed to grant both her and Aveline their freedom. It was clear that he cared deeply for Jeanne, as evidenced by his devastation upon her disappearance from New Orleans in 1757.

Trivia

 * The database incorrectly states Philippe's date of death to be 1776.