Portrait of René-Ovide Hertel de Rouville (1720-1792)

René-Ovide, the son of Jean-Baptiste Hertel and Marie-Anne Baudouin, was born on September 6, 1720 at Port-Toulouse, Cape Breton.

He married Louise-Catherine André de Leigne in 1741 and had three daughters and two sons. In 1745 he was named to the office of Lieutenant-General for Civil and Criminal Affairs at Trois-Rivières. In 1750 he became director of the St. Maurice ironworks, the only foundry in New France.

In 1765, Governor Murray appointed him Chief Road Commissioner for the district of Montreal, a position he held until 1775, when the Governor, Sir Guy Carleton, granted him a commission as "conservator of the peace and commissioner for the District of Montreal." Thus he became one of the first two French Canadian judges under the British regime.