Another note on the chevalier thing. Some of these discussions on the internet regarding heraldry etc. include honorific titles, where kings and others started orders, of which there are many. King Louis XIV founded the Royal and Military Order of St. Louis in 1693 to honor military officers. This became the highest honor a military man could receive from France after that time and was highly sought after by military officers. There are three grades in this order, Grand Cross, Commander, and Chevalier. Many (all?) of the military officers who are called "Le Chevalier" in the 1700's in Canada and Louisiana have been awarded this honor. Apparently, those awarded this honor had more than 10 years service and had made major contributions of some sort. Two officers who I know the background for are Henri Montault de Montberaud (various spellings), who commanded Ft. Toulouse in the 1750's and became Le Chevalier ca. 1769 after he was back in France (from Winston DeVille's book on the French troops in La.) and Jean-Philippe Goujon de Grondel, who commanded the Swiss Regiment of soldiers in La. and later became a general back in France (article in LeRaconteru, 1989). I believe an annual pension was given along with the honor. This title of chevalier would, of course, be different from being a knight/chevalier in earlier centuries. Frank McFarland