Jacques-René de Brisay, Marquis de Denonville (French pronunciation: [ʒak ʁəne də bʁizɛ maʁki də dənɔ̃vil]; 10 December 1637 – 22 September 1710) was the Governor General of New France from 1685 to 1689 and was an important figure during the intermittent conflict between New France and the Iroquois known as the Beaver Wars.

Denonville replaced the unpopular Joseph-Antoine Le Fèbvre de La Barre who had led a failed expedition against the Iroquois in 1684.

In response to Seneca attacks on France's fur trading partners in the Pays des Illinois, Denonville's predecessor as Governor General, Joseph-Antoine Le Fèbvre de La Barre, had led a poorly planned expedition that not only failed to curb Iroquois aggression, but resulted in what Louis XIV called a "shameful peace.

[3] Denonville actively recruited Canadians for the Troupes de la Marine to replace soldiers who had died.

He received six blank commissions from France in order to enlist young men of "good" families for the officer corps.

He established a navigation school at Quebec to train Canadians as maritime pilots, enacted strict regulations governing taverns, restricted the number of fur-trading licences, and ordered a palisade constructed around Ville-Marie.

"[3] Denonville recognized that the security of New France depended not only on curbing Iroquois aggression but dealing with the threat of the Hudson's Bay Company to the fur trade.

De Troyes and d'Iberville exceeded their orders, capturing Moose Factory, Rupert House and Fort Albany, and seizing 50,000 beaver pelts.

[6] The "neutral" Oneida who lived at Cataraqui and at Ganneious on the Napanee River had several days earlier been taken captive to prevent news of the expedition from reaching the Seneca.

The force rendezvoused with a large group of Ottawa, Illinois and coureurs des bois, and landed at Irondequoit Bay on the south shore of Lake Ontario.

[3] Following the orders of Louis XIV, Denonville reluctantly sent 36 of the male prisoners to France to serve as galley slaves.

[11] Due to the efforts of Denonville and the Minister of the Navy, Jean Baptise Colbert, Marquis de Seignelay, 13 captives returned to New France in October 1689.

The English promptly informed their Iroquois allies that a state of war existed, and in the early hours of August 5, 1689, the Mohawk attacked the settlement of Lachine west of Montreal.