List of governors general of the French Antilles
The governors general of the French Antilles, or lieutenants-general, were the king's representatives in the French West Indies colonies under the Ancien Régime. The colonies were, by date of foundation, Saint-Christophe (1625), Saint-Domingue (1627), Saint Martin (1635), Martinique (1635), Guadeloupe (1635), Dominica (1635), Saint Barthélemy (1648), Grenada (1650), Saint Croix (1650), Saint Lucia (1660), Tobago (1678), the Grenadines and Saint Vincent (1699).
| Governor general of the French Antilles | |
|---|---|
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| Ministry of the Navy and Colonies | |
| Seat | Basseterre, Saint-Christophe (1628–71) Saint-Pierre, Martinique (1671–74) Fort-Royal, Martinique |
| Formation | 1628 (1st time) March 1849 (second time) |
| First holder | Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc |
| Final holder | Auguste Napolèon Vaillant |
| Abolished | 23 March 1794 (1st time) November 1851 (2nd time} |
History
The position was created in 1628, formally named the "Governor-general of the islands and mainland of America" (Gouverneur général des Isles et Terre Ferme de l'Amérique). The first office holder was Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc, who had founded the colony of Saint Christophe (Saint Kitts) in 1625, the first French colony in the region. The governor general lived in Basseterre Saint Christophe. Jean-Charles de Baas moved the governor's residence from Saint-Christophe to Martinique, first to Saint-Pierre in 1671, then to Fort-Royal in 1674.
The position was split in 1714. The colony of Saint-Domingue (Haiti) in the Greater Antilles was assigned to the Governor General of Saint-Domingue, while the islands of the Lesser Antilles from Guadeloupe to Tobago were assigned to the Governor General of the Windward Islands (Gouverneur général des Isles du Vent). The position was suppressed on 23 March 1794 after the occupation of the French colonies by the British. During the French Second Republic the position was restored in March 1849, but definitively removed in November 1851.
Functions
The governor-general of the islands and mainland of America was the representative of the King of France in the French West Indies. The position of governor general was generally entrusted to members of the nobility of the Kingdom of France, except under the Second Republic. His main functions were administrative and military. He enforced laws and customs.
Beside the governor general, during certain periods the king appointed local governors (gouverneurs particuliers) to administer each of the main islands or groups of islands. The English occupations, first of Guadeloupe in 1759, then of Martinique in 1762, marked a change in the administration of the Windward Islands. Each of the main islands was given an administrative authority. The English rule was preserved during the return of these islands to France after the Treaty of Paris (1763) and the main Windward Islands each hosted a local governor. The governor general (or lieutenant-general) of the Windward Islands was the superior of the local governors of each territory. Sometimes one person combined the two functions.
Along with lieutenant-generals and local governors, the royal power soon installed intendents with jurisdiction over justice, police, and especially finance. The intendants had the civil power, while the lieutenants-general had military power. The residence of the intendant general was always in Martinique.
Governors general
Gouverneurs généraux des Isles et Terre Ferme de l'Amérique (1626–1714)
| Appointed | Took office | Left office | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 October 1626 | 8 May 1627 | December 1636 | Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc | Governor of Saint Christophe. Died in office[1] |
| December 1636 | December 1636 | 1638 | Pierre du Halde | Governor of Saint Christophe. Interim from December 1636. Confirmed in March 1637[2] |
| 25 February 1638 | 11 February 1639 | 22 August 1645 | Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy | First governor-general. Appointment last renewed in January 1642[2] |
| 20 February 1645 | 22 August 1645 | 17 January 1647 | Noël Patrocles de Thoisy | Arrested by de Poincy 17 January 1647 and sent back to France[2] |
| 25 February 1645 | 25 February 1645 | 1651 | Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy | Reestablished by order of the local Council of State[2] |
| 1651 | 1663 | (vacant) | The Islands were sold in 1651. Poincy retained Saint Christopher. Enambuc's nephew Jacques Dyel du Parquet bought Martinique. etc.[2] | |
| 19 November 1663 | 7 June 1664 | April 1665 | Alexandre de Prouville de Tracy | Royal appointment[2] |
| February 1665 | October 1666 | Anne de Chambré | Interim[3][lower-alpha 1] | |
| 26 February 1666 | 7 October 1666 | 4 February 1669 | Antoine Lefèbvre de La Barre | By appointment of the French West India Company[5] |
| 1 January 1668 | 4 February 1669 | 15 January 1677 | Jean-Charles de Baas | Died in office 15 January 1677 [5] |
| 1677 | 1677 | Gabriel de Jolinet | Interim.[3] | |
| 13 May 1677 | 8 November 1677 | 29 January 1690 | Charles de Courbon de Blénac | [5] Claude de Roux de Saint-Laurent acting March 1683 - June 1684.[3] |
| 1 May 1690 | 5 February 1691 | 18 August 1691 | François d'Alesso d'Éragny | Died in office 18 August 1691[5] |
| 18 August 1691 | 18 August 1691 | November 1691 | Charles de Pechpeyrou-Comminges de Guitaut | Interim (1)[6] |
| 1 November 1691 | 5 February 1692 | 10 June 1696 | Charles de Courbon de Blénac | Re-appointed. Died in office 10 June 1696.[6] |
| 10 June 1696 | 10 June 1696 | 14 March 1697 | Charles de Pechpeyrou-Comminges de Guitaut | Interim (2)[6] |
| 1 September 1696 | 14 March 1697 | 17 August 1700 | Thomas-Claude Renart de Fuchsamberg d'Amblimont | Died in office 17 August 1700.[6] |
| 17 August 1700 | 17 August 1700 | 23 May 1701 | Charles de Pechpeyrou-Comminges de Guitaut | Interim (3)[6] |
| 1 January 1701 | 23 May 1701 | 6 October 1701 | Charles Desnotz | Died in office 6 October 1701.[6] |
| 6 October 1701 | 6 October 1701 | 7 September 1702 | Charles de Pechpeyrou-Comminges de Guitaut | Interim (4) Died 7 September 1702.[6] |
| 4 January 1702 | Marc Hyacinthe de Rosmadec | Died in Havana before taking office.[6] | ||
| 17 September 1702 | 17 September 1702 | 4 March 1703 | Nicolas de Gabaret | Interim (1)[6] |
| 1 July 1702 | 4 March 1703 | 1709 | Charles-François de Machault de Belmont | [6] Dired in 1709.[3] |
| 7 January 1709 | 1710 | Nicolas de Gabaret | Interim (2)[3] | |
| 1710 | October 1713 | Raymond Balthazar Phélypeaux | Died in 1713.[3] | |
| 6 November 1713 | 1715 | Robert Cloche de La Malmaison | Interim.[3] |
Gouverneurs généraux des Isles du Vent (1714–1794)
| Start | End | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January 1714 | 1717 | Abraham Duquesne-Guitton | |
| 7 January 1717 | 23 May 1717 | Antoine d'Arcy de la Varenne | Interim. Arrested and sent back to France |
| 1717 | 1727 | François de Pas de Mazencourt | Designated by the regent |
| 1728 | 1745 | Jacques-Charles Bochard de Champigny (1673 – 20 May 1754) | |
| 1744 | 1750 | Charles de Tubières de Caylus (1698–1750) | |
| 1750 | 1757 | Maximin de Bompart (1698–1773) | |
| 1757 | 1761 | François V de Beauharnais (1714–1800) | |
| 1761 | 1762 | Louis-Charles Le Vassor de La Touche (1710–1781) | |
| 1763 | 1768 | No governors general from 1763 to 1768 | |
| 1768 | May 1777 | Robert, comte d'Argout (d. 1780) | |
| July 1777 | April 1783 | François Claude Amour, marquis de Bouillé (1739–1800) | |
| December 1783 | July 1789 | Claude-Charles de Damas de Marillac | |
| July 1789 | April 1790 | Charles du Houx de Vioménil | Interim |
| March 1791 | December 1792 | Jean-Pierre-Antoine de Béhague (1727–1813) | |
| December 1792 | 23 March 1794 | Donatien-Marie-Joseph de Rochambeau (1755–1813) |
Gouverneurs généraux des Îles du Vent (1849–1851)
| Start | End | Name |
|---|---|---|
| March 1849 | April 1851 | Armand Joseph Bruat (1796–1855) |
| April 1851 | November 1851 | Auguste Napoléon Vaillant |
Notes
- On 18 June 1667 the sieur de Chambré, intendant of the king's troops in the Antilles and general agent of the compagnie des Indes Occidentales, contributed greatly to the defense of Saint Christopher Island when it was attacked by the English. [4]
Citations
- Saint-Méry 1784, p. xxix.
- Saint-Méry 1784, p. xxx.
- Cahoon.
- Gazette de France 1631-1735, p. 340.
- Saint-Méry 1784, p. xxxi.
- Saint-Méry 1784, p. xxxii.
Sources
- Annuaire de la Martinique, Page XXXIII à LXXXV -Imprimerie du Gouvernement – Année commune 1893 –
- Cahoon, Ben, "Martinique", worldstatesmen.org, retrieved 2018-09-04
- Gazette de France 1631-1735 (in French), 1766, retrieved 2018-08-31
- Saint-Méry, Médéric Louis Élie Moreau de (1784), Loix et constitutions des colonies françoises de l'Amerique sous le vent... (in French), L'Auteur, retrieved 2018-09-03
See also
- List of colonial governors and administrators of Saint Christopher (1625–1702)
- List of colonial and departmental heads of Guadeloupe (1635–1943)
- List of colonial and departmental heads of Martinique (1635–1947)
- List of colonial governors of Saint-Domingue (1640–1798)
- List of colonial governors and administrators of Grenada (1649–1763)