From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Governor general of the French Antilles
Armand Joseph Bruat, governor general of the Windward Islands (1849–1851)
Ministry of the Navy and Colonies
Seat Basseterre, Saint-Christophe (1628–71)
Saint-Pierre, Martinique (1671–74)
Fort-Royal, Martinique
Formation1628 (1st time)
March 1849 (second time)
First holder Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc
Final holder Auguste Napolèon Vaillant
Abolished23 March 1794 (1st time)
November 1851 (2nd time}

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).

History

List of governors general of the French Antilles is located in Lesser Antilles
Dominica
Dominica
Grenada
Grenada
Grenadines
Grenadines
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Martinique
Martinique
St. Barthélemy
St. Barthélemy
St. Christophe
St. Christophe
St. Croix
St. Croix
St. Lucia
St. Lucia
St. Martin
St. Martin
St. Vincent
St. Vincent
Tobago
Tobago
class=notpageimage|
Islands in the Lesser Antilles

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, Grenada and Saint Lucia. [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] [a]
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

See also

Notes

  1. ^ 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

  1. ^ Saint-Méry 1784, p. xxix.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Saint-Méry 1784, p. xxx.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Cahoon.
  4. ^ Gazette de France 1631-1735, p. 340.
  5. ^ a b c d Saint-Méry 1784, p. xxxi.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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
Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=List_of_governors_general_of_the_French_Antilles&oldid=1213902491"