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

History
Dominica
Grenada
Grenadines
Guadeloupe
Martinique
St. Barthélemy
St. Christophe
St. Croix
St. Lucia
St. Martin
St. Vincent
Tobago
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)
AppointedTook officeLeft officeNameNotes
31 October 16268 May 1627December 1636Pierre Belain d'EsnambucGovernor of Saint Christophe. Died in office[1]
December 1636December 16361638Pierre du HaldeGovernor of Saint Christophe. Interim from December 1636. Confirmed in March 1637[2]
25 February 163811 February 163922 August 1645Phillippe de Longvilliers de PoincyFirst governor-general. Appointment last renewed in January 1642[2]
20 February 164522 August 164517 January 1647Noël Patrocles de ThoisyArrested by de Poincy 17 January 1647 and sent back to France[2]
25 February 164525 February 16451651Phillippe de Longvilliers de PoincyReestablished by order of the local Council of State[2]
16511663(vacant)The Islands were sold in 1651. Poincy retained Saint Christopher. Enambuc's nephew Jacques Dyel du Parquet bought Martinique. etc.[2]
19 November 16637 June 1664April 1665Alexandre de Prouville de TracyRoyal appointment[2]
February 1665October 1666Anne de ChambréInterim[3][lower-alpha 1]
26 February 16667 October 16664 February 1669Antoine Lefèbvre de La BarreBy appointment of the French West India Company[5]
1 January 16684 February 166915 January 1677Jean-Charles de BaasDied in office 15 January 1677 [5]
16771677Gabriel de JolinetInterim.[3]
13 May 16778 November 167729 January 1690Charles de Courbon de Blénac[5] Claude de Roux de Saint-Laurent acting March 1683 - June 1684.[3]
1 May 16905 February 169118 August 1691François d'Alesso d'ÉragnyDied in office 18 August 1691[5]
18 August 169118 August 1691November 1691Charles de Pechpeyrou-Comminges de GuitautInterim (1)[6]
1 November 16915 February 169210 June 1696Charles de Courbon de BlénacRe-appointed. Died in office 10 June 1696.[6]
10 June 169610 June 169614 March 1697Charles de Pechpeyrou-Comminges de GuitautInterim (2)[6]
1 September 169614 March 169717 August 1700Thomas-Claude Renart de Fuchsamberg d'AmblimontDied in office 17 August 1700.[6]
17 August 170017 August 170023 May 1701Charles de Pechpeyrou-Comminges de GuitautInterim (3)[6]
1 January 170123 May 17016 October 1701Charles DesnotzDied in office 6 October 1701.[6]
6 October 17016 October 17017 September 1702Charles de Pechpeyrou-Comminges de GuitautInterim (4) Died 7 September 1702.[6]
4 January 1702Marc Hyacinthe de RosmadecDied in Havana before taking office.[6]
17 September 170217 September 17024 March 1703Nicolas de GabaretInterim (1)[6]
1 July 17024 March 17031709Charles-François de Machault de Belmont[6] Dired in 1709.[3]
7 January 17091710Nicolas de GabaretInterim (2)[3]
1710October 1713Raymond Balthazar PhélypeauxDied in 1713.[3]
6 November 17131715Robert Cloche de La MalmaisonInterim.[3]

Gouverneurs généraux des Isles du Vent (1714–1794)
StartEndNameNotes
1 January 17141717Abraham Duquesne-Guitton
7 January 171723 May 1717Antoine d'Arcy de la VarenneInterim. Arrested and sent back to France
17171727François de Pas de MazencourtDesignated by the regent
17281745Jacques-Charles Bochard de Champigny (1673 – 20 May 1754)
17441750Charles de Tubières de Caylus (1698–1750)
17501757Maximin de Bompart (1698–1773)
17571761François V de Beauharnais (1714–1800)
17611762Louis-Charles Le Vassor de La Touche (1710–1781)
17631768No governors general from 1763 to 1768
1768May 1777Robert, comte d'Argout (d. 1780)
July 1777April 1783François Claude Amour, marquis de Bouillé (1739–1800)
December 1783July 1789Claude-Charles de Damas de Marillac
July 1789April 1790Charles du Houx de VioménilInterim
March 1791December 1792Jean-Pierre-Antoine de Béhague (1727–1813)
December 179223 March 1794Donatien-Marie-Joseph de Rochambeau (1755–1813)

Gouverneurs généraux des Îles du Vent (1849–1851)
StartEndName
March 1849April 1851Armand Joseph Bruat (1796–1855)
April 1851November 1851Auguste Napoléon Vaillant

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. Saint-Méry 1784, p. xxx.
  3. Cahoon.
  4. Gazette de France 1631-1735, p. 340.
  5. Saint-Méry 1784, p. xxxi.
  6. 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
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