De Poincy
Encyclopedia
Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy (1583–1660) was a French
nobleman and Bailiff Grand Cross of the Knights of Malta.
On 12 January 1638 de Poincy set sail for the Caribbean on board La Petite Europe On February 20 he took up his commission as Lieutenant Governor of the Isles of America and Captain general of the French at St Kitts. He arrived wearing the regalia of the Knights of St John and soon dispensed with the authority of the French king, declaring "The people of St Kitts will have no other Governor than De Poincy and will take no orders from the King of France."
In 1639 he reached an agreement with the English on St Kitts that neither nation should grow tobacco. for one and a half years.
He instructed one of his followers, the Huguenot
Levasseur with sixty buccaneer
s to drive out the English from Tortuga. Levasseur was successful and on 6 November 1640 a treaty was drawn up between de Poincy and Levasseur which allowed religious tolerations and trade between the two islands.
By 1642 he started building the Chateau de Montagne on his estate called La Fontaine. This was an elaborate building, credited as being one of the grandest ever constructed in the Americas, though today it is in ruins. The grounds of La Fontaine were also heavily planted with exotic tropical plants. He specifically imported the flamboyant plant from Madagascar
for his garden, and is credited with introducing the beautiful plant to the Americas. It was thus re-named Royal Poinciana
in his honour.
He had a Town Hall erected in Basseterre
in what is now known as Church Street. This served as his administrative centre, where he dispensed justice and administered the colony.
On 26 December 1644, the French king sent de Thoissy to relieve him, de Poincy refused to let him land. Eventually de Thoissy was sent back to France
in chains. The Capuchins were also expelled at this time for taking the side of de Thoissy. The Jesuits were invited in to take their place. De Poincy bought the nearby island of St Croix, which he bequeathed to the Knights of St John.
In 1648 first he seized the island of St Bartholomew
, populated by 170 Europe
ans and fifty enslaved Africans
. Then he sent his nephew, Robert de Lonvillliers, with 300 men to take over the French half of Saint Martin
. This was ratified at the Treaty of Concordia
. In 1650 he heard that the Spanish
had evacuated St Croix, so he sent Vaugelan with two ships and one hundred and sixty men to capture it. The French set fire to the trees which had made settling there so problematic for the Spanish.
Following the intervention of the Knights of Malta in 1651 he paid 90,000 livres to make peace with de Thoissy. He persuaded Juan de Lascaris-Castellar, Grand Master of the Knights of Malta
to pay 120,000 livres for St Kitts, St Croix, St Bartholomew and St Martin. Although de Poincy was immediately appointed governor, Fra de Montmagny was soon appointed in his place. However, when Montmagny arrived, like with de Thoissy, de poincy refused to step aside, and Montmagny was obliged to settle down of the north of St kitts where he lived until his death in 1657.
In 1653 the French king further entrenched the authority of the Knights of Malta on the four islands, retaining sovereignty over the islands with 1,000 crowns to be paid on the accession of each new French King.
De Poincy died at the age of 77 on 11 April 1660. He was a Bailiff Grand cross of the Knights of Malta and Chef d'escadre of the French Brittany Fleet. he was buried in Basseterre, probably in the grounds of what is now St George's church. He is credited with turning Bassterre into a successful Caribbean
trading port. The annual Saint Kitts carnival troupe, Les Actors, are people descended from a troupe of Acrobats from Africa
whom he had imported to Saint Kitts as his slaves and personal performers for parties at La Fontaine.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
nobleman and Bailiff Grand Cross of the Knights of Malta.
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
On 12 January 1638 de Poincy set sail for the Caribbean on board La Petite Europe On February 20 he took up his commission as Lieutenant Governor of the Isles of America and Captain general of the French at St Kitts. He arrived wearing the regalia of the Knights of St John and soon dispensed with the authority of the French king, declaring "The people of St Kitts will have no other Governor than De Poincy and will take no orders from the King of France."
In 1639 he reached an agreement with the English on St Kitts that neither nation should grow tobacco. for one and a half years.
He instructed one of his followers, the Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
Levasseur with sixty buccaneer
Buccaneer
The buccaneers were privateers who attacked Spanish shipping in the Caribbean Sea during the late 17th century.The term buccaneer is now used generally as a synonym for pirate...
s to drive out the English from Tortuga. Levasseur was successful and on 6 November 1640 a treaty was drawn up between de Poincy and Levasseur which allowed religious tolerations and trade between the two islands.
By 1642 he started building the Chateau de Montagne on his estate called La Fontaine. This was an elaborate building, credited as being one of the grandest ever constructed in the Americas, though today it is in ruins. The grounds of La Fontaine were also heavily planted with exotic tropical plants. He specifically imported the flamboyant plant from Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
for his garden, and is credited with introducing the beautiful plant to the Americas. It was thus re-named Royal Poinciana
Royal Poinciana
Delonix regia is a species of flowering plant from the Fabaceae family, Caesalpinioideae subfamilia, noted for its fern-like leaves and flamboyant display of flowers. In many tropical parts of countries around the world it is grown as an ornamental tree and in English it is given the name Royal...
in his honour.
He had a Town Hall erected in Basseterre
Basseterre
Basseterre , estimated population 15,500 in 2000, is the capital of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis in the West Indies. Geographically, the Basseterre port is located at , on the south western coast of Saint Kitts Island, and it is one of the chief commercial depots of the Leeward Islands...
in what is now known as Church Street. This served as his administrative centre, where he dispensed justice and administered the colony.
On 26 December 1644, the French king sent de Thoissy to relieve him, de Poincy refused to let him land. Eventually de Thoissy was sent back to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in chains. The Capuchins were also expelled at this time for taking the side of de Thoissy. The Jesuits were invited in to take their place. De Poincy bought the nearby island of St Croix, which he bequeathed to the Knights of St John.
In 1648 first he seized the island of St Bartholomew
Saint Barthélemy
Saint Barthélemy , officially the Territorial collectivity of Saint Barthélemy , is an overseas collectivity of France. Often abbreviated to Saint-Barth in French, or St. Barts in English, the indigenous people called the island Ouanalao...
, populated by 170 Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans and fifty enslaved Africans
African people
African people refers to natives, inhabitants, or citizen of Africa and to people of African descent.-Etymology:Many etymological hypotheses that have been postulated for the ancient name "Africa":...
. Then he sent his nephew, Robert de Lonvillliers, with 300 men to take over the French half of Saint Martin
Saint Martin
Saint Martin is an island in the northeast Caribbean, approximately east of Puerto Rico. The 87 km2 island is divided roughly 60/40 between France and the Kingdom of the Netherlands ; however, the Dutch side has the larger population. It is one of the smallest sea islands divided between...
. This was ratified at the Treaty of Concordia
Treaty of Concordia
The Treaty of Concordia was signed on March 23, 1648 between the French and the Dutch. The signing took place atop Mount Concordia. Based on the terms of the agreement, the island of Saint Martin was to be divided between the French Kingdom and the Dutch Republic and that the peoples of St.Martin...
. In 1650 he heard that the Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
had evacuated St Croix, so he sent Vaugelan with two ships and one hundred and sixty men to capture it. The French set fire to the trees which had made settling there so problematic for the Spanish.
Following the intervention of the Knights of Malta in 1651 he paid 90,000 livres to make peace with de Thoissy. He persuaded Juan de Lascaris-Castellar, Grand Master of the Knights of Malta
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
to pay 120,000 livres for St Kitts, St Croix, St Bartholomew and St Martin. Although de Poincy was immediately appointed governor, Fra de Montmagny was soon appointed in his place. However, when Montmagny arrived, like with de Thoissy, de poincy refused to step aside, and Montmagny was obliged to settle down of the north of St kitts where he lived until his death in 1657.
In 1653 the French king further entrenched the authority of the Knights of Malta on the four islands, retaining sovereignty over the islands with 1,000 crowns to be paid on the accession of each new French King.
De Poincy died at the age of 77 on 11 April 1660. He was a Bailiff Grand cross of the Knights of Malta and Chef d'escadre of the French Brittany Fleet. he was buried in Basseterre, probably in the grounds of what is now St George's church. He is credited with turning Bassterre into a successful Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
trading port. The annual Saint Kitts carnival troupe, Les Actors, are people descended from a troupe of Acrobats from Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
whom he had imported to Saint Kitts as his slaves and personal performers for parties at La Fontaine.