page_title: Robert de Longvilliers
section_title: Saint Christophe (1639–48)
hierarchical_section_title: Robert de Longvilliers / Saint Christophe (1639–48)
caption_attribution_description: Русский: Физическая карта Малых Антильских Островов. English: Relief map of the Lesser Antilles Equirectangular projection, N/S stretching 103&#160;%. Geographic limits of the map: N: 19.2° N S: 9.7° N W: 70.5° W E: 59.1° W
context_page_description: Robert de Longvilliers de Poincy was a French local governor of Saint Christophe and Saint Martin in the French Antilles.
  His uncle, Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy, was commander of the French colonies in the Antilles from 1639 to 1651, then commander of the colonies of Saint Christophe, Saint Croix, Saint Barthélemy, and Saint Martin for the Knights of Malta. Longvilliers reestablished French control of the northern part of Saint Martin after the Spanish withdrew and the Dutch tried to take over the whole island.
context_section_description: A treaty of 17 May 1627 had partitioned Saint Christopher Island.
  The English had the center part around Fort Charles and the French had the north part around Pointe de Sable (Sandy Point) and the south around Basseterre.
  Robert de Longvilliers came to Saint Christophe with his uncle Phillippe de Poincy in 1639.
  They sailed from France on 11 January 1639 on Le Petite Europe and arrived in Martinique on 11 February 1639, where the governor Jacques Dyel du Parquet promised his obedience.
  Poincy landed in Guadeloupe on 17 February 1639, where he met the governor Charles Liénard de L'Olive, then went on the Saint Christophe.
  There he found that his lieutenant René de Béthoulat de La Grange-Fromenteau had not prepared a house for him, but had only looked after himself.
  Poincy bought the Grande Montagne property on Saint Christophe and at once subdivided it and sold about 20 lots between 1639 and 1640.
  He charged seigneurial rents of 1-10 pigs and 1-5 capons per year.
  The transactions were all done in the name of his nephew, Robert de Longvilliers, who also bought property for himself.
  Poincy was a quarrelsome man and a harsh authoritarian and earned many enemies.
  The company therefore decided to terminate his commission and look for a replacement.Noël Patrocles de Thoisy was chosen as the governor general to replace Poincy.
  The company appointed Thoisy governor general on 26 December 1644.
  On 16 February 1645 the company arranged for a lettre de cachet from the king that ordered Poincy to return to France.
  Poincy's nephew, Robert de Longvilliers, who was ready to embark at La Rochelle, was handed the order to be delivered personally to Poincy.
  Poincy received the order to return on 13 March 1645.
  In July 1645 he expelled the intendant general, Clerselier de Leumont, who retired to Guadeloupe, and sent his most troublesome opponents back to France.
  In August 1645 the king issued another lettre de cachet in which he ordered Poincy to leave Saint Christophe.
  Robert de Longvilliers was confirmed as governor of Saint Christophe. 
  On 1 September 1645 the assembly of lords of the company directed Robert de Longvilliers, governor of Saint Christophe, to receive Noël Patrocles de Thoisy as the king's lieutenant general for the American islands. 
  Thoisy left Le Havre on 16 September 1645, reached Martinique on 16 November and on 23 November was off Saint Christophe, but neither Poincy or the English governor would recognise him.  
  In January 1646 Thoisy, with the support of Governor Jacques Dyel du Parquet of Martinique, led an expedition against Poincy and captured Poincy's two nephews (Longvilliers and Tréval).
  Poincy's forces, supported by militia provided by the English governor Thomas Warner, then defeated the company from Martinique at the cost of 60 deaths. 
  Du Parquet was taken prisoner.
  Thoisy escaped to Guadeloupe.
  On 16 and 28 October 1646 the king ordered Poincy and Thoisy to exchange prisoners, thus implicitly giving Poincy an amnesty for his revolt since he was opposed to the company and its abuses rather than opposed to the king.
  On 17 January 1647 Thoisy was arrested by the people of Martinique and delivered to Poincy in exchange for Du Parquet.
  Thoisy was taken to Saint Christophe, where he arrived on 24 January 1846.
  While passing Guadeloupe La Vernade embarked one of Poincy's nephews, Longvilliers, against the promise that Du Parquet would be released.
  The other nephew, Charles de Tréval, remained as a hostage.
  Thoisy was held prisoner in Saint Christopher, but due to expressions of sympathy for him by the population Poincy embarked him for France at night at the end of April, where he arrived on 17 May 1646.
  At the start of 1647 Robert de Longvilliers held the title of governor for the king of Saint Martin and was commander of Saint Christophe in the absence of his uncle.
  He held an assembly at the Anse of Louvet in which he consented to the establishment of a number of Carmelite monks from the province of Touraine.
  They could celebrate services and administer the sacrament in Cabesterre (northwest region) and Anse 
caption: French colonies in the Lesser Antilles
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