Pierre Poivre was a French horticulturist and botanist. He was known as the father of the Pamplemousses Botanic Garden and as one of the first writers of the 18th century who wrote on the importance of conserving the ecology; he proposed some of the first laws designed to protect nature.Background

Pierre Poivre was born on August 23, 1719, in Lyon, France. Poivre was the son of a respected silk merchant.

Education

Poivre was brought up in a missionary college where he received a Catholic education, he intended to become a priest. After finishing the course in theology, and before his ordination, he studied natural history, drawing, and painting for four years in preparation for his "missionary job."

Career

In 1749 Poivre went to China and Cochin China in order to learn the languages of the countries, but he was also instructed to bring back anything curious or useful for his own country. Upon his return to France in 1745, the ships were encountered by the English, and Poivre was taken a prisoner to Batavia (during the battle he lost his right arm, the result of which was his giving up of the priesthood). During his five-month imprisonment, he inquired about the culture of the spice plants that he wanted to introduce into the French possessions. Until then, spices were sold solely by the Dutch, but Poivre realized that the situation was due to lack of enterprise on the part of other nations. When he arrived at the Ile-de-France (Mauritius) in 1746, he noted that the few spice plants introduced from the Moluccas seemed to grow quite well. He then decided to try to cultivate all the spice plants he had seen in the Moluccas. Poivre wanted to create a new center for spices in Cochin China, and to purchase spice plantlets for cultivation.

Returning to France in June 1748, Poivre convinced Mr. David, the director of the French East India Company, and Rouille and de Montaran, the king's superintendents, to charge him to go to the Indies to execute his projects. In spite of some difficulties with one of the directors of the Company, Duvelaer, who did not seem quite truthful, Poivre returned to the East; but nothing was signed between him and the Company, and he doubted the promise would be thoroughly respected. Between 1749 and 1755, in spite of many problems, he introduced twenty plantlets of nutmeg. Instead of cooperating with him, the directors of the Company and several personalities of the Ile- de-France - including the director of the Botanic Garden in Reduit, Fusee-Aublet - did everything to ruin the efforts and work of Poivre.

In 1757 Poivre returned to a peaceful life with his family in France. But in 1766 he was asked by the royal government to accept the charge of Commissaire general ordonnateur (general intendant) of the Ile-de-France, and Bourbon (Mauritius and Reunion). As intendant, Poivre had so many difficulties that as early as 1770 he wished to be released from his office.

In October 1772 he returned to his home, near Lyon, France. The clove and nutmeg plants that Poivre had introduced to the Grapefruit Garden ("Jardin des Pample- mousse") of the Ile-de-France were not productive until 1775 and 1778 respectively. Consequently, he never saw the result of his efforts. Poivre himself published nothing, but he did leave many manuscripts, a great number of which are in the main library of the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris.

Religion

In his religious affiliation Poivre was a Roman Catholic and at the beginning of his career intended to become a priest.

Membership

In 1745 as a member of the French East India Company, while on a journey to the East Indies, he was struck by a cannonball on the wrist while being engaged in a naval battle with the British.

Family members:

Poivre was married to the aristocratic seventeen-year-old Francoise Robin of Lyon, who accompanied him out east and gave birth to their three daughters: Marie Poivre (1768 - 1787), Françoise Julienne Ile-de-France Poivre (1770 - 1845), Sarah Poivre (1773 - 1814).

Wife:Francoise RobinDaughter:Marie Poivre

1768 - 1787

Daughter:Françoise Julienne Ile-de-France Poivre

1770 - 1845

Daughter:Sarah Poivre

1773 - 1814