{"id":13459,"date":"2024-07-11T11:25:31","date_gmt":"2024-07-11T07:25:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/?post_type=documentaire&#038;p=13459"},"modified":"2025-01-27T11:43:06","modified_gmt":"2025-01-27T07:43:06","slug":"the-kerveguen-mansion","status":"publish","type":"documentaire","link":"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/en\/documentaires\/plantation-society\/important-plantation-owners\/the-kerveguen-mansion\/","title":{"rendered":"The Kerv\u00e9guen \u2018mansion\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Kerv\u00e9guen slope, situated on the boundaries of the territory of Saint\u2011Beno\u00eet, on the edge of the forest of B\u00e9bour\u2026 A few streets named Kerv\u00e9guen; a concert hall \u2026 Today, these place-names, which remain opaque for the majority of the island\u2019s population, are all that remains of a family that, in the 19th and up to the start of the 20th centuries, took major decisions on Reunion. Traders, sugar-producers, politicians: over three generations, members of the family encouraged the industrialisation of the island, turning it into a land of innovation, accumulating wealth and contributing to setting up the world\u2019s first working class: that of the black slaves on the estates. Little by little, these businessmen, today forgotten, with their workforce created today\u2019s modern economic and social structures.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls src=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Jean_Francois_Geraud_7.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Contrary to the process taking place in Europe, on Bourbon island persons working in commerce and trade played hardly any role in the setting up of industrial activity. Originally (1810-1817), they represented a very small proportion (5 %); the commercial capital was thus far from decisive. The exception was Denis de Kerv\u00e9guen, a trader in Saint-Pierre who was initially a settler, then became a sugar-estate owner as from 1827 and who played a remarkable role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Denis Marie Le Coat de Kerv\u00e9guen, a young naval officer who arrived on the island from Brittany in 1796 was the first in the line. The son of impoverished low-level nobility, with no future considering the revolutionary context of the period, developed a prosperous business in Saint-Pierre based on a double strategy. First of all his marriages: the first with Ang\u00e8le C\u00e9sarine Rivi\u00e8re, who integrated him into the society of Bourbon and gave him a wealthy start: (6,000 pounds and 5 estates), the second to Genevi\u00e8ve Hortense Lenormand, a marriage which brought him connections with the bourgeoisie of Saint Pierre and consolidated his assets. However, he was not interested in income from agriculture. After developing some of his land, he opened a commercial establishment selling hats, cloth \u2013 notably Guinea indigo blue canvas, used in the manufacture of clothes for slaves \u2013 tools, wine, olive oil and spices that he brought in from Saint-Joseph. With the support of Joseph de la Poterie, he set up two mills at the mouth of la Rivi\u00e8re d\u2019Abord and founded a bakery to provide bread for the town, the surrounding area and visiting ships. The British occupation of the island, which, like the Desbassayns, forced him to accept the invaders, had no negative effect on his activity. At the start of the 1820s, he decided to reinvest his commercial profits in land and started to plant sugar-cane. In 1827, he set up the first of the family\u2019s sugar factories at Casernes and Terre-Rouge, thanks to water from the Saint-Etienne canal. At the time of his death that same year, his fortune represented over one million pounds, more than half of which consisted in debt obligations, and less than a third in slaves and real estate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His eldest son, Gabriel, connected by marriage to the powerful Chaulmet family<span class=\"NOTE_MARKER\" rel=\"0.8488658463070826\" aria-label=\"With Anne Marie Zacharine Chaulmet (1831), whose dowry was the estate of la Ravine des Cabris.\">&nbsp;<\/span>, first of all continued his father\u2019s commercial activity.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69e1f1d7accbc&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1059\" height=\"1200\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/02-Gabriel-de-Kerveguen-ER.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13340\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/02-Gabriel-de-Kerveguen-ER.jpg 1059w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/02-Gabriel-de-Kerveguen-ER-265x300.jpg 265w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/02-Gabriel-de-Kerveguen-ER-904x1024.jpg 904w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/02-Gabriel-de-Kerveguen-ER-768x870.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gabriel Le Coat de Kerveguen. 19th century. Painting. <br>Private collection<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>In 1829, with his brother Augustin, he developed an import-export activity, buying a first ship Le Renard. Others followed<span class=\"NOTE_MARKER\" rel=\"0.22021476505244864\" aria-label=\"The vessels Le Gabriel, La Jos\u00e9phine and Emilie-Ezilda, equipped by the shipping company Kerv\u00e9guen, Desrieux &amp; Compagnie.\">&nbsp;<\/span>. Granted the concession of a \u2018marina\u2019<span class=\"NOTE_MARKER\" rel=\"0.8319398415820409\" aria-label=\"Stone wharf.\">&nbsp;<\/span>, the brothers traded throughout the Indian Ocean as far as China, as well as with mainland France. Gabriel had three other wharfs constructed, to directly supply his factories and warehouses in Saint\u2011Philippe, Manapany, Vincendo and Langevin. In the 1850s, he proposed to the governor Darricau a project for the construction of a harbour in Saint-Pierre. Coffee and sugar were exported to le Havre, Nantes and Bordeaux; as regards imports, he enjoyed a monopoly for cloth (taffetas, sheets, gauze, muslin and hats), as well as hardware, perfumes, saddlery and high-quality alcohols (champagne, whisky and beer). His ships were also loaded with rice in Madagascar, India and even Abyssinia. His products were stored in in a large warehouse<span class=\"NOTE_MARKER\" rel=\"0.27784041285939165\" aria-label=\"Today the headquarters of the <em>Terres Australes et Antarctiques Fran\u00e7aises<\/em>: French Southern and Antarctic Territories.\">&nbsp;<\/span> overlooking the Rivi\u00e8re d\u2019Abord in Saint-Pierre and others were construction in Saint-Joseph, \u00c9tang-Sal\u00e9, Saint-Leu and Champ-Borne, with the largest in Saint-Denis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69e1f1d7ad7f3&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"794\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/03-Entrepot-Kerveguen-et-port.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13344\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/03-Entrepot-Kerveguen-et-port.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/03-Entrepot-Kerveguen-et-port-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/03-Entrepot-Kerveguen-et-port-1024x678.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/03-Entrepot-Kerveguen-et-port-768x508.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Construction of the harbour of Saint-Pierre\u2026 Louis Antoine Roussin. 1860. Lithograph. <br>In <em>Album de l&#8217;\u00eele de la R\u00e9union : recueil de dessins repr\u00e9sentant les sites les plus pittoresques<\/em> <em>(Album of Reunion island: collection of drawings of the most picturesque sites)<\/em>, Antoine Roussin, Saint-Denis, A. Roussin, 1860-1867, t. 2, p. 2. <br>Collection of Reunion departmental library, inv. R14935.002<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>However, Gabriel decided to mainly focus on sugar. Four years after the death of his father, the value of his land and its slaves rose from 33 % to 72 % of his assets. From 1828 to 1860, thanks to his many aquisitions, Gabriel de Kerv\u00e9guen had built up a huge estate that rose from less than 100 ha in 1828 to 2,000 ha in 1840, 3,100 ha in 1848 and over 5,000 ha in 1860. His estates were mainly in the south of the island: 5,199 ha, or 92.8 % (2,895 ha in Saint-Pierre; 1,449 ha in Saint-Louis; 754 ha in Saint-Joseph; 101 ha in Saint-Philippe); much later, in 1852, he invested in the north east of the island in Quartier-Fran\u00e7ais (210&nbsp;ha), then in the west in Saint-Leu in 1854 (Le Portail, 160 ha).<br>To the two sugar-estates inherited from his father, he added others. As a result, in 1836, he already owned six establishments. At the time of his death in 1860, the marriage contract of his daughter Emma<span class=\"NOTE_MARKER\" rel=\"0.8464289530189686\" aria-label=\"According to the Governor Hubert Delisle, she was \u201cthe best match on the two islands\u201d.\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69e1f1d7aebb6&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"829\" height=\"1236\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/04-Emma-de-Kerveguen-Comtesse-de-Trevise.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13348\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/04-Emma-de-Kerveguen-Comtesse-de-Trevise.jpg 829w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/04-Emma-de-Kerveguen-Comtesse-de-Trevise-201x300.jpg 201w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/04-Emma-de-Kerveguen-Comtesse-de-Trevise-687x1024.jpg 687w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/04-Emma-de-Kerveguen-Comtesse-de-Trevise-768x1145.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Emma Le Coat de Kerveguen. Around 1850. Painting. <br>Private collection<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>with Napol\u00e9on Mortier de Tr\u00e9vise<span class=\"NOTE_MARKER\" rel=\"0.34766945548392214\" aria-label=\"Great grandson of Edouard Adolphe Casimir Joseph Mortier (1768-1835), French Marshal (1804), Duke of Tr\u00e9vise (1807), supporter of Louis 18th.\">&nbsp;<\/span>, states that he owned 13 estates, a number mentioned by the song-writer C\u00e9lim\u00e8ne<span class=\"NOTE_MARKER\" rel=\"0.17992135119924968\" aria-label=\"C\u00e9lim\u00e8ne Jeance, married name Gaudieux, 1806-1864, song-writer from la Saline, grand-daughter of the poet Evariste de Parny.\">&nbsp;<\/span> : <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69e1f1d7af5ff&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"882\" height=\"1200\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/05-Celimene-ME-2009-01-320-B.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13352\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/05-Celimene-ME-2009-01-320-B.jpg 882w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/05-Celimene-ME-2009-01-320-B-221x300.jpg 221w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/05-Celimene-ME-2009-01-320-B-753x1024.jpg 753w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/05-Celimene-ME-2009-01-320-B-768x1045.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">C\u00e9lim\u00e8ne, mulatto woman and poet. Charles-Joseph Mettais, based on a photograph. 1862. Etching. <br>In <em>Le Tour du monde : nouveau journal des voyages<\/em>, VI. (<em>Around the world: New travel journal<\/em>) <br>Collection of Vill\u00e8le historical museum, inv. ME.2009.01.320<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201c<em>Monsieur de Kerv\u00e9guen \/ n\u2019est pas riche en vain \/ il a beaucoup de noirs \/ et treize \u00e9tablissements<\/em>\u201d <br>(Mr de Kerveguen \/ is not rich in vain \/ he owns many Blacks \/ and thirteen estates).<br><br>There were ten factories and three distilleries. The heart was in Saint-Pierre: the factory of <em>Casernes<\/em>, on a slope above the town, inherited from his father, was the island\u2019s most prosperous, with the capacity to produce 1,000 tonnes of sugar, on the road leading to Le Tampon, the factory of <em>Mon Caprice<\/em> (800 t), the one in Le Petit Tampon (500 t; bought from the Hoareau brothers in 1837),<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69e1f1d7b010d&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"712\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/06-Sucrerie-du-Petit-Tampon-FRAD974_40FI80.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13356\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/06-Sucrerie-du-Petit-Tampon-FRAD974_40FI80.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/06-Sucrerie-du-Petit-Tampon-FRAD974_40FI80-300x178.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/06-Sucrerie-du-Petit-Tampon-FRAD974_40FI80-1024x608.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/06-Sucrerie-du-Petit-Tampon-FRAD974_40FI80-768x456.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Le Tampon \u2013 A factory. 10th February 1866. Hippolyte Charles Napol\u00e9on Mortier de Tr\u00e9vise. Drawing, watercolour. <br>Collection of Reunion departmental archives, inv. 40FI80<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Entre-Deux (400 t: described in Roussin\u2019s <em>Album <\/em>under the name of <em>Etablissement de La Rivi\u00e8re<\/em>), in Saint-Joseph, <em>le Piton<\/em>, at the foot of the Piton Babet (1854, 300 t),<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69e1f1d7b0d0d&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"754\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/07-Sucrerie-Piton-Babet-Saint-Joseph-FRAD974_40FI93.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/07-Sucrerie-Piton-Babet-Saint-Joseph-FRAD974_40FI93.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/07-Sucrerie-Piton-Babet-Saint-Joseph-FRAD974_40FI93-300x189.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/07-Sucrerie-Piton-Babet-Saint-Joseph-FRAD974_40FI93-1024x643.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/07-Sucrerie-Piton-Babet-Saint-Joseph-FRAD974_40FI93-768x483.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sugar factory of Le Piton, neighbourhood of St Joseph. 13th July 1861. Hippolyte Charles Napol\u00e9on Mortier de Tr\u00e9vise. Drawing. <br>Collection of Reunion departmental archives, inv. 40FI93<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Langevin (1839 ; 500 t) and Vincendo (purchased in 1852 with Montbel-Fontaine, 500 t). Finally in Saint-Louis, the factory of <em>La Chapelle<\/em>, or <em>Les Cocos<\/em> (purchased from his brother in 1847: 700 t), then the one at Etang-Sal\u00e9 (300 t, taken over form his father-in-law Andr\u00e9 Chaulmet in 1841) and finally in the north east, a factory in Quartier-Fran\u00e7ais, set up as from 1852 (800 t). As for the three distilleries, these were located in <em>Casernes <\/em>(150,000 litres), Etang-Sal\u00e9 (100&nbsp;000&nbsp;litres) and Quartier-Fran\u00e7ais (100,000 litres).<br>All these factories made Gabriel de Kerv\u00e9guen the colony\u2019s most important employer. Until 1848, he employed 1,538 slaves, the greatest number being in Saint-Joseph with 41.6 % and Saint-Pierre with 41.4 %, as well as Saint-Louis (9.5%) and Saint-Philippe (7.5 %). Most of these were men (73%), which was the general trend. It was also multi-ethnic, for economic reasons (each ethnic group was thought to have specific skills), as well as political (avoiding tensions and rebellions, limiting solidarity between the groups that had difficulty communicating and did not always get on). In 1830, the dominant group owned by the landowner was that of Africans (57 %), then Madagascans (33 %) and Creoles, more acculturated (8,5 %); there were few Indians (1,5 %). In 1847, there were more Creoles (50.7 %) than Africans (34 %), Madagascans (13,5 %) and Indians (2 %). A minority of the Africans acquired professional skills: to the \u2018professional\u2019 slaves, who constructed the factories, were added \u2018technical slaves\u2019 producing the sugar as well as working and taking care of the upkeep of the machines (30 %). However, the majority (70 %) consisted of \u201c<em>Noirs de pioche<\/em>\u201d (labourers).<br>These slaves were housed two or three to a small hut. In 1841, for 81 slaves are mentioned \u201c30 slave huts with leaf roofs, in poor condition\u201d, built of straw, and above all timber, more rarely stone, sometimes scattered around the estate, but mainly grouped close to the house in the \u201cslave camp\u201d. They were as badly treated by Kerv\u00e9guen, openly anti-abolitionist, as by the other masters. In 1848 on the estates of Saint-Pierre, there were 4 % of maroon slaves (fugitives), above all \u201cshort-term\u201d<span class=\"NOTE_MARKER\" rel=\"0.5686299236298986\" aria-label=\"\u2018Long-term maroonage\u2019 (lasting more than one month), as opposed to \u2018short-term maroonage\u2019 (between three days and one month).\">&nbsp;<\/span>. At Le Tampon (over 200 slaves) a total of 26 offences were registered: 7 cases of maroonage (escaped slaves), punished by 15 days imprisonment, punishment that, according to Kerv\u00e9guen, the Blacks made fun of: \u201cSince the ordinance that was passed [1845: the \u201cMackau law\u201d], he wrote, the Blacks \u2026 see the 15 days in prison as a period of rest and often deliberately bring on the pleasure\u201d: 2 cases of insubordination in front of the steward or foreman (15 days in prison); 4 cases of absenteeism or refusal to work (15 or 10 days in prison); there were also 13 cases of theft of goats, rabbits and tortoises, \u201cchickens\u201d, rice, green coffee, sugar and sirop, also punished by 15 days in prison. Acts of resistance, (52 %), went hand-in-hand with thefts, to compensate for a shortage of food or obtain money from buyers of stolen goods (48 %). The hard work, the brutality of the environment, abject poverty and mechanical application of sentences led to the population deserting the factories in huge numbers following emancipation in 1848. Of the 3,203 indentured labourers (1857) only 249 had been emancipated in 1848 (7.8 %), to whom can be added a few domestic workers close to the family.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69e1f1d7b183e&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"781\" height=\"1200\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/08-Victorine-Samsi-FRAD974_40FI52.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13404\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/08-Victorine-Samsi-FRAD974_40FI52.jpg 781w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/08-Victorine-Samsi-FRAD974_40FI52-195x300.jpg 195w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/08-Victorine-Samsi-FRAD974_40FI52-666x1024.jpg 666w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/08-Victorine-Samsi-FRAD974_40FI52-768x1180.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The old woman (Victorine) &#8211; Mme Samsi. 15th December 1865. Hippolyte Charles Napol\u00e9on Mortier de Tr\u00e9vise. Drawing, watercolour. <br>Collection of Reunion departmental archives, inv. 40FI52<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>His refusal of abolition, which he often expressed before the Constitutional Council, did not prevent him from taking advantage of emancipation. Having sufficient assets, before the actual payment of the compensation (1852), he bought up a large number of compensation coupons below their true value from small landowners who were glad to be able to reduce their losses. Declaring only 1,538 slaves, he exchanged coupons for 10,000!<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After 1848, he became the island\u2019s most important employer of indentured labourers: in 1857, he employed 3,203. Africans (30\u00a0%), Indians (23 %) and Madagascans (23 %), proportions that nevertheless varied from estate to estate. Their accommodation changed: considered to be cultural outsiders, the indentured workers were housed in collective huts, systematically grouped together in camps set further away from the \u2018Large Mansion\u2019. Living and working conditions were hardly different from those during slavery. They worked 11 hours per day, with less than two hours for meals. Every Sunday, they were given regulatory rice, cod, salt and pulses and received two changes of clothing per year. When necessary, they received medical care from doctors (de Liss\u00e8gues and de Mahy) and their meagre salary was paid out every two months.<br>The question of salaries led Kerv\u00e9guen to carry out an operation characteristic of the colonial universe. The indentured labourers, considered to be sober, hard-working and carful with their money, were distrustful of paper money and preferred to be paid in hard cash, which the employer accepted with the aim of encouraging them to renew their contracts. However, coins were in short supply on the island. Kerv\u00e9guen came up with the idea of importing a stock of Austrian coins of 20\u00a0kreuzers (<em>zwanziger<\/em>), recently devalued, to pay the salaries. In 1859, with the approval of the authorities, 227,000 coins were brought in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69e1f1d7b22e2&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"653\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/09-1-franc-kerveguen.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13437\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/09-1-franc-kerveguen.jpg 1300w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/09-1-franc-kerveguen-300x151.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/09-1-franc-kerveguen-1024x514.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/09-1-franc-kerveguen-768x386.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">1 Kerveguen franc. Austria. 1787. Embossed silver. 28 mm (diameter); 6.26 g. <br>Collection of Vill\u00e8le historical museum, Philippe Delaygues donation<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The operation was so profitable that hundreds of thousands of kreutzers started to circulate fraudulently over the island. 20&nbsp;years after the death of Gabriel, when the government of the 3rd Republic decided to withdraw all foreign currency circulating in the colonies (1879), the population lost confidence in these coins, estimated at 800,000 in number, resulting in users and shopkeepers becoming bankrupt and destitute. Following a long trial, his son Denis-Andr\u00e9 was forced to commit himself to paying back the value of the 227,000 coins initially brought in.<br>Throughout his life, Gabriel de Kerv\u00e9guen remained highly circumspect as regards public life, refraining from attachment to any specific political regime, refusing honours and decorations, including the Legion of Honour. His only honour was the title of \u201cRoman count\u201d, purchased from the Vatican, as well as the construction of a splendid mansion at <em>Les Casernes<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69e1f1d7b2ec5&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"902\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/10-La-maison-des-Casernes-FRAD974_40FI47.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13372\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/10-La-maison-des-Casernes-FRAD974_40FI47.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/10-La-maison-des-Casernes-FRAD974_40FI47-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/10-La-maison-des-Casernes-FRAD974_40FI47-1024x770.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/10-La-maison-des-Casernes-FRAD974_40FI47-768x577.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Les Casernes<\/em> \u2013 Neighbourhood of St Pierre \u2013 Bourbon island. Hippolyte Charles Napol\u00e9on Mortier de Tr\u00e9vise. 1861. Drawing, watercolour. <br>Collection of Reunion departmental archives, inv. 40FI47<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In the middle of the garden, a green arbour and screen separating the family from the sugar factory and the workers\u2019 camp, two houses, each with an upper floor, were linked up by a closed three-windowed veranda, used as a reception room. This opened out onto the office of the sugar-producer, onto another veranda turned towards the \u2018mountain winds\u2019, and the large three-windowed dining room. The decoration of the pediment, the layout of the mansion with its vast esplanade, its location facing the harbour where the ships that were behind the success of the family could be seen sailing in, reflected the rich factory-owner\u2019s desire to impress.<br>Gabriel de Kerv\u00e9guen died in a carriage accident in Paris on 4th March 1860; he is buried in the P\u00e8re Lachaise cemetery.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69e1f1d7b39b4&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1200\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/11-Tombe-de-G-de-Kerveguen-au-P\u00bfre-Lachaise.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13376\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/11-Tombe-de-G-de-Kerveguen-au-P\u00bfre-Lachaise.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/11-Tombe-de-G-de-Kerveguen-au-P\u00bfre-Lachaise-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/11-Tombe-de-G-de-Kerveguen-au-P\u00bfre-Lachaise-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/11-Tombe-de-G-de-Kerveguen-au-P\u00bfre-Lachaise-768x1152.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tomb of Louis-Marie-Gabriel Le Coat de Kerveguen, P\u00e8re Lachaise cemetery (Paris). 2012. Photograph. <br>Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>He is an example of the transition from classic agriculture to agriculture producing maximum profit. He applied the change from planter to capitalist entrepreneur. Sugar and sugar-cane were no longer simply grown on the land, but were based on wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Denis-Andr\u00e9 Le Coat de Kerv\u00e9guen (1833-1908), his eldest son, having lost his mother at a very early age, was raised by the family\u2019s servants at <em>Casernes <\/em>and was beloved of his aunts, including the painter Ad\u00e8le Ferrand, wife of his uncle Denis\u2011Fran\u00e7ois.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69e1f1d7b4446&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"879\" height=\"1200\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/12-Denis-Andre-de-Kerveguen.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13380\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/12-Denis-Andre-de-Kerveguen.jpg 879w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/12-Denis-Andre-de-Kerveguen-220x300.jpg 220w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/12-Denis-Andre-de-Kerveguen-750x1024.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/12-Denis-Andre-de-Kerveguen-768x1048.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Denis Andr\u00e9 Le Coat de Kerv\u00e9guen. 19th century. Painting. <br>Private collection<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>After a short period studying at the<em> Coll\u00e8ge Royal <\/em>in Saint-Denis, his father, wishing to preserve the family\u2019s fortune, associated him in the family\u2019s business through a limited partnership. After his father\u2019s death, he decided to modernise the family\u2019s industrial heritage, associating his brother-in-law Hippolyte Mortier (1835-1892) in the company <em>Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 Le Coat\u2011Tr\u00e9vise<\/em>. The company sold off the less profitable establishments (Piton Rouge and Etang Sal\u00e9) and with the fruits of the sales invested in new machines. The company\u2019s flagship factory was the one in Quartier Fran\u00e7ais, reconstructed from 1870.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69e1f1d7b5005&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"785\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/13-Usine-de-Quartier-Francais-MLD_ME_2020_1_6_67.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/13-Usine-de-Quartier-Francais-MLD_ME_2020_1_6_67.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/13-Usine-de-Quartier-Francais-MLD_ME_2020_1_6_67-300x196.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/13-Usine-de-Quartier-Francais-MLD_ME_2020_1_6_67-1024x670.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/13-Usine-de-Quartier-Francais-MLD_ME_2020_1_6_67-768x502.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Factory of Quartier Fran\u00e7ais. 1889. Henri Georgi. Photograph. <br>Collection of L\u00e9on Dierx art gallery, Hibon donation, inv. ME_2020_1_6_67 <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Equipped with triple-process boilers, a grinder, filters to purify the massecuite, it led to the closure of neighbouring establishments. Managed by reliable men more or less related to the family, the factories manufactured products (sugar and rum) that received awards at universal exhibitions such as that of 1867. At the end of the century, Denis-Andr\u00e9 de Kerv\u00e9guen sold several of his plots of land (in Le Tampon and Saint-Pierre). The island went through a serious economic crisis, intensified by the sums of money owed to the <em>Cr\u00e9dit Foncier Colonial<\/em>. Kerv\u00e9guen attempted to compensate for these difficulties by investing in New Caledonia, at the request of the governor Guillain, former commander of the Naval base of Bourbon (1836-1839). However, the company <em>Ouam\u00e9nie-Le Coat<\/em>, founded with the Reunionese Nas de Tourris, only survived for twenty years or so. Unlike his father, Denis-Andr\u00e9 often travelled to mainland France, where he married the sister of Fran\u00e7ois de Mahy at the ch\u00e2teau d\u2019Escoire (Dordogne). His children were born in his house in the Faubourg Saint Honor\u00e9. Though he maintained close contact with his businesses in Reunion, and despite several periods sitting on the island\u2019s General Council, he began to organise the return to mainland France of a family that had become rich thanks to the native land of his ancestors. He died in Paris in February 1908, after associating his son Robert in his business, again through a limited partnership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Born in Paris in September 1875, Robert Le Coat de Kerv\u00e9guen was the second son of Denis-Andr\u00e9 Le Coat de Kerv\u00e9guen and Ad\u00e8le de Mahy, Fran\u00e7ois de Mahy\u2019s sister<span class=\"NOTE_MARKER\" rel=\"0.789373571674455\" aria-label=\"Doctor, anti-clerical member of Parliament, minister of the Navy and the Colonies (interested in the colonisation of Madagascar), minister of Agriculture (1830-1906).\">&nbsp;<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69e1f1d7b5edc&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"860\" height=\"973\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/14-Robert-de-Kerveguen.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13388\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/14-Robert-de-Kerveguen.jpg 860w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/14-Robert-de-Kerveguen-265x300.jpg 265w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/14-Robert-de-Kerveguen-768x869.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Robert Le Coat de Kerveguen. Photograph. <br>Private collection<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>After attending the Coll\u00e8ge Stanislas, Robert studied medicine, while participating in escapades along with other dandies of the Reunionese diaspora. Back in Reunion, he practised medicine at the thermal baths in Salazie, but did not open his own surgery. After the death of his father, through a new limited company, created by him, a relation of his brother-in-law (Rochechouart-Mortemart) and his aunt Emma, Mortier\u2019s widow, he took charge of the family business, modernising (process of crushing the massecuite, installation of Weston hydraulic turbines) and rationalising the industrial equipment. The factory in Le Tampon was closed down (1902). Investments were concentrated on the establishments of Casernes (which centralised the sugar-cane from the estates of Le Tampon), Quartier Fran\u00e7ais (destroyed by a fire 1899, immediately reconstructed and equipped with American installations) and Le Gol (of which the purchase in 1902 resulted in heavy debts for the company). Having become, with the <em>Cr\u00e9dit Foncier Colonial<\/em>, the island\u2019s main producer and industrialist, he was appointed chairman of the union of sugar producers in 1908. The activity was interspersed with events judged to be scandalous by the Creole society of the time, notably Robert\u2019s liaison with the actress Mlle Deverne, for whom he purchased the \u2018chateau\u2019 of Bel Air (Le Tampon)<span class=\"NOTE_MARKER\" rel=\"0.9488076493277444\" aria-label=\"One of the main sets for the shooting of Truffaut\u2019s film La sir\u00e8ne du Mississipi (1969).\">&nbsp;<\/span> before marrying Augustine de Vill\u00e8le (1917).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69e1f1d7b6a56&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/15-Chateau-de-Bel-Air-au-Tampon.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13392\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/15-Chateau-de-Bel-Air-au-Tampon.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/15-Chateau-de-Bel-Air-au-Tampon-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/15-Chateau-de-Bel-Air-au-Tampon-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/15-Chateau-de-Bel-Air-au-Tampon-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Bel-Air \u2018ch\u00e2teau\u2019 at Le Tampon. 2011. Photograph. <br>Thierry Caro, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p> There was also a long struggle, with alternating virulent criticisms, petty mean actions and reprimands, led by Father Rognard, revolted by the destitute nature of Kerv\u00e9guen\u2019s settlers. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69e1f1d7b7615&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1037\" height=\"1200\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/16-Pere-Rognard-20240412_153547.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13396\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/16-Pere-Rognard-20240412_153547.jpg 1037w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/16-Pere-Rognard-20240412_153547-259x300.jpg 259w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/16-Pere-Rognard-20240412_153547-885x1024.jpg 885w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/16-Pere-Rognard-20240412_153547-768x889.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Portrait of Father Eug\u00e8ne Rognard. Photograph. <br>Collection of Reunion bishopric<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Like many company directors, foreseeing the assisted nature of the population following the abolition of slavery, Robert de Kerv\u00e9guen decided to go into politics. He defended the interests of the sugar-producers before the Doumergue government, was member of a delegation at the permanent sugar commission (Brussels), aimed at securing their representation; from 1903, he was member of the French Colonial Union. In 1914, he stood as conservative candidate at the legislative elections against Georges Boussenot, counting on the votes of his dependents, workers and settlers. After a particularly violent electoral campaign, Kerv\u00e9guen, representing a truly conservative vision of a Reunionese society immobilised through ignorance and submission to those in power, lost the election. On March 20th 1920, for reasons more or less unclear \u2013 failure in politics, family issues, fear of harmful land reform, international uncertainty regarding the future of the colonies, opportunity to take advantage of a peak in sugar prices \u2013 he sold all of the family\u2019s assets in Reunion to the company <em>Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 Fonci\u00e8re Maurice-R\u00e9union Limited<\/em>, though retaining only part of the fruits of the sale. In addition, the debts of Le Gol were not entirely paid off. We have the impression of a mismatch with the realities of the island, as well as a certain weariness. Returning to mainland France, Robert de Kerv\u00e9guen bought the ch\u00e2teau of de Vigny (French Vexin) and died in Paris in April 1934.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69e1f1d7b8073&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"936\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/17-Chateau-de-Vigny.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/17-Chateau-de-Vigny.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/17-Chateau-de-Vigny-300x234.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/17-Chateau-de-Vigny-1024x799.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/17-Chateau-de-Vigny-768x599.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">North entrance of the ch\u00e2teau of Vigny. 2007. Photograph. <br>Ruizo, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In the society of Bourbon during the life of the first two Kerv\u00e9guen, the absence of titles and noble ancestors left the way open solely to money. Ultimately, money could be associated with speculation, if, through personal ambition as from the 1820s and 30s, there had not also been the desire to place more and more importance on extending the company.<br>After them, Robert de Kerv\u00e9guen only saw money as being a facilitator, not as a symbol of position in the society. Personal income made it possible to be well considered in the society, to assert one\u2019s rank, furthering one\u2019s career. However, the era of all-powerful sugar planters came to an end in the 1880s. The logic of universal suffrage, made invisible through the paternalism and assistance that reigned in Reunion at the time, intensified by legislation through the unions, led to the emergence of a new generation of political and union leaders (Gasparin, Boussenot), whose objective was to improve the conditions and income of the island\u2019s workers. The profit margins of the sugar producers decreased in accordance.<br>The feeling that the war, in some way, contributed to putting an end to the prosperity and security of the bourgeoisie, henceforth scattered over the island, also explains his departure, soon to go hand in hand with his fading from people\u2019s memories.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":13334,"parent":6965,"menu_order":30,"template":"","class_list":["post-13459","documentaire","type-documentaire","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/documentaire\/13459","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/documentaire"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/documentaire"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/documentaire\/6965"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13459"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}