The new colonial intendant of Saint-Domingue tells his father about his appointment

Joseph-François Foulquier (1745-1789).

Autograph letter signed.

Paris, July 29, 1780.

4°. 4 pp., with address and postal seal on verso of the second sheet.

Foulquier served as the intendant of the French colonies of Saint-Domingue (Haiti), Guadeloupe, and Martinique. He was also a renowned painter and engraver, with a keen interest in natural sciences and astronomy. In 1786, he proposed the creation of a botanical garden in Saint-Pierre (Haiti) to the King, though this proposal was not accepted. Foulquier invited astronomers, physicists, and artists to these colonies and sent plant samples to the royal gardens. He is remembered today for his "grotesque and satirical compositions," which are preserved at institutions such as the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In this letter, written in Paris and addressed to his father, Foulquier shares his appointment as intendant of Saint-Domingue: "The King has just honoured me with a vast and highly honourable commission by entrusting me with the task of delivering to St. Domingue the new laws he has graciously granted to his Colonies. His Majesty has also tasked me with observing everything in the relations and organization of the Colonies that may be useful to the State; and he has honoured me with the post of Intendant of St. Domingue to administer it at the time when Mr. President de Bongard […] will leave his colony […]. No one has ever received a commission as vast and important as the one with which the King honours me at this moment." He intends to leave Paris on August 8 and he mentions a journey involving a "beautiful gentle trunk" that belongs to the Queen and refers to a house belonging to a master Hébrand. He also informs Mr. Raby, a merchant in Montmorillon, about the details of his upcoming journey.

Condition: paper torn where it was sealed, stain in the blank margin, otherwise in very good condition.