Claude de Roux de Saint-Laurent

King Louis XIV of France remained sovereign of the islands, and Poincy was confirmed as governor of Saint Christophe.

After Poincy died in 1660 the order, which had still not paid all the purchase money, appointed Charles de Sales the new governor.

[3] The Hospitallers ceded the islands to France in 1665, when Saint-Laurent was lieutenant governor, passing ownership to the new French West India Company.

Fighting began on 21 April 1666 (Gregorian calendar), and the French routed the numerically superior English forces two days later.

[6] Saint-Laurent gave the English settlers the choice of selling up and leaving the island with their slaves and personal effects or becoming subjects of the King of France.

[4] On 17 January 1667 Lieutenant General Antoine Lefèbvre de La Barre arrived in Saint Christophe after having examined all the coasts of Montserrat with a view to invasion.

La Barre learned that the garrison of Governor Roger Osborne included many Irish Catholics of dubious loyalty, and decided to land a few days later.

[9] An English squadron commanded by Sir John Berry entered the Caribbean and blockaded Saint Christophe.

[11] The English stayed out of range of the cannons of the fortifications, but kept frigates off the harbour of Saint Christophe to prevent any French ships entering.

[13] In an effort to relieve the blockade La Barre and the governor of Martinique, Robert de Clodoré combined their forces with the Dutch commander Abraham Crijnssen.

[15] An English invasion force under Henry Willoughby of 14 warships and 15 or 16 barques carrying soldiers reached Saint Christophe on 17 June 1667.

[21] When war broke out between England and France in 1688 the governor general of the Antilles, Blénac, decided that to ensure the safety of the French on the island he must expel the English.