When the French Revolution began in 1789,
the colony in Seychelles consisted of 69
French, including three soldiers, 32 free
‘coloureds’ and 487 slavers. In 1790 the
French community, fired by the new spirit
of revolution, set up their own Assembly
and Committee, announcing independence
from the Isle de France. But the newly
independent colony did not last long. One by
one the great declarations of independence
were dropped, particularly the abolition of
slavery, which was not at all popular with
the colonists. Eventually it was agreed that
the powers of the committee should be
given to a new commandant who would
be able to govern more effectively. The
new commandant was a popular choice:
Captain Queau de Quinssy (later spelled
Quincy). He was not only the longest serving
Governor of the colony, but also achieved
the most during the long troubled years
of the Napoleonic Wars. During the wars
the islands changed hands between the
French and the English several times, and
it was Quincy who repeatedly capitulated
to avoid bloodshed. It was soon agreed
that Seychelles should be a neutral port
to the English and the French and so
the settlers avoided the conflicts and
blockades that other Indian Ocean ports
suffered. This also suited the many French
corsairs who were sailing the Indian
Ocean plundering enemy ships: Mahé
became a popular port of call for many of
the most notorious corsairs of the day.
Lured by the advantage of having
strategic points on the route between
India and the Cape, the British fought for
Seychelles and Isle de France. In 1810, after
a long blockade, Isle de France capitulated
and the British renamed it Mauritius. That
Seychelles would become British property
was now guaranteed, and duly occurred
in 1814. Quincy remained in office under
British rule and died on Mahé in 1827
at the age of 79. He was buried with full
honours near Government House, where
his impressive grave still stands today.It was soon agreed
that Seychelles
should be a neutral
port to the English
and the French
and so the settlers
avoided the conflicts
and blockades that
other Indian Ocean
ports suffered.The History of TheSEYCHELLES