François Joseph Depons
François Raymond Joseph Depons, sometimes abbreviated as F.J. Depons (1751–1812)[1] was a French government official and author who is most known for his documents and books regarding his travels in South America and the Caribbean.
Born in Soustons,[1] France in 1751, Depons left France and arrived in Saint Domingue (modern day Haiti) around 1790 where he commented on the political situation in a few of his authored works. He resided in Ouanaminthe.[2] However, by 1801, due to the ongoing revolt on the island he moved to Caracas in Venezuela, where he worked as a diplomat and political correspondent.[3] It was in Venezuela where he wrote his most known work entitled, ‘A voyage to the eastern part of Terra Firma, or the Spanish Main, in South-America, during the years 1801, 1802, 1803, and 1804. Containing a description of the territory under the jurisdiction of the captain general of Caraccas, composed of the provinces of Venezuela, Maracaibo, Varinas, Spanish Guiana, Cumana, and the island of Margaretta; and embracing every thing relative to the discovery, conquest, topography, legislation, commerce, finance, inhabitants and productions of the provinces, together with a view of the manners and customs of the Spaniards, and the savage as well as civilized Indians.’[4] (Originally in French). Depons included maps of Caracas and the ports surrounding the city created by various Cartographers such as Jean-Baptiste Poirson,[5] and Pierre Antoine Tardieu.[3] The book spanned three volumes in total, being completed in 1805 in France. It was then produced in English in 1806 by an American in New York,[6][3] being published in England around the same time.[3] Depons estimated that the town of Caracas had a population of around 40,000 out of a total 700,000 people in the colony.[7] Depons and another French settler and author called Jean-François Dauxion-Lavaysse noted that the French immigrants to Paria were the “true founders of the town of Güiria”, Güiria being a town with heavy French influence during the time.[8]
In 1807 he produced another book called ‘Perspective on the political and commercial relations of France in the two Indies, under the reigning dynasty.’[9]
Depons spent the rest of his life in France and died in Paris in 1812.[1]
Works
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1790 | Observations sur la situation politique de Saint-Domingue | Book |
| 1790 | Rapport de MM. le marquis de Cadusch, Brulley & de Pons, nommés commissaires pour l'examen de la déclaration sur interprétation, par M. le gouverneur général de Saint-Domingue. | Document |
| 1791 | Recueils de pièces imprimées concernant les débats à l'Assemblée Nationale, mai 1791, colonies, décrets 12 et 15 mai, gens de couleur | Collection of documents |
| 1791 | Question des hommes de couleur, libres, ajournée à mercredi prochain 11 mai 1791 | Document |
| 1791 | Réflexions sur quelques articles du plan de constitution envoyé par l'Assemblée nationale à la colonie de Saint-Domingue | Essay |
| 1791 | Les colonies françoises aux sociétés d'agriculture, aux manufactures, et aux fabriques de France | Short 37 page book |
| 1792 | La question politique des affranchis et descendans d'affranchis | Essay |
| 1800 | Résultats de la cession de la partie espagnole de Saint-Domingue, faite a la France par le Traité de Bale | Document |
| 1806 | Voyage à la partie orientale de la Terre-Ferme, dans l'Amérique méridionale, fait pendant les années 1801, 1802, 1803 et 1804 | Book |
| 1807 | Perspective des rapports politiques et commerciaux de la France dans les deux Indes, sous la dynastie régnante | Book |
References
- 1 2 3 "François-Joseph de Pons (1751-1812?)". data.bnf.fr. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
- ↑ Pons, François-Joseph de (1751-1812?) Auteur du texte (1790). Observations sur la situation politique de Saint-Domingue . Par M. de Pons, habitant du quartier d'Ouanaminthe, isle & côte de St-Domingue.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - 1 2 3 4 Ciudad, Fundación Arquitectura y (2023-02-12). "Francois Raimond Joseph De Pons". Fundación Arquitectura y Ciudad (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-04-22.
- ↑ Pons, François Raymond Joseph de (1806). Voyage à la partie orientale de la Terre-ferme, dans l'Amérique méridionale fait pendant les années 1801, 1802, 1803 et 1804 (in French). F. Buisson.
- ↑ "Jean-Baptiste Poirson (1761-1831)". Archives départementales de Seine-et-Marne (in French). Retrieved 2026-04-22.
- ↑ Pons, F. J. de; Mitchill, Samuel L.; Irving, Washington (1806). A voyage to the eastern part of Terra Firma, or the Spanish Main, in South-America, during the years 1801, 1802, 1803, and 1804. Containing a description of the territory under the jurisdiction of the captain general of Caraccas, composed of the provinces of Venezuela, Maracaibo, Varinas, Spanish Guiana, Cumana, and the island of Margaretta; and embracing every thing relative to the discovery, conquest, topography, legislation, commerce, finance, inhabitants and productions of the provinces, together with a view of the manners and customs of the Spaniards, and the savage as well as civilized Indians. New York: I. Riley and co.
- ↑ "» La visión del viajero" (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 2026-04-22.
- ↑ Ferreira, Jo-Anne (2009). "The history and future of Patuá in Paria". Journal of Pidgin and Creole languages: 19.
- ↑ "François-Joseph de Pons (1751-1812?)". data.bnf.fr (in French). Retrieved 2026-04-22.