Laurent de Valernod

Laurent de Valernod was a gentleman of Dauphiné.[1] He was the son of Hugues de Valernod, seigneur de Fay and Anne de Mistral (1633–1687). He was baptized on 21 August 1669 at Saint-Vallier, Drôme, France.[2] Laurent de Valernod joined the army and became a captain of the grenadiers.[3] He became a knight to the Order of Saint Louis.[4]

In 1709 Valernod replaced M. de Bouloc, Governor of Grenada, who had died in 1708.[5] Valernod was taken from the regiment of Navarre to command in Grenada. The island was subordinate to Martinique at this time.[1] He left office in 1710 and was replaced by the Chevalier de Maupeou-Ribaudon (died 1725), a naval officer.[5]

On 22 September 1710 the king gave Valernod command of Tortuga and the coast of Saint-Domingue.[6] A letter of 23 September 1710 told François-Joseph, comte de Choiseul-Beaupré that the king had relieved him of his duties as governor of Saint-Domingue.[7] Also on 23 September 1710 the Secrétariat d'État à la Marine wrote to Valernod informing him of his appointment as governor of Saint-Domingue in place of Choiseul, and wrote to the intendant Jean-Jacques Mithon de Senneville on the same subject.[8] Letters of 24 December 1710 discussed the reorganization of the administration of Saint-Domingue, cooperation with Mithon, administration of justice and the plans by the engineer Cauvet for fortifications at Petit-Goave. A letter of 6 February 1711 discussed road maintenance, buccaneers, discipline of the Negros and other subjects.[8]

Valernod was received at Le Cap on 7 February 1711 and by the council of Petit-Goâve on 5 May 1711.[4] Valernod and Mithon issued an ordinance on 1 May 1711 requiring all the settlers to report the number of blacks and mulattoes that were working for them, on pain of having undeclared negros confiscated.[9] Valernod died in Petit-Goâve on 24 May 1711. Jean-Pierre de Charitte took over as interim governor.[4]