Profiles: Heroes, Role Models and Pioneers of Trinidad and Tobago - by Nasser Khan

1 The Early Days PHILIPPE-ROSE ROUME DE ST. LAURENT (1743-1805) H e first came to Trinidad from Grenada in 1777, invited by the Spanish who wanted people to settle here. Being a lover of nature, he felt that Trinidad was the place for him since no development had yet taken place. He was amazed by its beauty, its fertile soil, its flora and fauna. He then invited the French people of Grenada to come to Trinidad after presenting a proposal to the Spanish to provide encouragement to them. He had to go to Spain where he met with King Charles III who accepted his proposal and a cedula (permit) was declared for the settlement and development of Trinidad in 1783. Therefore, it was because of him that Trinidad was put on the road to development and much of the French customs and culture of our people all point to that historic moment when Roume first set eyes on Trinidad. He acquired land in Diego Martin where he settled with his family. He fell on hard times and later was made the joint administrator of Tobago. There are three documents from his time in Tobago at the West Indiana and Special Collections Division at UWI. GROS JEAN (Mid 1700’s - about 1820) G ros Jean was a slave on the Diego Martin estate of St. Hilaire Begorrat, a French planter who came to settle in Trinidad in 1784.