National Archives Department

October in the history of Mauritius

 31 October 1714 – The French minister of the Seas, Louis de Pontchartrain, delivered the royal instructions to Dufresne D’Arsel, Commander of vessel ‘Le Chasseur’ to take possession of the Mauritius in the name of the Sun King Louis XIV and named it ‘Ile De France’

29 October 1721: Garnier Du Fougeray landed at the Ile Aux Tonneliers to officially mark the ascension of Ile De France into the French Monarchy.

23/24 October 1723: Arrival of Betrand Francois Mahé de Labourdonnais from Bourbon aboard vessel L’Argonaute.

12 October 1725: First census conducted under the French East India company showed that the population of Ile de France at that time was 213.

25 October 1725: Upon the observation of Governor Denis De Nyon, the first geographical mapping of Mauritius was done.

19 October 1736: Mahé De Labourdonnais lodged a complaint against M. De Tredillac, Captain of the vessels Prince de Conti.

06 October 1737: L’Abée Igou solemnly named Priest of the newly constructed Saint Louis church, situated in the vicinities of the Royal Street.

08 October 1746: Royal orders to name Pierre Felix Berthelemy David, new Governor of Ile de France to replace Mahé De Labourdonnais. He took an oath in the presence of Didier De Saint Martin.

14 October 1750: Departure of Bouvet de Lozier for Bourbon aboard vessel La Paix.

26 October 1769 – Governor Dumas on behalf of the King takes the Chateau du Reduit from the French East India Company and declares it as his new permanent residence.

18 October 1773 – A major feast was organised by Baron Benyowsky at Grand Riviere Nord Ouest. The Governor Chevalier De Ternay was invited. This was reported by the newspaper Annonce et Affiche de la Colonie.

22 October 1773 – Fake notes of 100 and 1000 livres were to be in circulation at the Place D’Armes.

10 October 1775 – The Land Tribunal authorised Nicolas Dodin to build a canal from the Tombeau River to Port Louis, to supply water to the capital city.

05 October 1778 – Death of Rene Magon, former governor of Ile De France and Bourbon on his habitation situated at Ville Bague at Pamplemousses.

24 October 1782 – Arrival of Chevalier De Tromelin aboard vessel La Corvette.

22 October 1787 – Arrival of Antoine Raymond de Bruni, chevalier D’Entrecasteaux from India aboard ‘The Resolution.’ He is named Governor of Ile de France replacing Viscount Francois De Souillac. 

22 October 1794 – A battle at Vieux Grand Port between the French and British navy fleets took place which included the French vessels Cybele, Le Coureur and La Prudente. The British fleets were comprised of the impressive vessels Centurion and Diomede.

09 October 1801 – The Society of Arts and Sciences of de L’Ile de France submitted to the Colonial Assembly their statutes for further ratification.

30 October 1802 – The French Colonial Assembly voted for the election for life of Napoleon Bonaparte to the consulate of France.

02 October 1803 – Creation of the post of Civil Commissioners. These commissioners were given the responsibility of the Registers of Birth, Death and Marriages. It was the first time in the history of the country that the words ‘Civil Status Acts’ were used.

15 October 1805 – Promulgation of the Civil Code

16 October 1805 – The Muslim community received the authorisation to construct the first Mosque of Ile De France.

19 October 1805 – Birth of Gustave Hippolyte Emilien, son of General Decean and Marie Anne Bichon De Barrois. He would later be christened Charles Ile de France.

06 October 1810: Arrival at Rodrigues and Reunion Island from Madras of an impressive British squadron ahead of the capture of Ile de France on 03 December of the same year.

01 October 1811 – A weekly gazette is introduced in the colony where the British publishes freely all government orders, proclamations and Notices. Mr Caunter is named Superintendent of the Press and chief translator of the English and French Language.

10 October 1811 –Charles Telfair was nominated as Curator at Port Louis, Bourbon and all dependencies

14 October 1817: The title of Royal College was given to the Colonial College. In October 1824, the college was rebuilt.

10 October 1829 –Departure of Adrien D’Epinay aboard vessels Candian. He returned on October in 1831.

19 October 1831 – As per ordinance No 78 of 1831, the name of the Court of Appeal have been repealed and the name of the Supreme Court given.

03 October 1833 – A proclamation was decreed regarding the Abolition of slavery.

18 October 1833 – Legal proceeding started against Le Cerneen against a seditious article.

23 October 1845 – Shipwreck of Gustave Edouard (Captain Negret) at Poste Lafayette with 12 passengers and a fleet of around 17 men of which many died.

17 October 1848 –A petition to the Government in London was sent for an establishment of corporation municipal at Port Louis.

27 October 1853 –  Meeting of some most affluent planters at that time at La Loge de Triple Esperance in Port Louis so as to set up what will be called later the Chamber of Agriculture.

10 October 1854 – Departure of Doctor Charles Edward Brown Sequard aboard the vessel Ratcliff.

14 October 1864: Ascension of the Pieter Both by a group of tourists comprised of the Captain Johnson, Lieutenant Simons and B. Greene.

22 October 1865 – The first passenger train to circulate in Mauritius from  Port Louis to Mahebourg.

12 October 1871 – Establishment of the Mauritius Riffle Society.

27 October 1875 – Arrival of scientific expedition from Germany to study the transit of Planet Venus. Docteur Low et Pechule installed their conversation centre in the region of Plaine Magnien.

11 October 1877 – First edition of the Mercantile Record was founded by J.I Cohen De Lissa.

25 October 1877 – Fire outbreak at L’Hotel de L’univers caused massive damage to the Mauritius Institute.

30 October 1878 – Arrival of the Sultan of Johannah, Abdullah and his son Prince Selim.

04 October 1878 – Le Cerneen published the petition sent to Queen Victoria, relative to the constitutional reforms.

29 October 1883 – Inauguration of the telephone service in Mauritius.

26 October 1892 – During excavation works conducted at the Royal College of Port Louis, the government engineer Emile Pitot discovered a box made of heavy lead containing gold and silver coins as well as a minute of proceedings taken during the laying down of the first stone at the Royal College in 1806 which was then called Le Lycee Colonial des Ilse De France.

30 October 1892– Arrival of Janson in the colony. Notoriously famous for being a crook and a usurper, he came on the island as a Dutch Amiral named Welson and was even received at Le Reduit by the Govenor Sir Hubert Jerningham.

30 October 1894 – The termination of works of the Tombeau Malartic at the Champ De Mars which was partially destroyed during the cyclone of 1892.

30 October 1901 – Arrival of Mohundass Karamchand Gandhi known as Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa. He was received by governor Charles Bruce and departed on the 19th November of the same year.

25 October 1910 – American Philanthropist Andrew Carnegie proposed the creation of a public library to the board of commissioners of Curepipe. The collection of books belonging to Adrien d’Epinay were kept there.

26 October 1912 – Laying of the foundation stone ahead of the construction of the Royal College of Curepipe by the governor Sir John Robert Chancellor.

27 October 1920 – Death of Robert Balfour at Rosehill; He was Consul of Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Germany. He was also president of the Mauritian Chamber of Commerce.

30 October 1934 – Pierre De Sornay, president of the Alliance Francaise is made Knight of the Legion of Honour of France.

23 October 1937 – Arrival of Governor Sir Bede Clifford aboard the vessel Bernadin de Saint Piere.

08 October 1946 – For the first time an unofficial member (Dr Edgar Laurent) presided our legislative council.

18 October 1946 – Andre Raffray, celebrated lawyer is named King’s Counsel.

15 October 1947 – Ceremony to celebrate the 100 years of the Diocese of Port Louis at the Saint Louis Cathedral.

24 October 1947 – Delegation left for Madagascar to discuss economic relations between Madagascar and Mauritius.

04 October 1948 – The opening of the Indian High commission.

25 October 1949 – Bus owners and Railway workers go on strike.

07 October 1951 – Severe mutiny took place  at the Beau Bassin Prisons

22 October 1951 – A.M. Osman and R. Seeneevassen appointed to sit on the Executive Council.

15 October 1955 – Visit of Lieutenant General W. Lathbury, Commander in Chief East Africa.

07 October 1960 – Arrival of J. Bermondy, French Consul to Mauritius.

19 October 1962 – Inauguration of Cite Vallijee built by the Central Housing Authority at Cassis

07 October 1963 – Laying of the foundation stone of Hopital du Nord on the site of former Royal Alfred Observatory.

26 October 1964 – Dr. Maurice Cure was nominated member of Legislative Assembly.

03 October 1965 – Unveiling at Robert Edward Hart garden of monument commemorating 250th anniversary of French settlement in Mauritius.

03 October 1966 – Celebration of the 150th anniversary of the death of Remy Ollier. A monument in his honour was inaugurated the following day at Mahebourg.

24 October 1967 – The commonwealth secretary announced that Mauritius would become independent on 12 March 1968.

28 October 1967 – Arrival of William Hussey, American Consul for Mauritius.

26 October 1968 – Mauritius instituted as the 125th Member of the UNESCO.