Pierre Poivre

Pierre Poivre was a French missionary turned "physiocrat" and naturalist who worked in the French colony of Mauritius. He was involved in introducing the cultivation of numerous spices from Southeast Asia into Mauritius to make it a valuable colonial asset. He was appointed governor (Intendant) of the Ile de France (Mauritius) and Bourbon (Reunion) between 1766 and 1772. He established a botanical garden, Jardins des Pamplemousses, along with Philibert Commerson (1727-1773), at Mauritius. The English tongue-twister nursery rhyme "peter piper" is thought to have been derived from his name, poivre being "pepper" in French.