Between 1797 and 1799 more than a thousand priests were sentenced to transportation in French Guiana, because they refused to take the oath to the Civil Constitution of the Clergy (Constitution Civile du Clergé), to remain faithful to Christ and to his Church. These priests were from several dioceses in France and Belgium, and that’s from Rochefort they were embarked for French Guiana.

The first prison appeared in Sinnamary, when the France of the 18 fructidor deported without trial political opponents, intellectuals, priests. Among these deportees were: Barbé-Marbois, Tronson Ducoudray, the Marquis Barthélémy, the General Pichegru, the Abbot Brottier, Laffont Ladébat, Murinais, Billaud-Varenne et Collot d’Herbois.

The 18th of November 1799, a decree of Napoléon ended the deportation, but it is only the 7th of January 1800 it arrived in French Guiana. The decree allowed the return of priests convicted in France, unfortunately they were only ninety left. A trail leads to the Cemetery of the Fathers (Cimetière des Pères) along the Counamama.

Map: Trou Poissons - Cemetery of the Fathers
Map: Trou Poissons - Cemetery of the Fathers