Réunion Island, France Colonial Records

French Colonization (1642-1946)
Previously known as the Island of Bourbon, Réunion Island was claimed by France in 1643 when twelve convicts were exiled there. In 1665, settlers were sent to the island by the French East Indian Company to begin actual colonization. Réunion Island became an overseas department and region of France in 1946.

British Colonization (1810-1815)
During the Napoleonic War of 1810, France lost control of Réunion to the British. In 1815, under the Treaty of Paris, the island was returned to the French.