Grand Anse from Plantation to Factory

The slave Sébastien must have been born in the 1800s, on the habitation that preceded the existence of the factory, which extended into it. GRAND ANSE, created 3 years before the abolition of slavery, is the oldest factory still in operation in Guadeloupe.

Sébastien comes from a family in Grande-Anse, where there are poisonous sorcerers, and his sister Madeleine, whom he often sees, could well provide him with poison.

Sugar production at Marie Galante began in the early 1660s, at the end of the Carib resistance: hunted, robbed and massacred for a quarter of a century, they retreated to Dominica and St Vincent after the ‘peace treaty’ of 1660. This peace gave new impetus to the colonisation movement; by 1666, Marie Galante had 496 inhabitants, including 209 slaves. Finally, in 1654, the sugar industry really took off in Guadeloupe, thanks to the arrival on the island of former Dutch planters expelled from Brazil by the Portuguese, who taught the French colonists how to produce sugar. The settlers of Marie-Galante soon installed sugar mills on their houses; in 1665, Daniel Thauvet was the 5th to do so, on the hill opposite the present factory.

In the years that followed, Marie-Galante experienced its own ‘sugar revolution’. At the same time, the number of slaves imported from Africa more than tripled. On the eve of the revolution, the Grand Anse house had changed hands several times. There were 35 slaves of all ages.

Under the Restoration and at the beginning of the July Monarchy, the sugar industry of Marie-Galante experienced an extraordinary growth spurt. In about twenty years, the island’s production potential doubled.

In 1843, the estate was still the same size, with 22 hectares of sugarcane and 90 slaves. In 1844, the owner sold 3 hectares of uncultivated land to the Compagnie des Antilles to build a factory. The cane was processed at the Grand Anse factory and from 1845 the sugar factory was no longer in operation.

From 1845, the factory was equipped with steam engines and generators served by an imposing chimney. The effects of the crisis following the abolition of slavery in 1848 were felt until almost the beginning of the 1860s. Throughout this period, Grande-Anse remained the only factory on Marie-Galante and apparently experienced many difficulties due to a lack of cane and workforce. Production remained low, and was unable to sustainably exceed pre-1848 levels.

The factory continued to modernise, however, and expanded its land holdings by annexing neighbouring plantations. Following the closure of the island’s many windmills, Grand Anse processed most of the sugar cane produced on the west island. The factory’s land area also grew steadily, reaching 2,900 hectares by 1900. However, this period coincided with the worst of the world sugar crisis. The population was plunged into misery. The cyclone of 1928 led to the closure of the 3 other factories of Marie Galante, thus ensuring its monopoly.

A land reform launched in 1963 allowed 344 small planters to acquire land. By 1967, Grand Anse had become the most modern factory in Guadeloupe. By 1980, the estate was flourishing and making substantial profits.

Since 1994, the plant has been managed by SA-SRMG (Sucrerie rhumerie de Marie Galante) with support from Europe, the French government and the region. In 2001, the walls and land were purchased by the Marie Galante municipalities.

In recent years, the plant’s future has been threatened by a lack of investment, the critical age of its production facilities, environmental issues and the end of European support for sugar prices. A planned thermal power station also clouded the future and image of the factory. Its condition continued to deteriorate and closure seemed inevitable.

Today, the factory still employs around sixty permanent workers throughout the year. They are joined during the campaign (cane harvest and sugar production) by about a hundred seasonal workers, all Marie Galantais. The campaign lasts a maximum of four months, two and a half months in bad years. The permanent workers then start to dismantle the machines, piece by piece, in order to restore them to working order. At the beginning of the year, the plant is completely reassembled.

In 2021, the campaign was suddenly interrupted 2 days after the start: the boiler had just imploded. The mobilisation of permanent and seasonal workers, who occupied the plant for weeks, ensured that repairs were carried out. The boiler was renovated, the roof structure repaired and the 2022 campaign ran satisfactorily.

In 2023, major work was carried out to bring the plant up to environmental standards, with the construction of settling ponds for polluted water. Against all odds, Grand Anse is still breathing.