French missionary who botanised with Charles Plumier in the West Indies. Labat brought many advances to the French Antilles over the course of 12 years living in Martinique, including new buildings and methods of sugar cultivation. In Europe he gained renown through his published accounts of life and natural history in the Caribbean.

Born in Paris, Labat entered the Dominican Order of Preachers at the age of 20 and after training in philosophy and theology taught philosophy in Nancy for some years. He was, however, filled with a desire to become a missionary overseas and obtained permission to travel to the French West Indies in 1693. He sailed to Martinique with the Franciscan monk and botanist, Pére Charles Plumier, with whom he collected plants over the course of the next year, while also looking after the parish of Macouba. Here he built a new church and other buildings. Labat travelled to Guadeloupe in 1696 to construct a cane mill and a canal for water power for the mill, and on his return to Martinique, later that year, was appointed procurator-general of all the Martinique Mission. He commenced work on a new presbytery at St. Pierre and applied himself to developing sugar cultivation, running the Fond-Saint-Jacques plantation with slave labour. The new techniques he invented became a model for the crop's production. Labat's name became well known around the Caribbean as he visited English and Dutch colonies (including Barbados, Grenada and St. Kitts), improving his knowledge of architecture and engineering. His engineering skills came to the fore in 1704 when he took an active part in the defence of the island during British attacks. In the same year he was appointed Vice-Préfet Apostolique. He remained in the West Indies until 1706, when he sailed for Italy to report to his superiors on his work. Though he wished to return to the Americas he was detained in Rome for several years.

Labat never did return to the Caribbean, but moved to Paris in 1716, where he commenced work on a long history of the West Indies, published in six volumes in 1722. The series, Nouveau Voyage aux iles de l'Amérique, was reprinted in a second edition in 1742 and translated into several other languages. He wrote a number of further tomes, including works on Africa. Labat's attitudes to slavery and piracy are of note: he was not against either and openly admitted to purchasing plundered goods taken by the famous pirate, Captain Kidd.

Sources:
J. Eaden (trans), J.B. Labat, 1970, The memoirs of Pére Labat, 1693-1705: xviii
P. Gosse in ibid: xiv.