Etienne Francois Le Juge de Segrais was born on 20 May 1709 in Port-Louis, Brittany, France.
Etienne Le Juge de Segrais was a French settler and Councillor in the Superior Council of Isle de France.
In 1750 Le Juge de Segrais purchased a property in Pamplemousses which he named Mon Goust. He established a true acclimatisation garden there.
By 1763, Mon Goust had an inventory of over 800 trees, representing some 60 species brought from all over the world.
Le Juge de Segrais introduced several varieties of mangoes, oranges, the litchi, the cocoa tree, the attier, the colatier, the Opuntia or raquette of Brazil which was used in defense works.
The bamboo (Bambusa multiplex) which Le Juge de Segrais also introduced to isle de France is used all over the island as hedges.
In Reunion Island he introduced a rose which is today called the “rose Bourbon“.
When Pierre Poivre and Jean Nicolas Céré developed the Botanic Garden; the plants were mainly taken from Mon Goust and later propagated at Mon Plaisir Estate.
Le Juge de Segrais lived in a modest building. He passed away on 28 January 1766 in Port Louis, Mauritius at the age of 65 years.
His house was demolished by his descendants to construct a manor-style building in 1803. It was a big two-storeyed building measuring 21m long by 15m50 large and sat atop a high terrace circling the building. It resembled a French residence of the 18th century.