LA MARDELLE, Guillaume Francois de (lah'-mar'-del'), West Indian jurist, born in the city of Santo Domingo in 1732; died in Tours, France, 19 January, 1813. He studied law, and, while filling the office of attorney-general of the superior court at Port au Prince, made a special study of slavery and the administration of justice in the colony, aiming to better the condition of the slaves and to improve the proceedings of the courts. While he was in France for his health he presented to Marshal Castries a memoir on these subjects, which was approved by the government, and its author rewarded with a seat in the council of state. In 1786 he returned to his native country, where he carried out his ideas, though they met strong opposition. He published "Eloge du Comte d'Ennery," with an appendix on the administration of justice in the colony, the first work of the kind which appeared in the colonies (Paris and Port au Prince, 1789). When the revolution began in Hayti he went to France, taking up his residence at Tours. where he published "Reforme judiciaire en France" (Paris, 1806) and philosophical and metaphysical works.