François-René-Jean de Pommereul (Fougères, 12 December 1745 – Paris, 5 January 1823)
Artillery student in 1765, lieutenant in 1766, captain in 1778, lieutenant colonel in the colonies in 1784, he came back as a captain. He was sent to the Kingdom of Naples in 1787, taking up service as a colonel, was subsequently promoted to brigadier colonel general inspector of artillery and engineers in 1788 and finally brigadier in 1790. In 1796 he returned to France, and was immediately promoted to brigadier in French service and member of the artillery’s central committee. In 1800 he became prefect of Indre et Loire, in 1805 prefect of the North. State councillor and baron in 1810. From 1811 to 1814 he was directeur général de l’imprimerie et librairie (General Director of Press and Book Publishing), in other words head of censorship. Among his numerous publications there is 1777. Artillerie. In Encyclopédie ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers, t. III, Geneva: Pellet: 533-577, while his Dictionnaire d’artillerie for the Encyclopédie méthodique was never published.