He was born, in Lille, France, in 1699; died in Valencia, Spain, in 1786.
He served the Spanish army, of which he was a general. Named forty-fifth viceroy of New Spain, he ruled from August 25, 1766 to September 22, 1771. His only principle was absolute obedience to the King, whom he always called “my master.” He had to execute the expulsion of the Jesuits ( June 25, 1767) and practicing the kidnapping of the Company's assets, with the effective help of the visitador Gálvez; and received the troops sent by Spain because of its war with England: the infantry regiments of Savoy, Flanders and Ultonia, which arrived in Veracruz on June 18, 1768, and those of Zamora, Guadalajara, Castile and Granada, which arrived later, making a total of 10,000 men.
Because of their white uniforms, these soldiers were called “blanquillos”, all of whom eventually returned to the metropolis. The officers of the Zamora regiment organized the militia corps. During the Croix administration, the castle of Perote was built, the area of the Alameda in Mexico City was doubled and the burner of the Holy Inquisition was removed from public view.
At the end of his mandate (January 13, 1771) the IV Mexican Council began, whose deliberations did not have the approval of the Council of the Indies or the Pope. Croix asked and obtained that the viceroy's salary be increased from 40,000 to 60,000 pesos annually. He introduced French food and fashions to Mexico. Upon retiring from the viceroyalty, Carlos III appointed him captain general of Valencia.
