St Helena's most famous "resident" was Napoleon Bonaparte, who was exiled here by the British after his second defeat. He arrived in 1816 and lived here for 19 years before his death. Because Napoleon had previously escaped his first island exile from Elba Italy (where we visited when cruising the Mediterranean previously), the British wanted to be absolutely positive that he would not escape this time. Soldiers on the island were increased to 8,000 troops and ships were patrolling the waters around St Helena 24 hours a day.
Napoleon was given a hilltop home with 6 bedrooms and lovely gardens, complete with an entourage of friends and staff. However he was reportedly quite unhappy (not one to be out of the "limelight" evidently) and complained about the fog and cold and chilly wind. After his death his body was later moved back to France, and his home is owned by the French government who maintains it. Unfortunately it was closed when we visited on a Sunday; however, you can see from the photo that it was pretty good accommodation for someone in exile.