- Jean Bart
:"This is about the historical sailor. For others, see
Jean Bart (disambiguation) ."
Infobox Pirate
name=Jean Bart
lived=21 October 1651 -27 April 1702
caption=Statue of Jean Bart inDunkirk
nickname=
type=Dunkirk privateer
placeofbirth=Dunkirk
placeofdeath=Dunkirk
allegiance=France /Dutch Republic /Mercenary
serviceyears=1672-1697
base of operations=
rank=Admiral
commands=
battles=Nine Years' War
*Action of 29 June 1694
*Battle of Dogger Bank
wealth=
laterwork=Jean Bart (
21 October 1651 -27 April 1702 ) was a French naval commander andprivateer . His birth name was most probably Jan Baert.Career
Born in Dunkirk as the son of a simple
fisherman , Bart served when young in the Dutch navy under De Ruyter.
When war broke out between Louis XIV and the United Provinces in 1672 he entered the French service, as one of the Dunkirk Privateers. He gained great distinction in theMediterranean , where he held an irregular sort of commission, unable due to his low birth to receive a command in the navy.He had such success, however, that he became a lieutenant in 1679. He rose rapidly to the rank of captain and then to that of
admiral .He achieved his greatest successes during the
Nine Years' War (1688 - 1697).
*In 1689, in the beginning of this war he was captured by the English , together withClaude de Forbin , and taken toPlymouth . But 3 days later, they succeeded in escaping toBrittany in a rowing boat, together with 20 other sailors.*In 1691 he slipped through the blockade of Dunkirk, terrorizing the allied merchant fleet and burning a Scottish castle and four villages.
*In 1694 he achieved his greatest success in the
Action of 29 June 1694 , when he captured a huge convoy of Dutch grain ships, saving Paris from starvation.*In 1696 he struck another blow against the Dutch in the
Battle of Dogger Bank (1696) . ThePeace of Ryswick (1697) put a close to his active service.Marriage and children
On
3 February 1676 he married the 16-year-old "Nicole Gontier".
They had 4 children, until Nicole died 6 years later in 1682.
Their oldest son "François-Cornil" (17 June 1676- ?) became vice-admiral.On
13 October 1689 he remarried Jacoba Tugghe and they had 10 children. He signed his marriage contract, which is still available in Dunkirk, with the name "Jan Baert".Jean Bart died of
pleurisy and is buried in the Eglise Saint-Eloi in Dunkirk.Legacy
Many anecdotes tell of the courage and bluntness of the 2,04 m tall, uncultivated sailor, who became the popular hero of the French naval service. He captured in total 386 ships and also sank or burned a great number of enemy ships. The town of Dunkirk has honoured his memory by erecting a statue and by naming a public square after him.
In
World War II 70% of Dunkirk was completely destroyed, but the statue survived.hips bearing the name Jean Bart
More than 27 ships of the
French Navy , over a period of 200 years, have borne the name Jean Bart. These include:
*"Jean Bart" (1788) - 74-gunship of the line
*"Jean Bart" (1811) - 74-gun ship of the line
*"Jean Bart" (1886) - First classcruiser of 4800 tonnes
*"Jean Bart" (1910) - 23,600 tonnebattleship ; the first FrenchDreadnought
*"Jean Bart" (1940) - 50,000 tonne battleship armed with 380mm guns. Although launched in 1940, the ship did not get fitted out and completed until 1955, having spent much of theWorld War II in dock atCasablanca ; the last French battleship completed
*"Jean Bart" (1988) - Anti-aircraftfrigate , still in service with theFrench Navy Commercial products branded Jean Bart
*Jean Bart
shoe polish Jean Bart in popular culture
*Jean Bart appears as a character in
the Baroque Cycle byNeal Stephenson .
*In themanga andanime "One Piece " a pirate turned slave is named after Jean Bart.External links
* [http://www.jeanbart.net Site consacré uniquement à Jean Bart] (in French/en Français)
* [http://www.netmarine.net/bat/fregates/jeanbart/celebre.htm Jean Bart] (in French/en Français)
* [http://www.theotherside.co.uk/tm-heritage/background/jean-bart.htm Jean Bart (English)]
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