Jean Parmentier

Jean Parmentier (1494 - 1529), born in Dieppe, France, was a navigator, cartographer, and poet. Jean and his brother Raoul made numerous voyages for the shipowner Jean Ango, and sailed to the coasts of Brazil, North America, and West Africa.

In April 3, 1529 he sailed two ships to the island of Sumatra with the aim of breaking the Portuguese spice trade monopoly. They reached the western coast of Sumatra at the end of October, but were unable to buy the quantity of spices wanted. The men who spent time ashore got sick and many died, including both Parmentier brothers. The surviving crew members voted to return to France, and on January 22, 1530, they set out. Both ships returned safely to France.

In 1931 Pierre Crignon, the chief pilot on the Sumatra expedition, published a collection of Jean’s poetry. Although Jean was well known as a cartographer, none of his maps have survived.

References

*cite journal|title=Two Early French Voyages to Sumatra |last=Nothnagle |first=John |journal=Sixteenth Century Journal |volume=19 |issue=1 |date=Spring 1988 |pages=97–107 |doi=10.2307/2540964

External links

* [http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=504 Biography at the "Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online"]