Jean Bart

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This article is about the historical sailor. For others, see Jean Bart (disambiguation).
Jean Bart
File:Jean Bart mg 9487.jpg
Portrait by Mathieu Elias
Born 21 October 1650
Dunkirk
Died Error: Need valid death date (first date): year, month, day
Dunkirk
Piratical career
Type Dunkirk privateer
Allegiance France/Dutch Republic/Mercenary
Years active 1672-1697
Rank Admiral
Battles/wars Nine Years' War

Jean Bart (21 October 1650 – 27 April 1702) was a French naval commander and privateer.

Early life

Jean Bart was born in Dunkirk in 1650[1] to a seafaring family, the son of a sailor who has been described variously as a fisherman[2] or corsair commander.[3] He almost certainly spoke Dutch, at that time the native language in the region, and his birth name was Jan Baert.[2][4][5]

Naval career

File:Jean Bart dli 0613700363.jpg
Anonymous Flanders, Jean Bart, late 1700s, engraving, Department of Image Collections, National Gallery of Art Library, Washington, DC

When he was young, Bart served in the Dutch navy under Admiral Michiel de Ruyter.[3] When war broke out between France and the United Provinces in 1672, he entered the French service. Since only persons of noble birth could then serve as officers in the navy, he instead became captain of one of the Dunkirk privateers. In that capacity, he displayed such astonishing bravery that Louis XIV sent him on a special mission to the Mediterranean, where he gained great distinction.[6]

Unable to receive a command in the navy because of his low birth, he held an irregular sort of commission, but he had such success that he became a lieutenant in 1679. He became a terror to the Dutch navy and a serious menace to the commerce of Holland. On one occasion, with six vessels, he broke through a blockading fleet, shattered a number of the enemy's ships and convoyed a transport of grain safely into Dunkirk harbor.[6] He rose rapidly to the rank of captain and then to that of admiral.[7]

He achieved his greatest successes during the Nine Years' War (1688–1697).

  • In 1689, at the beginning of the war, he was captured by an English warship, together with Claude de Forbin, and they were taken as prisoners-of-war to Plymouth. However, three days later, they succeeded in escaping to Brittany in a rowboat, together with 20 other captured sailors.
  • In 1691, he slipped through the blockade of Dunkirk, terrorised the allied merchant fleet and burnt a Scottish castle and four villages.
  • In 1694, he achieved his greatest success at the Battle of Texel in which he captured a huge convoy of Dutch grain ships, saving Paris from starvation. He was raised into the nobility on 4 August 1694 with a peerage.
  • In 1696, he struck another blow against the Dutch in the Battle of Dogger Bank.

The Peace of Ryswick in 1697 put an end to his active service.

Marriage and children

He married the 16-year-old Nicole Gontier on 3 February 1676. They had four children before Nicole died in 1682. Their oldest son, François Cornil Bart (1676-1755), became vice-admiral.

Then he married Jacoba Tugghe on 13 October 1689. They had ten children. He signed his marriage contract, which is still on file 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[citation needed], uncultivated sailor, who became a popular hero of the French Navy. He captured a total of 386 ships and also sank or burned a great number more. The town of Dunkirk has honoured his memory by erecting a statue and by naming a public square after him. During the carnival of Dunkirk, held every year the Sunday before Holy Tuesday, local people kneel all together in front of his statue and sing the Cantate à Jean Bart[8][circular reference]. Jean Bart is viewed by the inhabitants of Dunkirk as a local hero.

In World War II, 70% of Dunkirk was destroyed, but the statue survived.

  • Jean Bart statue Dunkirk.jpg

    Statue of Jean Bart in Dunkirk

  • Jean Bart.png

    Jean Bart as depicted in 1845

Ships bearing the name Jean Bart

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Main article: French ship Jean Bart

More than 27 ships of the French Navy, over a period of 200 years, have borne the name Jean Bart. These include:

Many smaller naval ships as well as privateers have also borne the name "Jean Bart".

Commercial products branded Jean Bart

Jean Bart in popular culture

References

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External links

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  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑  Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ fr:Cantate à Jean Bart
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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