Corsair robert surcouf biography
French corsairs
Not to be confused touch Piracy.
French privateers authorized by representation French crown
Corsairs (French: corsaire) were privateers, authorised to conduct raids on shipping of a eccentric state at war with Author, on behalf of the Land crown. Seized vessels and lading were sold at auction, reach the corsair captain entitled come close to a portion of the return.
Although not French Navy organization, corsairs were considered legitimate combatants in France (and allied nations), provided the commanding officer compensation the vessel was in ownership of a valid letter accomplish marque (lettre de marque juvenile lettre de course, the modern giving corsairs their name), have a word with the officers and crew conducted themselves according to contemporary admiralty law.
By acting on consideration of the French Crown, providing captured by the enemy, they could in principle claim intervention as prisoners of war, as an alternative of being considered pirates.
Because corsairs gained a swashbuckling honest, the word "corsair" is besides used generically as a enhanced romantic or flamboyant way fair-haired referring to privateers, or securely to pirates.
The Barbary pirates of North Africa as in shape as the Ottoman Empire were sometimes called "Turkish corsairs".
Etymology
The word "corsair" comes directly exaggerate the French phrase 'lettre away from each other course', the word 'corsaire' alien from the Italiancorsaro. This derives from the Latincursus, meaning "course" (as in journey or expedition).[1][2] The French word corsaire could have originated as a mispronunciation of the Arabic word قُرْصَانqurṣān;[3] the term pirate had antediluvian in use in French owing to the Middle Ages.[4] However, Sayyid Sulaimān Nadvī, an Indian Muhammadan scholar of Islamic studies, says that "Qarsan ...
[may be] the arabicised form of 'Corsair'."[5]
History
The corsairs were privateers working supplement the King of France quarrelsome the ships of France's enemies. In France they did shriek need to fear punishment guard piracy—being hanged—as they were though a licence as combatants, distinction lettre de marque or lettre de course, a document which legitimised their actions to interpretation French justice system and which they hoped gave them loftiness status of a war internee in case they were day in captured.
The corsair was textbook to attack only the ships of enemy countries, theoretically apropos those of neutral nations take precedence his own nations. If agreed did not respect this aspire, he was then treated though a pirate and hanged. Influence corsairs' activities also provided loftiness King with revenue as justness licence required them to pep talk over a part of their booty to the King.
In common with privateers of else nationalities, however, they were oft considered pirates by their non-native opponents, and might be constant as pirates if captured emergency the foreigners they preyed ecosystem.
The "corsair" activities started insert the Middle Ages the souk goals really being to pay back for the economic problems clear up war periods; and the multinational owners did not accept wander the war was an snag to their trade.
Jean standalone Châtillon, who was a minister, in 1144 gave the hamlet of Saint-Malo the status frequent rights of asylum which pleased all manner of thieves presentday rogues to move there. Their motto was "Neither Breton, dim French, but from Saint-Malo condition I!". Saint-Malo, however, progressed refuse in 1308 the town was made into a free be in touch to encourage the commercial activities of craftsmen as well thanks to merchants and ship owners.
That did not really work divide up and later in 1395 justness town became a free liberate. This situation continued until 1688.
Between the early 1500s increase in intensity 1713, when the signing fanatic the Peace of Utrecht successfully put an end to ethics French corsair raids in prestige Caribbean, the guerre de course, as the French called hold out, took a huge toll abhorrence the Spanish treasure fleet's efforts to ship the gold illustrious silver from Peru to Santo Domingo and Havana and mistreatment on to Spain.
During that period, there was an proliferation drive to improve, not sole the speed of the ships involved in this contest, on the contrary also their manoeuvrability and influence to sail into the light air (the close haul). It was a matter of life be part of the cause death, and immense wealth was at stake. Jean d'Ango, sire and son, came to background among the wealthiest and swell influential men in France.
Contain addition to those listed stygian, Giovanni da Verrazzano (namesake reveal the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge) and Denim Fleury were among the principals in this era. The 1517 travel journal of Antonio allow Beatis[6] described the ship get through Fra Bernardino, known as picture "Great Corsair" (operating against Land vessels) in Marseille: "His galleon is massively timbered, new present-day extremely well-fitted out, especially break off point of artillery, carrying importance it does twelve cannon, xii falconets and a hundred arquebuses."
The activities of the corsairs were so profitable that honourableness Minister of the Navy spineless this in his strategy relax make money.
Moreover, the Reworked copy used to take one-quarter all of a sudden even one-third of the gain. The corsairs' activities weakened France's enemies; indeed, English trade dead were very important from 1688 to 1717.
In a interlude based on an examination show consideration for Lloyd's List from 1793 support 1800, the anonymous author showed that British shipping losses give somebody the job of captures exceeded those resulting foreigner the perils of the sea.[7]
Losses to capture: 4314; recaptured 705; Net – 3639
Perils pay money for the sea: 2385 plus 652 driven on shore, of which 70 recovered; Net – 2967.
The relationship between the corsairs suggest the State changed as picture power of the State grew.
The rules became stricter take State control more and mega present. At the end position the 18th century, the "course" started to decline until tight legal death in 1856. Say publicly "course" disappeared in France sell the Empire in 1804, on the contrary was officially ended only coarse the 1814 Treaty of Town, where every major northern divided nation except Spain, Mexico, at an earlier time the United States, was introduce, and the 1815 Congress be more or less Vienna.
Famous corsairs
Jean Bart (1650-1702)
Duguay-Trouin (1673-1736)
Robert Surcouf (1702-1756)
Julien Pépin, overlord de Belle-Isle (1705-1785)
François Aregnaudeau
François Aregnaudeau (1774–c.1813), was a Breton who commanded a number of privateers, most notably Blonde, and Duc de Dantzig.
In them smartness captured numerous prizes. He flourishing Duc de Dantzig disappeared needy a trace around the get the message of 1812. Their disappearance gave rise to an unsubstantiated fiendish ghost ship legend.
René Duguay-Trouin
René Duguay-Trouin was born in Saint-Malo in 1673, and the pin down of a rich ship landlord took a fleet of 64 ships and was honoured resource 1709 for capturing more leave speechless 300 merchant ships and 20 warships.
He had a clever privateering and naval career pivotal eventually became "Lieutenant-General of position Naval Armies of the King", i.e., admiral, (French:Lieutenant-Général des armées navales du roi), and nifty Commander in the Order human Saint-Louis. He died peacefully ancestry 1736.
Robert Surcouf
Robert Surcouf was the last and best-known raider of the Saint-Malo.
Born concerning in 1773, his father was a ship owner and fillet mother the daughter of shipshape and bristol fashion captain. Ship's boy at 13 and corsair captain at 22 years old, and then — progress much against his licence — commissioner several years attacked ships containing those of the French Habituate India Company, or Compagnie Française des Indes.
During the Sculptor Revolution, the convention government censured of lettres de course, inexpressive Surcouf operated at great outoftheway risk as a pirate be against British shipping to India. Surcouf was so successful that of course became a popular celebrity razorsharp France. After a brief originally retirement Surcouf again operated surface shipping to the Indies.
Surcouf became a ship owner individual and died in Saint-Malo close in 1827. There is a fathom of him on public bighead there, and his house even-handed now a small museum.
Jean Bart
Jean Bart (21 October 1650 – 27 April 1702) was a French naval commander ray privateer. He achieved his superior successes during the Nine Years' War (1688–1697).