Charles Pierre Claret de Fleurieu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charles Pierre Claret de Fleurieu
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| Born | 2 July 1738 |
| Died | 18 August 1810 (aged 72) |
| Parent(s) | Jacques Annibal Claret de La Tourrette |
Charles Pierre Claret, comte de Fleurieu (born July 2, 1738, in Lyon – died August 18, 1810, in Paris) was an important French Navy officer. He was also an explorer, a hydrographer (someone who maps oceans and coasts), and a politician. He served as the Minister of the Navy for King Louis XVI. He was also a member of the Institut de France, a famous French academy. His brother was the botanist Marc Antoine Louis Claret de La Tourrette.
Contents
A Life of Service and Discovery
Charles Pierre Claret de Fleurieu was born in Lyon. He joined the French Navy at a very young age, just 13 and a half, on October 31, 1755. He started as a Garde-marine, which was a junior officer rank.
He fought in the Seven Years' War, which ended in 1763. He took part in several battles, including Mahon, Lagos, and Les Sablettes. He quickly moved up in rank. His commanders thought very highly of him. They said he was smart, dedicated, and had a great future in the navy.
Exploring the Seas with Chronometers
In 1765, Fleurieu began studying horology, which is the science of measuring time. He worked with a famous clockmaker named Ferdinand Berthoud. Their goal was to create a very accurate clock for ships, called a marine chronometer. This was a big challenge because ships moved a lot, and regular clocks wouldn't work well.
Knowing the exact time on a ship was super important. It helped sailors figure out their longitude (their east-west position). Before chronometers, finding longitude at sea was very difficult. Fleurieu and Berthoud wanted to beat Britain in this important race.
From 1768 to 1769, Fleurieu commanded the corvette Isis. On this ship, they tested Berthoud's chronometers. The tests were a huge success! The chronometers kept time almost perfectly, even at sea. This meant sailors could accurately find their position. Fleurieu published their findings in a book in 1773.
He also spent 25 years creating a detailed map book, or atlas, of the Kattegat and the Baltic Sea. This important work was called le Neptune du Nord.
Fleurieu continued to rise through the ranks. In 1777, King Louis XVI created a special job just for him. He became the director of ports and arsenals. This meant he was in charge of organizing the entire French fleet. He managed ships, supplies, and movements.
For 15 years, he played a key role in planning naval operations. This included France's involvement in the American Revolutionary War against England. He also oversaw important French voyages of discovery. One famous voyage he directed was that of La Pérouse, who explored the Pacific Ocean.
During the French Revolution
In 1790, King Louis XVI made Fleurieu the Minister of the Navy and Colonies. He wanted to split these two roles, but the National Assembly disagreed. So, he resigned in 1791.
Later, he became a guardian to the young prince, Louis XVII. He supported the king during difficult times. In 1793, during a period called the Reign of Terror, Fleurieu was arrested. He and his wife were imprisoned for 14 months. When they were finally released, they had lost most of their belongings.
After this difficult period, Fleurieu continued his scientific work. He became a member of the Bureau des longitudes, which focused on astronomy and navigation. He also joined the Institut, a prestigious French academic group.
Under Napoleon's Rule
In 1799, Fleurieu was elected a member of the Council of State. This was a high-level advisory body to the government.
In 1800, he helped sign an important friendship and trade treaty between France and the United States. He worked alongside Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon's brother. He also served as interim Minister of the Navy several times between 1803 and 1804.
Napoleon recognized Fleurieu's talents. In 1804, he made him the Quartermaster General of his household. This was a very important position. In 1805, he became a Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor, a very high award. He was also made Governor of the Tuileries palace and the Louvre museum.
In 1808, he became an Imperial Count and a Councilor of State for life. Napoleon even put him in charge of investigating the French defeat at the Battle of Trafalgar.
Charles Pierre Claret de Fleurieu died in Paris in 1810 from a stroke. Napoleon honored him with a state funeral. His remains were moved to the Panthéon, a famous monument where many great French figures are buried.
Family Life
When he was 54, Fleurieu married Aglaé-Françoise Deslacs d'Arcambal. They had a son who died young. They also had two daughters, Caroline and another daughter. Caroline's family line continues to this day.
Important Works
Fleurieu wrote many important books and papers, especially about navigation and exploration:
- Mémoires sur la construction des navires (1763): About building ships.
- Voyage entrepris en 1768 et 1769 pour éprouver les horloges marines (1773): This book described his famous voyage to test marine chronometers.
- Une carte du grand Océan Atlantique (1776): A map of the Atlantic Ocean.
- Le Neptune Américo-septentrional (1780): An atlas of North America.
- Découvertes des Français dans le Sud Est de la Nouvelle-Guinée en 1768 et 1769 (1790): About French discoveries in New Guinea.
- Voyage autour du monde par Étienne Marchand (1798): He edited this book about a round-the-world voyage.
- Le Neptune des mers du Nord (1794): An atlas of the North Sea.
- Histoire des aventuriers espagnols, qui conquérirent l'Amérique (1800): A history of Spanish adventurers who conquered America.
Places Named After Him
- The Fleurieu Peninsula in southern Australia was named after him. The French explorer Nicolas Baudin named it in 1802 while mapping the coast.
- An island near Tasmania was also named after him. It was discovered by Matthew Flinders and explored by Louis Claude de Saulces de Freycinet.
