Jean-Baptiste du Casse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean-Baptiste du Casse
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| Governor of Saint-Domingue | |
| In office 1 October 1691 – July 1700 |
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| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Joseph d'Honon de Gallifet |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 August 1646 Saubusse or Pau (France) |
| Died | 25 June 1715 (aged 68) Bourbon-l'Archambault (Auvergne, France) |
| Spouse | Marthe (de) Baudry (1661-1743) |
| Relations | Marthe du Casse (daughter) Jean-Baptiste de La Rochefoucauld de Roye (grandson) |
| Awards | Order of the Golden Fleece Commander of the Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  France |
| Branch/service | .svg){kind=small} French Navy |
| Years of service | 1686-1714 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General (Vice Admiral) |
| Battles/wars | War of the League of Augsburg War of the Spanish Succession |
Jean-Baptiste du Casse (born August 2, 1646 – died June 25, 1715) was a French naval officer and a privateer. A privateer was like a legal pirate, hired by a government to attack enemy ships. He also worked as a colonial administrator. He became the first governor of Saint-Domingue (now Haiti) from 1691 to 1700.
Du Casse was born in France. He started his career in the French merchant navy. Later, he joined the French East India Company and the Compagnie du Sénégal. He then joined the official French Navy. He won several battles in the West Indies and South America during the Nine Years' War.
During the War of the Spanish Succession, he took part in important battles. These included the Battle of Málaga and the siege of Barcelona. For his brave service, King Philip V of Spain made him a knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece. He finished his military career as a lieutenant general in the French Navy. He also became a commander of the Order of Saint Louis. Jean-Baptiste du Casse passed away in Bourbon-l'Archambault, France.
Contents
Early Life and Family
What's in a Name?
In Jean-Baptiste du Casse's time, people didn't always spell surnames the same way. His name appears as du Casse on his birth record. But you might also see it as Ducasse, Ducas, or Du Casse. His grand-nephew, Robert, wrote a book about him in 1876. Robert spelled both his own name and his great-uncle's name as du Casse.
His Birth and Family
There's some mystery about where and when du Casse was born. Most people say he was born on August 2, 1646, in Saubusse, France. They thought his parents were Bertrand Ducasse and Marguerite de Lavigne. However, he was actually born in Pau, France. His real parents were Jacques Ducasse and Judith Remy.
His father, Jacques, was the son of Gaillard Ducasse. Gaillard was a minister in the Reformed Church of France. This means the family were Huguenots, who were French Protestants. At that time, Huguenots faced unfair treatment in France. Their chances for good jobs were limited. It's believed that du Casse might have changed his birth records. He may have done this to hide his Huguenot background and to help his career.
In 1691, du Casse wrote a letter to the Naval Minister. In it, he admitted his family's religious background. Records from Pau also show his Huguenot roots. However, in 1685, he changed his religion. This happened after King Louis XIV cancelled the Edict of Nantes. This law had protected Huguenots.
His Marriage
Jean-Baptiste du Casse married Marthe (de) Baudry on March 16, 1686. Her family was involved in banking and colonial trade. They had one daughter, Marthe du Casse. She later married Louis de La Rochefoucauld. Her father gave her a dowry of 1,200,000 livres. This was a very large sum of money for that time! Marthe and Louis had a son named Jean-Baptiste Louis Frédéric de La Rochefoucauld de Roye. He also became a naval officer.
His Career as a Sailor and Governor
Early Adventures
Jean-Baptiste du Casse started working in trade between Africa and the Caribbean. He earned money from this work. With his earnings, he bought a ship in Saint-Domingue. He then began a career as a privateer. He sailed to France and offered some of his earnings to the King. Because of this, King Louis XIV made him a Lieutenant in the French Navy.
Fighting in the Nine Years' War
In 1687, he tried to take over Elmina. In June 1689, he attacked Berbice and Fort Zeelandia in Surinam. Soon after, he attacked St. Christopher with another privateer, Jean Fantin.
In 1691, du Casse became the governor of St Domingue. He earned the respect of the buccaneers (another type of privateer) on the island. In the next few months, he raided English colonies nearby. This included Port Royal, which had just been hit by a big earthquake. In 1694, his forces were defeated at Carlisle Bay. He then went back to St Domingue.
In 1697, he helped raid the city of Cartagena de Indias in South America. He was supposed to get a share of the loot, but he didn't. So, he sailed to France to ask King Louis XIV for his share in person. He and his men received a large payment of 1.4 million Francs. The King also promoted him to admiral and made him a knight in the Order of Saint Louis.
Battles in the War of the Spanish Succession
In later years, du Casse continued to achieve great things. In 1702, he defeated John Benbow near Santa Marta. This battle is known as the action of August 1702. Two years later, he fought bravely during the Battle of Vélez-Málaga.
In 1708, while working for Spain, he commanded the Spanish treasure fleet. This fleet made an annual trip, and he managed to protect it well. This was rare at the time, as many treasure fleets suffered heavy losses. For this success, he received the Order of the Golden Fleece. This was the highest award possible in Spain.
In 1714, he led the French fleet during the Siege of Barcelona.
Governor of Saint-Domingue
Jean-Baptiste du Casse served as the governor of Saint-Domingue from 1691 to 1703. He died on June 25, 1715, in the town of Bourbon-l'Archambault.
See also
In Spanish: Jean-Baptiste du Casse para niños
