Pierre Martin de La Martinière facts for kids
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Pierre Martin de La Martinière was a French doctor, surgeon, and explorer. He was born on February 14, 1634, and passed away sometime around 1676 or 1690. He led a very adventurous life, traveling to many parts of the world and even being captured by pirates!
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His Early Years
Pierre Martin de La Martinière was born in a city called Rouen in France. When he was just nine years old, his father died. He didn't get along well with his mother, so he left home. He traveled from Lyon to Savoy and Geneva, trying to find his grandmother.
When he was ten, he met an old friend of his father's, Henri De Harcourt. Henri was a military commander. He felt sorry for Pierre because he was an orphan. So, Henri hired Pierre as a helper for the surgeons on the battlefield. This meant Pierre got to see a lot of action during the Thirty Years' War. He learned a lot about medicine from his master during this time.
Captured and Learning More
Life continued to be tough for young Pierre. When he was twelve, he was captured by pirates from North Africa, known as the Barbary pirates. He was held captive for four years. Luckily, he was freed by the Knights of Malta when he was sixteen.
Pierre later wrote a book about his experiences as a captive. It was published in 1674 and was called "L'Heureux esclave," which means "The Happy Slave."
After being freed, Pierre continued his medical studies in Italy. He worked in famous hospitals in Naples and Rome. These hospitals were known for treating people with long-term illnesses. This helped him become an even better doctor.
Life in Paris and Arctic Adventures
In 1664, La Martinière moved to Paris. He became a special doctor for the Royal Court, which meant he could practice medicine in the capital city.
In 1670, something exciting happened. La Martinière was in Copenhagen, Denmark. A company called the Danish Northern Trading Company was planning a big trip. They wanted to explore the northern parts of the world. Their goal was to find out what kind of trade they could do with the people living there.
The king of Denmark, Frederick III of Denmark, helped the company by providing three ships. La Martinière, with the help of a friend, got a job as a surgeon on one of these ships. For five months, he sailed along the coasts of Norway, Lapland, northern Russia, Novaya Zemlya, Greenland, and Iceland.
He wrote a book about this amazing journey, which was published in 1671. It was the first travel report by a Frenchman that described the Arctic coasts of Europe.
Not much is known about La Martinière's personal life. It seems he was married twice. He passed away around 1676, when he was about 42 years old. However, some sources say he lived longer, until 1690.
When Did He Travel North?
There's a bit of a mystery about the exact year La Martinière traveled to the Arctic. Some people think it was in 1670, while others believe it was 1653. One writer even suggested 1647, but that date is probably wrong.
Here's why many believe 1670 is the correct year:
- His book mentions the trading company getting its royal permission in 1647 and 1653. But these dates are for the company, not his trip.
- The English version of his book clearly states his journey was from April to September 1670.
- In his French book, he talks about the winter of early 1670. This means the book must have been written after that year.
- He also mentions giving a medical book he wrote, "Le Prince des Operateurs," to someone in Norway. This book was published in 1668, so his trip had to be after that.
- La Martinière was an experienced explorer and writer of medical books. It's unlikely he would have done all this by 1653, when he would have been only 19 years old.
