René Duguay-Trouin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
René Trouin, Sieur du Gué
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| Born | 10 June 1673 |
| Died | 1736 |
| Piratical career | |
| Type | Corsair |
| Allegiance | France |
| Years active | 1690 - 1736 |
| Rank | Lieutenant-General of the Naval Armies of the King (Vice admiral) |
| Commands | Danycan, Hermine, Diligente, Bellone, Railleuse |
| Battles/wars | War of the Spanish Succession |
René Trouin, Sieur du Gué, also known as René Duguay-Trouin, was a famous French naval officer and privateer. He was born on June 10, 1673, and passed away in 1736. He is best known for his impressive career during the War of the Spanish Succession.
Duguay-Trouin had a very successful career at sea. He started as a privateer, which was like a government-approved pirate. Later, he became a high-ranking officer in the French Navy. He was even given the title "Lieutenant-General of the Naval Armies of the King," which is similar to a Vice admiral. Many ships in the French Navy have been named in his honor.
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René Duguay-Trouin's Early Life
René Duguay-Trouin was born in Saint-Malo, a port city in Brittany, France. His family owned ships and ran a shipping business. Saint-Malo was a popular place for French privateers to operate from.
When he was 16, Duguay-Trouin began his life at sea as a sailor. He joined a French privateer ship called Trinité. This ship captured two enemy merchant vessels. Just two years later, in 1691, his family gave him command of his own ship, the Danycarn. The next year, King Louis XIV himself appointed Duguay-Trouin to command a larger warship, the Hercule.
In 1694, King Louis XIV recognized Duguay-Trouin's excellent service. He awarded him a special sword of honor. In the same year, Duguay-Trouin was commanding his frigate, the Diligente. He was protecting a group of French merchant ships when a British navy group attacked him.
Duguay-Trouin managed to help the merchant ships escape. However, his own ship was badly damaged, and most of his crew were hurt or killed. He was forced to surrender and was taken as a prisoner of war to Plymouth, England.
Duguay-Trouin's Escape from England
The British navy found out that Duguay-Trouin had used a false flag during the fight. This meant he had flown a British flag to trick an English merchant ship before attacking it. Because of this, he was put in prison.
But Duguay-Trouin was determined to escape. On June 19, he managed to buy a small ship from a friendly Swedish sea captain. He escaped from England with four of his crew members. After his escape, he raided some coastal towns in Ireland before returning safely to Saint-Malo.
Peace and a Duel
In 1697, the Nine Years' War ended with the Treaty of Ryswick. This meant privateers like Duguay-Trouin had to stop their activities for a while. During this time, he settled down in Saint-Malo.
He got into a duel with another gentleman named Charles Cognetz. Duguay-Trouin believed Cognetz had cheated in a card game. Both men were stopped by the police and told not to fight again.
Fighting in the War of the Spanish Succession
In 1702, the War of the Spanish Succession began. Duguay-Trouin returned to action, commanding two frigates, the Bellone and Railleuse. During this war, he officially became an officer in the French Navy.
From 1704 to 1705, he commanded the warship Jason. He captured two British navy ships during this time. In 1707, he helped defeat a British navy group in a battle.
In 1709, he captured another British navy ship. In the same year, King Louis XIV made him a noble. Duguay-Trouin chose the motto Dedit haec insignia virtus, which means "Bravery awarded these honors." By this point, he had captured 16 warships and over 300 merchant ships from the English and Dutch.
Capturing Rio de Janeiro
One of his most famous achievements happened on September 21, 1711. Duguay-Trouin led an attack on Rio de Janeiro, which was then thought to be impossible to capture. He had twelve ships and 6,000 men. The city was defended by seven warships, five forts, and 12,000 men.
After an 11-day battle, Duguay-Trouin successfully captured Rio de Janeiro. He held the governor for ransom. His forces took a lot of valuable items from the city. He was also involved in the trade of enslaved people, who were then sold in Cayenne, French Guiana. The people who invested in this mission earned double their money. Because of this victory, Duguay-Trouin was promoted to Lieutenant général de la Marine.
Later Career and Death
In his later career, Duguay-Trouin commanded different French fleets. He led the fleet based in Saint-Malo, then the fleet in Brest, and later the fleet for the East. Finally, he commanded the Toulon harbor fleet.
He passed away in 1736. Before his death, he wrote to King Louis XV to ask for support for his family.
Personal Memoirs
From 1720 to 1721, Duguay-Trouin wrote his personal memoirs. He originally wrote them just for his family and didn't plan to publish them. However, he later changed his mind. His memoirs were edited by Pierre Villepontoux and published in 1730 in Amsterdam.
- Memoires de M. du Gué-Trouin, chef d'escadre des armées de S.M.T.C. et grand-croix de l'Ordre militaire de S. Louis. Amsterdam: Chez Pierre Mortier, 1730.
- Memoires de Mr. du Gué-Trouin, chef d'escadre des armées de S.M.T.C. et grand-croix de l'Ordre militaire de S. Louis. A Londres [i.e. Amsterdam: Chez P. du Barri & E. Belton at the bee-hive St. Martin's Lane. [i.e. Pierre Mortier], 1730.
- Memoires de M. du Gué-Trouin, chef d'escadre des armées de S.M.T.C. et grand-croix de l'Ordre militaire de S. Louis. Amsterdam: Chez Pierre Mortier, 1746.
- Mémoires de Monsieur Du Guay-Trouin : lieutenant-général des armées navales, ... Augmentés de son Eloge par M. Thomas. Amsterdam: Pierre Mortier, 1769.
- Mémoires de Monsieur Du Guay-Trouin: lieutenant général des armées navales de France et commandeur de l'Ordre royal & militaire de Saint Louis. Augmenté de Son Éloge par M. Thomas. Amsterdam: Pierre Mortier, 1773 (facsimile, 1974).
- Mémoires de Monsieur du Guay-Trouin, lieutenant-général des armées navales, commandeur de l'Ordre royal & militaire de Saint-Louis. Nouvelle Édition. Paris, 1774.
- Mémoires de Monsieur Du Guay-Troui: lieutenant-général des armées navales, ... Augmentés de son Eloge par M. Thomas. Rouen, 1779.
- Des Mémoirs Relatif a L'Histoire de France. Mémoires de Duguay-Trouin Paris: Foucault, 1829, pp. 294 ff.
See also
In Spanish: René Duguay-Trouin para niños
- France Antarctique
