La Confiance (Robert Surcouf)

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john sefton
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Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 1:59 pm

La Confiance (Robert Surcouf)

Post by john sefton » Thu Jul 30, 2015 3:20 pm

Robert Surcouf (12 December 1773 – 8 July 1827) was a French privateer and slave trader who operated in the Indian Ocean between 1789 and 1801, and again from 1807 to 1808, capturing over 40 prizes, while amassing a large fortune as a ship-owner, both from privateering and from commerce.
Surcouf started his career as a sailor and officer on the slave ships Aurore, Courrier d'Afrique and Navigateur. Having risen to Captain, and in spite of the prohibition of slave trading by the National Convention in 1793, he engaged in the business himself as a captain on Créole. He then captained the merchantman Émilie, on which he engaged in commerce raiding despite lacking a lettre de marque. He preyed on British shipping, famously capturing the East Indiaman Triton, before returning to Isle de France, where his prizes were confiscated. He then returned to France, where he obtained prize money from the government.
Returning to the Indian Ocean, Surcouf captained the privateers Clarisse and Confiance, raiding British, American and Portuguese merchantmen. He famously captured the East Indiaman Kent on 7 October 1800. Returning to France, he was awarded the Legion of Honour and settled as a ship-owner.
He briefly returned to the Indian Ocean in 1807 on the custom-built Revenant before returning to France. There, he armed privateers and merchantmen. His privateers led successful campaigns in the Indian Ocean and disastrous ones in the English Channel, except for Renard which achieved fame in her victory over HMS Alphea on 9 September 1812. After the Bourbon restoration, he organised fishing expeditions to Terre-Neuve and amassed a considerable fortune. He died in 1827 and is buried in a graveyard at Saint-Malo.
Watercraft Philately gives that the stamp is design after a painting “Capture of the KENT” made by Louis Garnaray and the painting is now in the Historic Museum of St Malo.

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aukepalmhof
Posts: 7771
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am

Re: La Confiance (Robert Surcouf)

Post by aukepalmhof » Wed Jun 20, 2018 8:30 pm

The stamp shows us Robert Surcouf on board of the L'CONFIANCE with in the background the British vessel KENT.

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