Lives of sailors and French settlers
Our ancestors were on ships to New France
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Unknown Mathurin Gabaret shipping in the Caribbean Sea
Taking advantage of the minority of Louis XIV and the regency of the Queen Mother Anne ofAustria,social groups revolted. They are supported in this by the foreign powers against France which is in open war (Spain) or not (England). The pinnacle is reached during the 1648-1652 years, asperiod. known"La Fronde"These civil disturbances exacerbate the financial difficulties of the kingdom and have an impact on the navy. Some officers seek employment in other countries (Sweden for Duquesne, among Italians as the commander of Neuchèze States) or in other activities such as the war on land alongside the royalists or rebellious troops (Guillaume Alméras ). Other, there is the race war. 
Queen Mother Anne of Austria
MathurinGabaret,naval officer of the king since 1621, is an owner like many of his colleagues (Abraham Duquesne, the Beaulieu, Nicolas Gargot, etc.). Deeds from the 1650s show the owner, in part or in full, merchant ships or fishing. It invests in various sectors, including the race.
So in early 1650, he seized two pipes of wine from Spain brought on bydecision NicolasGargot,naval rochelais race party on the ship Leopard 300 tons, with 34 guns and 250 men. This food has no doubt served to fueling the current arms. Indeed, Gabaret weapon in La Rochelle, the Phoenix, 30 350 tons of guns, which he financed a portion of armaments. At the beginning of the year, he owned half of the building, the other being Edward Gould, an Irish merchant. On November 8, he bought his share Gould and the next day, sharing weaponsthe withPhoenix PoitelChristmas.
Mathurin Gabaret not immediately hand in the race. He served in the fleet of the Duke of Vendome, grand master of navigation, which blocks the Gironde to Bordeaux to drop. The campaign ended, he returned to La Rochelle to refit the ship. This is done by Pierre Moreau, master carpenter at La Rochelle, for 450 livres, according to a contract signed on October 22 1650. The fairing is held during November, because we know that Mathurin Gabaret left port on 1 December 1650 . We do not know the composition of the crew or the exact number. However, we can estimate the size of the crew at 150 to 200 men. Among these, we find the son of Mathurin, Jean Gabaret then lieutenant, and Louis (son of Peter branch of Gabaret dOléron), teaches common practice at that time.
No report of this campaign does was found: surprisingly little. The documents have been lost for various reasons, perhaps especially, to hide the results of the campaign.
Indeed, in the years 1650-1657, officers of thethe Admiralty Brouage and La Rochelle are not of great integrity. Nicolas Gargot said that during unloading the ship Nuestra Señora del Rosario and Santa Maria, it was stolen few ingots and other goods (19 marks of silver on the 20,000 that contained the vessels). But this is an exception Gargot encounter difficulties with the officers of the Admiralty, and he is not alone. 
Various archival documents provide us with some thin material on this expedition race Gabaret Mathurin. We already have confirmation of this by a letter from Governor Du Lion who writes:
"You have enough relationships coasts of these countries. I had the honor to send you the memories, there are more than four years, which had been dictated to me by a browser that had a great stay there. Mr. Forant and M. Beaulieu, captains of the king's ships, sailed well in these waters there, and I think Mr. Gabaret father was there too.
"Partyof La Rochelle, Mathurin Gabaret travels in the Gulf Mexico: several Spanish ships were driven. The biggest catch is made in the vicinity of Santa Marta (now Colombia): a ship is cornered and destroyed. The success that will take place, according to locals, the name Bay Gabaret. The way back is somewhat surprising. Instead of returning directly Gabaret makes a detour to Canada. Speaking of Cap room in Acadia, Nicolas Denys said, "by passing in 1651, I
met Mr. Gabaret captainfor the King in the Navy, which was wet and returned to racing in the Gulf of Mexico."
Why go through Canada to the risk of being intercepted off by theSpanish or English with whom relations are not excellent? Recall that La Rochelle was one of the main weapons to Canada ports. Gabaret had planned to eventually sell goods brought or captured (no mention of the decision in the archives of the Admiralty of Charentes) and import in France for furs and other colonial products.
Between the mention of Nicolas Denys in 1651 and the return of Gabaret evidenced by its presence at the port in October, 1652, we do not know what happened during the end of the campaign. It seems he has not taken his action alone but with the support of another privateer. I have no certainty about the identity of the privateer, but I think it was on this ship that Louis Gabaret (cousin ofMathurin)serve as lieutenant until 1657, when, on his return, it is The lieutenant of the ship commanded by Françoise Mathurin Gabaret. At that time, several French intersect in these seas as pirates or buccaneers. This is the case of Jerome Augustin de Beaulieu, another future naval officer.
The familyBeauli,had Norman adoption early interest to the Navy. A native of Valenciennes, this family of merchant weaver swarms in the late 16th century to Normandy and obtained letters of naturalization. Coincidence or not, the Beaulieu are linked to other families and Brabant are doubtless advantage of people financially help the Beggars of the Sea. The Norman branch of Beaulieu gave several naval officers to the kings of France but also those of Spain a brother of Jerome Augustine died on the galleons of the Armada, another (Francis) and two uncles (Augustin and David) serve as officers under Louis XIII and LouisXIV,while the sister wife Marquis Ponce de Leon, general officer of Armada Real. The career of Jerome Augustine has a white over this period, except that in 1658 he received commission from the Duke of Vendome, grand master of navigation, racing to arm a frigate in New Holland. But according to the American archives It was already in 1657 in the Caribbean, and two years later (1659) with other foreign privateers. He will return in these seas in 1663-1664 and 1668-1669.
The North American seas are not the only qu'atteignent French privateers. Another expedition, even more mysterious, will take destination South America is that of the knight ofFontenaypublished.
Lamysterious "wing" of the knight Timoleon Hotman de Fontenay
The main source of this expedition is a story that has been in a Tender Amys Old Dieppe before the Second World War. The author is unknown but it appears to be a Norman noble, a volunteer, who has knowledge of maritime affairs. Charles de La Roncière partially used this source. There is also a text Mixtures Colbert: "The relationship of Mr. Accarette trips in the Platte River and the earth in Peru and the comments he made."
Armand Charles de La Porte La Meilleraye
Firstly let us examine the main protagonists of this case. Start with the shipowners. They include a Gayen, a Parisian gentleman who invested £ 2000 and who died during the expedition during a brawl. There are others, but apart Gayen, we do not know the name of the other two and not least Chappelain Caesar and Charles Armand La Porte LaMeilleraye.The first Secretary General of the Navy from 1648 to October 31, 1658, the date of his dismissal (probably as a result of the failure of this expedition) and its replacement by Louis Matharel.
As for M. de La Meilleraye, cousin the late Cardinal Richelieu, his involvement in the navy is important at this time. After being temporarily appointed (1647) Lieutenant General ships and galleys, he finds himself some time later governor of the city of Nantes. He breathes a certain economic and architectural dynamismbenefit.
But The Meilleraye does not forget his personal So between 1650 and1655,he weapon a squadron of four to five privateers under the command of Henry Danton Pontezière and protects Nicolas Gargot appetite Duke Daugnon. This pirate squadron made several catches are not without impact on diplomatic relations with the United Provinces and the Hanseatic cities. As a loyal member of the family of Richelieu, he pursued a colonial policy. In October 1656, The Meilleraye sends a squadron of four ships under Louis La Roche Saint-André, to Madagascar.
Arrival in SierraLeone,he opened a sealed envelope where it is prescribed to take a detour by the Rio de la Plata, "the best country in the world" and where two large galleons loaded eight million dollars. But La Roche-Saint-André admits not knowing the route Buenos Aires; Rézimont and a captain who said that hand is not more educated. So he continues to Madagascar.This expedition, he will return in September 1657 only one ship in poor condition with less than 170 men.
Ile St-Christophe
According to The Roncière, which does not indicate its sources, The Meilleraye involved in arming the Wing KnightFontenay to SouthAmerica.However, we find that the ship returning from Madagascar called La Meautrice and this name appears in the fleet of 1658. The geographical distribution of owners shows a predominance Paris Normandy but probably because the weapons are made in Le Havre . The choice of masters is not trivial, they are three: Daniel (Norman), Job Forant (Poitevin) and the expedition leader Timoleon Hotman de Fontenay (Le Parisien). We will focus mainly on the latter two.
Job Forant, son of Jacques naval officer, began his career as an officer in the Dutch Navy. Until historians (Jal, and Taillemite Laid-Franceschi) recalled that he had served in this country, but without providing evidence, taking a note placed in his file (National Archives, Colonial C7). Jacques, the father of Job, is reported for reduced catches in the port of Flushing in the 1630s it is also in the fleet of Admiral Tromp during the blockade ofDunkirk.Job there is and was later a captain in the squadron of De Witt Witte brings reinforcements in Brazil in 1646-1648. But he appears to have made a certain number of misdeeds during the campaign (more or less greedy smarter than other officers) and he was forced to desert the Dutch fleet.
Ifaty Beach Madagascar
It is found in the early 1650s to Dunkirk where it acts as a privateer and commits another odd attacking a ship "diplomatic" Dutch, causing serious injury to AdmiralBanckert.These actions are not without impacts on shipping comes. He was chosen because he knows the coast of South America.
In my opinion, the initiator of this expedition is Timoleon Hotman deFontenay.Knight of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, son of a treasurer of France, he directs the king's ships but also serves the cause of English royalists in 1651. Arriving at the island of St Kitts in 1652 on a frigate of 22 guns, he heard with his superior, the commander of Poincy, to use the Turtle Island on the ProtestantLevasseur.It died, it happens with M. Tréval, nephew Poincy, and quickly recognized by the inhabitants of the island after the killers pardoned his predecessor. Governor of the island, it promotes race against the Spaniards by providing commissions at all.
According to Dutertre, "his inclination was just to equip ships to go to war in Santo Domingo, and on the coast Cartagena, where he took everything out or wanted to enter the harbors of sorts that trade was entirely stopped there. " Spaniards react and seized the island in 1654. His younger brother Thomas who was taken hostage in Santo Domingo, Knight moved to Port Margot where he tried unsuccessfully to take the turtle with the help of buccaneers before returning to France. He brings with him his private fortune which includes at least a few slaves. During his government, Timoleon Hotman probably aware of the feat achieved 80 years earlier by Drake in the Pacific.
The wars in Europe
He is knowledgeable about the Spanish colonies thanks to the pirates but also the flow of migrants and Dutch Jews began to leave Brazil. After the fall of the island of Turtle, I guess he kept his relationships as his attack does not take place at any moment.
Turtle Island
Since 1655, Spain and England were at war, which has a serious impact on colonial trade. Convoys of silver and gold can not regularly in Spain and colonial goods pile up. Demand for European products is enormous: the Dutch are aware of this and obtain authorizations for trade.
The Chevalier de Fontenay carefully prepared his expedition with three ships and frigates Gaspard Fame (more than 20 guns each) and flute The Meautrice; all with 200 or 300 sailors, soldiers and volunteers. Shipping by end 1657, at an unknown date. The crossing was uneventful. We capture an abandoned by its crew Flemish ship, and meets another, Malouin, more than 1000 tons, Captain La Gardelle
Stopovers in the Portuguese colony of Cape Verde and Brazil allow find refreshments and a road the Argentinean coast, but several crew members took the opportunity to desert or settle down. On January 6, 1658, we arrive at BuenosAiresfleet moved to the entrance of the La Plata River on an island. In the port of Buenos Aires, then there are 20-22 Dutch ships and twoEnglish.Fontenay plans to loot the city, but the operation goes wrong. When boarding troops, boats capsize and the driver, an English sailor freshly captured, is wrong.
Ile St-Maurice Hotel Saint Geran
The troupe arrives in a mire and back to the ship. Fontenay is not dissatisfied with this failure, because its purpose is to cross the Strait ofMagellan.He informs his lieutenants at a council of war following the failure. Fontenay prepares his refueling sending teams to hunt down and bring every possible fruit. But this trip is not to everyone's taste: Daniel, the captain of the Meautrice, opposes Fontenay and is played by abandoning him to return to France.
Drilling will follow the example of Captain Daniel, but his scheme is pernicious. He informed his crew Fontenay ruminate, we're going to mutiny. Fontenay offers him to send men of confidence against the mutineers. Said drilling should not go so fast, but that if he feels the situation worse, this plan will apply. Fontenay will be informed when he and Forant to greet the morning and evening if Forant said that the weather is good, it means that all is well; if it is "bad weather", then Fontenay understood that the crew will rebel. The scheme lasts a week but one morning the ship Forant disappears.
Following this second desertion, Fontenay continue the journey alone. After a few mistakes, it happens to the Strait of Magellan but time and feel it is difficult to perform his single operation, prompted him to turn back. The return is performed in atrocious conditions: headwinds, rough seasPlata..
Strait of Magellan
Fontenay Forant found in theRio de laIt justifies its abandonment alleging to have been kidnapped by his crew, but it seems that he actually opposed them very little resistance. He then perhaps as another project to seize ships in the river. Fontenay is of the same opinion: return without jeopardizing armaments in which the knight has no doubt interestslanding.
But the Spanish governor was informed of the presence of Fontenay and having been released prisoners after the attempted erected defenses. For three weeks, the French spend their time cooling off in anticipation of the release of a ship. This happened one morning, three Dutch ships leave the port. Fontenay does not hesitate to engage in combat against the most powerful of the three, tonnage 1400 tons. But it is not supported by Forant who do not even attack the other two Dutch five to six hundred tons eachrages.
The battle Were heavy losses on the French side because the Dutch have installed four small cannon loaded with shot in the poop. The Chevalier de Fontenay and dies hit by a bullet, but the Dutch ship is taken. Y arrival, Forant notes the death of his head and declares that all those who want to go just have to follow. A number of soldiers and sailors jump on his ship, abandoning their comrades who are outnumbered in the face of the Dutch tall ship, but also against the other two, who seeing from Forant, back support their admiral.
Continued on paper 10
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