Abel Aubert Dupetit Thouars
Encyclopedia
Abel Aubert Dupetit Thouars (3 August 1793 – 16 March 1864) was a French
naval officer important in France's anexation of French Polynesia
.
He was born at the castle of La Fessardière, near Saumur
. His uncle Aristide Aubert Dupetit-Thouars was of the heroes of the Battle of the Nile
. He joined the French Navy
in 1804, where he was a young hand in the Boulogne fleet.
He was promoted to Captain (Capitaine de frégate) in 1824. He frequently travelled to Algeria
, and had a decisive role in the conquest of Algiers
, where he established the attack plans. During the battle, he commanded the 20-gun Le Griffon.
He was later put in charge of the Southern Seas command, in the Pacific Ocean
. In 1834 he played a key role in protecting French shipping interests against the Peruvians.
He became "Capitaine de vaisseau" on 6 January 1834, and accomplished a circumnavigation between 1836 and 1839 on La Venus.
He was made admiral
on 12 July 1841, in charge of the Pacific Naval Division. His mission was to take possession of the Marquesas Islands
. In Tahiti
, he entered into a confrontation with the English missionary and Consul George Pritchard
(1796–1883), and finally expelled him and established a French protectorate over the territory. He was initially denounced for his actions by the French government, which feared a conflict with Great Britain
. Relations between France and Great Britain soured considerably during the reign of Louis-Philippe, due to this "Pritchard Affair".
Dupetit Thouars became a Vice-Admiral in 1846, and retired in 1858. He died in Paris in 1864.
He had no children, but adopted the son of his sister, known as Abel Nicolas Bergasse Dupetit Thouars, who also became an Admiral, and played an important role during the Boshin War
in Japan
. This botanist is denoted by the author abbreviation A.Thouars when citing
a botanical name
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
naval officer important in France's anexation of French Polynesia
French Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
.
He was born at the castle of La Fessardière, near Saumur
Saumur
Saumur is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.The historic town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc...
. His uncle Aristide Aubert Dupetit-Thouars was of the heroes of the Battle of the Nile
Battle of the Nile
The Battle of the Nile was a major naval battle fought between British and French fleets at Aboukir Bay on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt from 1–3 August 1798...
. He joined the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
in 1804, where he was a young hand in the Boulogne fleet.
He was promoted to Captain (Capitaine de frégate) in 1824. He frequently travelled to Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, and had a decisive role in the conquest of Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, where he established the attack plans. During the battle, he commanded the 20-gun Le Griffon.
He was later put in charge of the Southern Seas command, in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. In 1834 he played a key role in protecting French shipping interests against the Peruvians.
He became "Capitaine de vaisseau" on 6 January 1834, and accomplished a circumnavigation between 1836 and 1839 on La Venus.
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
on 12 July 1841, in charge of the Pacific Naval Division. His mission was to take possession of the Marquesas Islands
Marquesas Islands
The Marquesas Islands enana and Te Fenua `Enata , both meaning "The Land of Men") are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the southern Pacific Ocean. The Marquesas are located at 9° 00S, 139° 30W...
. In Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
, he entered into a confrontation with the English missionary and Consul George Pritchard
George Pritchard (missionary)
George Pritchard was a British Christian missionary and diplomatist.Pritchard was born in Birmingham and studied at the mission seminary at Gosport. In 1824 he travelled to the Society Islands to undertake work for the London Missionary Society. In 1837 he was appointed British consul at Tahiti,...
(1796–1883), and finally expelled him and established a French protectorate over the territory. He was initially denounced for his actions by the French government, which feared a conflict with Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. Relations between France and Great Britain soured considerably during the reign of Louis-Philippe, due to this "Pritchard Affair".
Dupetit Thouars became a Vice-Admiral in 1846, and retired in 1858. He died in Paris in 1864.
He had no children, but adopted the son of his sister, known as Abel Nicolas Bergasse Dupetit Thouars, who also became an Admiral, and played an important role during the Boshin War
Boshin War
The was a civil war in Japan, fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and those seeking to return political power to the imperial court....
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. This botanist is denoted by the author abbreviation A.Thouars when citing
Author citation (botany)
In botanical nomenclature, author citation refers to citing the person who validly published a botanical name, i.e. who first published the name while fulfilling the formal requirements as specified by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature...
a botanical name
Botanical name
A botanical name is a formal scientific name conforming to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature and, if it concerns a plant cultigen, the additional cultivar and/or Group epithets must conform to the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants...
.
Family
- Louis-Marie Aubert du Petit-ThouarsLouis-Marie Aubert du Petit-ThouarsLouis-Marie Aubert du Petit-Thouars was an eminent French botanist.-Introduction:He was from an aristocrat family of the region of Anjou, where he grew up in the castle of Boumois, near Saumur...
(1758–1831) was a famous botanist. - Aristide Aubert du Petit ThouarsAristide Aubert Du Petit ThouarsAristide Aubert Du Petit Thouars was a French naval officer, and a hero of the Battle of Aboukir, where he died....
(1760–1798) was a French Navy officer, and a hero of the Battle of the NileBattle of the NileThe Battle of the Nile was a major naval battle fought between British and French fleets at Aboukir Bay on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt from 1–3 August 1798...
. - Abel-Nicolas Bergasse Dupetit Thouars (1832–1890) was a French Navy admiral who participated to the Boshin WarBoshin WarThe was a civil war in Japan, fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and those seeking to return political power to the imperial court....
in JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Further reading
Granier, Hubert, Histoire des marins français 1815–1870: La marche vers la République. Nantes: Marines Éditions, 2002. ISBN 2-909675-72-6External links
- Biography
- Spanish Du Petit Thouars in Mazatlan.
- The Dupetit Thouars family