Emmanuel Halgan
Encyclopedia
Emmanuel Halgan was a French
Navy officer and admiral.
, Halgan joined the French Royal Navy aged 16. He then served as a lieutenant and first officer on merchantmen.
After rejoining the Navy, he served aboard the brig Curieux, captured by a British frigate in 1793. Halgan was taken prisoner. Upon his return to France, he served on the Terrible
and on a number of other ships.
In 1798, Halgan received command of the brig Aréthuse. The next year, Aréthuse was dismasted and captured by a 74-gun, off Portugal.
In 1800, Halgan was tasked with commissioning the Clorinde
, and then served as first officer on Clorinde as she was sent to Santo Domingo
.
Upon his return to France, Halgan received command of the brig Épervier, with ensign Jérôme Bonaparte
under his orders.
In Martinique
, Halgan took command of the 20-gun Berceau
. He sailed to France, and in 1803, sailed to the Indian Ocean to warn of the outbreak of the War of the Third Coalition. At Mauritius
, he joined up with Linois' squadron, engaging in commerce raiding. He captured the 1500-ton Countess of Sutherland and, on 3 December, destroyed outposts at Pullo-Bay, along with Motard
's Sémillante
.
Sailing towards the Sea of China, Halgan persuaded Linois to sail through the Gaspar Strait
, of which he had studied recent maps. The French squadron then met a 26-ship convoy of the Honourable East India Company, leading to the Battle of Pulo Aura
.
Promoted to capitaine de frégate, Halgan was sent to France and received command of the frigate Cybèle
, but was then ordered to embark on the Vétéran
instead, under Prince Jérôme Bonaparte
.
In 1809, Halgan captained the Heureuse during the Battle of the Basque Roads
. Heureuse was amongst the survivors of the battle.
In December 1813, with three companies of sailors and a fraction of the crews of his ships, Halgan defended the fortress of Hellevoetsluis
, in Holland, against the attacks of several thousands insurgents. The French-held fortresses were later ordered abandoned due to the advances of the Allies, and the Meuse flotilla was scuttled in Willemstad
. Halgan retreated to Anvers. When Anvers was shelled, he defended the harbour and helped preserve the ships and the naval installations.
After the Bourbon Restauration, Helgan was given command of the Superbe, sailing to the Caribbean.
Halgan the supervised the naval divisions of the Levant and of America. In 1819, he was nominated director for personnel at the Ministry of the Navy. He later returned to Levant to command a squadron, before returning to his office at the Ministry in 1824 and serving at the Council of State.
From 1819 to 1830, he sited at the Chamber of Deputies
. In 1830, he presided the Commission of Naval Signals.
In 1837, he was made general inspector of the Harbours of the Ocean, and a Peer of France
.
After retiring on 24 June 1841, by then a vice-admiral, Halgan was promoted to Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour.
The genus Halgania
was named in his honour.
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...
Navy officer and admiral.
Biography
Born to the family of a bailiffBailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
, Halgan joined the French Royal Navy aged 16. He then served as a lieutenant and first officer on merchantmen.
After rejoining the Navy, he served aboard the brig Curieux, captured by a British frigate in 1793. Halgan was taken prisoner. Upon his return to France, he served on the Terrible
French ship Terrible (1779)
The Terrible was a 110-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, lead ship of her class.She took part in the Bataille du 13 prairial an 2, where she was dismasted by HMS Royal Sovereign...
and on a number of other ships.
In 1798, Halgan received command of the brig Aréthuse. The next year, Aréthuse was dismasted and captured by a 74-gun, off Portugal.
In 1800, Halgan was tasked with commissioning the Clorinde
French frigate Clorinde (1801)
The Clorinde was a 44-gun Uranie class frigate of the French Navy.She was laid down as Havraise in 1796, and was renamed to Clorinde before her commissioning in Nantes. In 1801, she was under Emmanuel Halgan....
, and then served as first officer on Clorinde as she was sent to Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
.
Upon his return to France, Halgan received command of the brig Épervier, with ensign Jérôme Bonaparte
Jérôme Bonaparte
Jérôme-Napoléon Bonaparte, French Prince, King of Westphalia, 1st Prince of Montfort was the youngest brother of Napoleon, who made him king of Westphalia...
under his orders.
In Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
, Halgan took command of the 20-gun Berceau
French corvette Berceau (1794)
The Berceau was a 22-gun corvette of the French Navy.In 1799, she took part in the Cruise of Bruix. On 11 May, Admiral Bruix set his flag on Berceau to direct a battle against the British off Cadiz; after the Spanish broke contact, Bruix cancelled the attack.On 13 July 1800, Berceau measured...
. He sailed to France, and in 1803, sailed to the Indian Ocean to warn of the outbreak of the War of the Third Coalition. At Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
, he joined up with Linois' squadron, engaging in commerce raiding. He captured the 1500-ton Countess of Sutherland and, on 3 December, destroyed outposts at Pullo-Bay, along with Motard
Léonard-Bernard Motard
Léonard-Bernard Motard was a French naval officer and eventually contre-amiral.Motard enlisted in the French Navy in 1786. He was promoted to ensign in 1791, to lieutenant in 1793, and to capitaine de frégate in 1797...
's Sémillante
French frigate Sémillante (1792)
The Sémillante was a 32-gun frigate of the French Navy, lead ship of her class. She was involved in a number of multi-vessel actions against the Royal Navy, particularly in the Indian Ocean. She captured a number of East Indiamen before the she became so damaged that the French disarmed her and...
.
Sailing towards the Sea of China, Halgan persuaded Linois to sail through the Gaspar Strait
Gaspar Strait
Gaspar Strait separates Belitung and Bangka islands in Indonesia. It connects the Java Sea to the South China Sea.These straits, formed between the large islands Banca and Billiton, are generally called Gaspar Straits, after the Spanish captain from Manila, who passed through them in 1724; but...
, of which he had studied recent maps. The French squadron then met a 26-ship convoy of the Honourable East India Company, leading to the Battle of Pulo Aura
Battle of Pulo Aura
The Battle of Pulo Aura was a minor naval engagement of the Napoleonic Wars, fought on 14 February 1804, in which a large squadron of Honourable East India Company East Indiamen, powerful and well armed merchant ships, intimidated, drove off and chased a powerful French naval squadron...
.
Promoted to capitaine de frégate, Halgan was sent to France and received command of the frigate Cybèle
French frigate Cybèle (1790)
The Cybèle was an Nymphe class 40-gun frigate of the French Navy.On 22 October 1794, soon after the outbreak of the war with England, and along with the 32-gun Prudente and the brig Coureur, she fought HMS Centurion and , who blockaded Ile de France. The French ships managed to drive away the...
, but was then ordered to embark on the Vétéran
French ship Vétéran (1803)
The Vétéran was a development from the Téméraire class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, one of two ships of a sub-class of which the other vessel was the Cassard...
instead, under Prince Jérôme Bonaparte
Jérôme Bonaparte
Jérôme-Napoléon Bonaparte, French Prince, King of Westphalia, 1st Prince of Montfort was the youngest brother of Napoleon, who made him king of Westphalia...
.
In 1809, Halgan captained the Heureuse during the Battle of the Basque Roads
Battle of the Basque Roads
The Battle of the Basque Roads, also Battle of Aix Roads was a naval battle during the Napoleonic Wars off the Island of Aix...
. Heureuse was amongst the survivors of the battle.
In December 1813, with three companies of sailors and a fraction of the crews of his ships, Halgan defended the fortress of Hellevoetsluis
Hellevoetsluis
Hellevoetsluis is a small city and municipality on Voorne-Putten Island in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland...
, in Holland, against the attacks of several thousands insurgents. The French-held fortresses were later ordered abandoned due to the advances of the Allies, and the Meuse flotilla was scuttled in Willemstad
Willemstad
Willemstad can refer to:*Willemstad, the capital of Curaçao*Willemstad , a town in Moerdijk, the Netherlands*Willemstad , a hamlet near Marum, the Netherlands*Willemstad , a hamlet in the Netherlands...
. Halgan retreated to Anvers. When Anvers was shelled, he defended the harbour and helped preserve the ships and the naval installations.
After the Bourbon Restauration, Helgan was given command of the Superbe, sailing to the Caribbean.
Halgan the supervised the naval divisions of the Levant and of America. In 1819, he was nominated director for personnel at the Ministry of the Navy. He later returned to Levant to command a squadron, before returning to his office at the Ministry in 1824 and serving at the Council of State.
From 1819 to 1830, he sited at the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of France
Chamber of Deputies was the name given to several parliamentary bodies in France in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries:* 1814–1848 during the Bourbon Restoration and the July Monarchy, the Chamber of Deputies was the Lower chamber of the French Parliament, elected by census suffrage.*...
. In 1830, he presided the Commission of Naval Signals.
In 1837, he was made general inspector of the Harbours of the Ocean, and a Peer of France
Peerage of France
The Peerage of France was a distinction within the French nobility which appeared in the Middle Ages. It was abolished in 1789 during the French Revolution, but it reappeared in 1814 at the time of the Bourbon Restoration which followed the fall of the First French Empire...
.
After retiring on 24 June 1841, by then a vice-admiral, Halgan was promoted to Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour.
The genus Halgania
Halgania
Halgania is a genus of small shrubs in the family Boraginaceae which are native to Australia. The genus is named for Emmanuel Halgan, a vice-admiral in the French Navy.-Selected species:*Halgania anagalloides Endl....
was named in his honour.