Jean-Marthe-Adrien l'Hermite
Encyclopedia
Jean-Marthe-Adrien L'Hermitte (first name also written "Jean-Matthieu-Adrien", and family name also written "Lhermitte"; Coutances
, Manche
, 29 September 1766 - Plessis-Picquet
, 28 August 1826) was a French
sea captain and rear admiral, notable for his involvement in the Glorious First of June
and various other campaigns.
and Présidial
of Cotentin. He joined the Navy aged 14 as a novice on the Pilote-des-Indes, a coast guard cutter cruising the English Channel. He took part in a battle against an English privateer off Chausey
.
In 1780, he joined the Northumberland
as a volunteer, taking part in the battles of the American war of Independence. In 1784, many French naval ships were put in the reserve, Lhermitte left the Navy and worked as a first officer on fishing ships of Newfoundland, the Modeste and Surveillante.
In 1787, with Castries
' reform of the Navy, he took a commission of sub-lieutenant on the Achille, and later of a number of smaller units that escorted merchantmen.
, and he engaged in commerce raiding in the Channel and off the Atlantic coast of France. Promoted to lieutenant in August 1793, he received command of the Tamise
, recently captured from the British by the frigate division to which Résolue belonged.
After extensive tests, Tamise conducted two patrols in the Channel, and was then attached to Montagne
, the flagship of the Brest squadron. As such, she took part in the Glorious First of June
.
In 1795, l'Hermite took command of a frigate squadron bound to raid commerce off Ireland, with his flag on the frigate Seine
. The squadron captured a number of small crafts, and HMS Hound, a 16-gun sloop. L'Hermitte then led the frigates Seine and Galathée and a corvette to Christiansand, visiting several harbours of the coast of Norway to capture English merchantmen that had fled there. Trapped by cold and disrepair, his ships were forced to spend the winter of 1794-1795 there, where sickness weakened their crews. He returned to France with three prizes, though a storm wrecked Galathée off Penmarc'h.
, bound for île de France
. He took part in a number of small actions, and was wounded fighting two British ships of the line.
In 1798, he took command of the 46-gun frigate Preneuse
. He was tasked to ferry ambassadors sent by Tippu Sultan to île de France to request help against the British. Spotting two Indiamen off Thalassery
, L'Hermitte decided to attack and captured them after a one-hour fight, and in spite of a lightening stricking Preneuses main mast. Arrived at Surabaya, the crew of Preneuse mutinied when Lhermitte decided to send the captured flags to Admiral Sercey, five men being subsequently court-martialled and executed by firing squad.
L'Hermitte then set out for a three-moth patrol in the Chinese seas with Preneuse and Brûle-Gueule. Upon their return, the ships were blockaded by a British squadron in Rivière noire, but managed to escape.
After repairs, he sailed to Cape of Good Hope
and Madagascar
. On 4 September 1799, Preneuse was opposed to a British frigate squadron that she had approached in the fog and mistaken for commerce ships, escaping after a furious fight that cost her 40 men. The following days, Preneuse was chased by the 54-gun HMS Jupiter
, which she managed to overcome by outmanoeuvering and raking
; Jupiter then escaped to avoid boarding. After completing her patrol, Preneuse returned to Isle de France, where she was intercepted by the 74-gun Tremendous; as she attempted to escape by sailing in shallow waters, the 50-gun HMS Adamant
cut her retreat, and she was forced to ground and scuttle to avoid capture.
An ailing L'Hermitte was received with extreme courtesy by Commodore Hotham
, and release on parole with his staff a few days later. He returned to île de France a hero, the population celebrating him and a 15-shot saluted being fired in his honour.
to ferry her from Lorient to Brest, than of the 80-gun Alexandre
, and eventually of the 120-gun Vengeur
, as flag officer of Admiral Truguet
. L'Hermitte's rising star came to a halt, however, when Truguet was revocked after speaking against the rise of the Empire, and for one year he was left without a command.
In 1805, L'Hermitte took command of a squadron tasked with raiding commerce in the Atlantic and in the Carabea, with his flag on the Régulus
. A hurricane dispersed the squadron in August 1806, and he returned to Brest with the lone Régulus on 2 October, barely escaping four British ships. Having captured 26 ships, L'Hermite was promoted to rear admiral and made a Baron of the Empire.
In October 1808, L'Hermitte was put in command of the Rocherfort squadron, with his flag on the Ville de Varsovie
. By mid-February, his failing health had forced him to resign his command, and he never again occupied a command at sea.
Following the Battle of the Basque Roads
, L'Hermitte was appointed Imperial commissaire (commissaire impérial, with the function of a procuror) in the court martial that trialed four captains who had lost their ships, obtaining the death penalty for one and destitution for another. In spite of his controversial role in the affair, Admiral Zacharie Allemand
was not incriminated.
From 1811, L'Hermitte was préfet maritime
in Toulon. In 1812, he briefly commanded the Mediterranean squadron, which did not sail at the time. His chronic illness forced him to rely on captain Christy-Pallière, who supervised the harbour, to relieve him.
After the Bourbon restauration, in 1814, L'Hermitte was sent by Louis XVIII pick up the Duke of Orléans and his family in Palerme, on the Ville de Marseille
. On that occasion, he received the cross of the Order of Saint Louis
.
During the Hundred Days
, L'Hermitte declared himself in favour of the King, which caused his immediate dismissal.
L'Hermitte retired in 1816 with the honorary rank of vice-admiral.
, and later given by the family to the museum of Coutances
. A smaller portrait by Fanish is also on display there representing L'Hermitte in 1793.
Coutances
Coutances is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.-History:Capital of the Unelli, a Gaulish tribe, the town took the name of Constantia in 298 during the reign of Roman emperor Constantius Chlorus...
, Manche
Manche
Manche is a French department in Normandy named after La Manche , which is the French name for the English Channel.- History :Manche is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
, 29 September 1766 - Plessis-Picquet
Le Plessis-Robinson
Le Plessis-Robinson is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:Plessis was first mentioned in 839 located next to Châtenay .Plessiacus became Plessis-Raoul in 1250....
, 28 August 1826) was a French
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...
sea captain and rear admiral, notable for his involvement in the Glorious First of June
Glorious First of June
The Glorious First of June [Note A] of 1794 was the first and largest fleet action of the naval conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the First French Republic during the French Revolutionary Wars...
and various other campaigns.
Early career
L'Hermitte was born to the family of a consellor to the BailiwickBailiwick
A bailiwick is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and may also apply to a territory in which the sheriff's functions were exercised by a privately appointed bailiff under a royal or imperial writ. The word is now more generally used in a metaphorical sense, to indicate a sphere of...
and Présidial
Présidial
The Présidial was a judicial tribunal of the French Ancien Régime, set up in January 1551 by Henry II of France and suppressed by a decree of the National Assembly in 1790....
of Cotentin. He joined the Navy aged 14 as a novice on the Pilote-des-Indes, a coast guard cutter cruising the English Channel. He took part in a battle against an English privateer off Chausey
Chausey
Chausey is a group of small islands, islets and rocks off the coast of Normandy, in the English Channel. It lies from Granville, and forms a quartier of the Granville commune, in the Manche département...
.
In 1780, he joined the Northumberland
French ship Northumberland (1780)
The Northumberland was a 74-gun Annibal class ship of the line of the French Navy.She took part in the Battle of the Saintes under captain Saint Cézaire, who was killed in the action. In 1782, she captured the 14-gun sloop HMS Allegiance....
as a volunteer, taking part in the battles of the American war of Independence. In 1784, many French naval ships were put in the reserve, Lhermitte left the Navy and worked as a first officer on fishing ships of Newfoundland, the Modeste and Surveillante.
In 1787, with Castries
Charles Eugène Gabriel de La Croix, marquis de Castries
Charles Eugène Gabriel de La Croix de Castries, marquis de Castries, baron des États de Languedoc, comte de Charlus, baron de Castelnau et de Montjouvent, seigneur de Puylaurens et de Lézignan was a French marshal...
' reform of the Navy, he took a commission of sub-lieutenant on the Achille, and later of a number of smaller units that escorted merchantmen.
English Channel and Northern Sea
In February 1793, when war broke out against England, L'Hermitte was first officer on the frigate RésolueFrench frigate Résolue (1778)
Résolue was an Iphigénie-class 32-gun frigate of the French Navy.-French service:On 19 March 1779, Résolue captured a British fort in Senegal....
, and he engaged in commerce raiding in the Channel and off the Atlantic coast of France. Promoted to lieutenant in August 1793, he received command of the Tamise
HMS Thames (1758)
HMS Thames was a 32-gun Richmond-class fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy built by Henry Adams and launched at Bucklers Hard in 1758. She served in several wars, including for some four years in French service after her capture. She was recaptured in 1796 and was broken up in 1803.-British...
, recently captured from the British by the frigate division to which Résolue belonged.
After extensive tests, Tamise conducted two patrols in the Channel, and was then attached to Montagne
French ship Océan (1790)
Océan was a 118-gun first-rate three-decker ship of the line of the French Navy, lead ship of her class.She was ordered as États de Bourgogne and was launched at Brest in 1790...
, the flagship of the Brest squadron. As such, she took part in the Glorious First of June
Glorious First of June
The Glorious First of June [Note A] of 1794 was the first and largest fleet action of the naval conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the First French Republic during the French Revolutionary Wars...
.
In 1795, l'Hermite took command of a frigate squadron bound to raid commerce off Ireland, with his flag on the frigate Seine
HMS Seine (1798)
Seine was a 38-gun Seine-class French frigate that the Royal Navy captured in 1798 and commissioned as the fifth rate HMS Seine. On 20 August 1800, Seine captured the French ship Vengeance in a single ship action that would win for her crew the Naval General Service Medal...
. The squadron captured a number of small crafts, and HMS Hound, a 16-gun sloop. L'Hermitte then led the frigates Seine and Galathée and a corvette to Christiansand, visiting several harbours of the coast of Norway to capture English merchantmen that had fled there. Trapped by cold and disrepair, his ships were forced to spend the winter of 1794-1795 there, where sickness weakened their crews. He returned to France with three prizes, though a storm wrecked Galathée off Penmarc'h.
Indian Ocean
From February 1796, L'Hermitte captained the frigate Vertu in a squadron led by Admiral SerceyPierre César Charles de Sercey
Pierre César Charles de Sercey was a French admiral, most notable for commanding French naval forces in the Indian Ocean from 1796 to 1800. His name is engraved on the Arc de triomphe.-Early life:...
, bound for île de France
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 took part in a number of small actions, and was wounded fighting two British ships of the line.
In 1798, he took command of the 46-gun frigate Preneuse
French frigate Preneuse (1795)
The Preneuse was a 44-gun frigate of the French Navy, lead ship of her class. She served as a commerce raider at Île de France.In March 1798, under Lhermitte, she ferried ambassadors from Mysore sent by Tippu Sultan to île de France to request help against the British...
. He was tasked to ferry ambassadors sent by Tippu Sultan to île de France to request help against the British. Spotting two Indiamen off Thalassery
Thalassery
Thalassery , also known as Tellicherry, is a city on the Malabar Coast of Kerala, India. This is the second largest city of North Malabar in terms of population. The name Tellicherry is the anglicized form of Thalassery. Thalassery municipality has a population just less than 100,000. Established...
, L'Hermitte decided to attack and captured them after a one-hour fight, and in spite of a lightening stricking Preneuses main mast. Arrived at Surabaya, the crew of Preneuse mutinied when Lhermitte decided to send the captured flags to Admiral Sercey, five men being subsequently court-martialled and executed by firing squad.
L'Hermitte then set out for a three-moth patrol in the Chinese seas with Preneuse and Brûle-Gueule. Upon their return, the ships were blockaded by a British squadron in Rivière noire, but managed to escape.
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
and Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. On 4 September 1799, Preneuse was opposed to a British frigate squadron that she had approached in the fog and mistaken for commerce ships, escaping after a furious fight that cost her 40 men. The following days, Preneuse was chased by the 54-gun HMS Jupiter
HMS Jupiter (1778)
HMS Jupiter was a 50-gun Portland-class fourth rate ship of the Royal Navy. She served during the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary Wars, and the Napoleonic Wars in a career that spanned thirty years....
, which she managed to overcome by outmanoeuvering and raking
Raking fire
In naval warfare, raking fire is fire directed parallel to the long axis of an enemy ship. Although each shot is directed against a smaller target profile than by shooting broadside and thus more likely to miss the target ship to one side or the other, an individual cannon shot that hits will pass...
; Jupiter then escaped to avoid boarding. After completing her patrol, Preneuse returned to Isle de France, where she was intercepted by the 74-gun Tremendous; as she attempted to escape by sailing in shallow waters, the 50-gun HMS Adamant
HMS Adamant (1780)
HMS Adamant was a 50-gun Portland-class fourth rate warship of the British Royal Navy. She served during the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary Wars, and the Napoleonic Wars in a career that spanned thirty years....
cut her retreat, and she was forced to ground and scuttle to avoid capture.
An ailing L'Hermitte was received with extreme courtesy by Commodore Hotham
William Hotham (1772–1848)
Sir William Hotham GCB was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
, and release on parole with his staff a few days later. He returned to île de France a hero, the population celebrating him and a 15-shot saluted being fired in his honour.
Career during the First Empire
L'Hermitte returned to France in October 1801, where he was received by Bonaparte who promoted him to Captain, and called him "the Brave". He took command of the 74-gun BrutusFrench ship Brutus (1798)
The Brutus was a Téméraire class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.She served in the Caribbean under Willaumez during the Atlantic campaign of 1806.On 19 August 1806, she was dismasted in a tempest and drifted until 10 September...
to ferry her from Lorient to Brest, than of the 80-gun Alexandre
French ship Indivisible (1799)
Indivisible was a Tonnant class 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.Originally named the Indivisible in 1793, she was commissioned in Toulon on 23 September 1800. On 5 February 1803, she was renamed Alexandre, and recommissioned in Brest under captain Leveyer.In December, under captain...
, and eventually of the 120-gun Vengeur
French ship Vengeur (1803)
The Vengeur was a first-rate 118-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, of the Océan type, designed by Jacques-Noël Sané....
, as flag officer of Admiral Truguet
Laurent Jean François Truguet
Laurent Truguet was a French admiral.-Youth up to the Revolution:Of arisocratic origins, and the son of a chef d'escadre, Laurent de Truguet entered the...
. L'Hermitte's rising star came to a halt, however, when Truguet was revocked after speaking against the rise of the Empire, and for one year he was left without a command.
In 1805, L'Hermitte took command of a squadron tasked with raiding commerce in the Atlantic and in the Carabea, with his flag on the Régulus
French ship Régulus (1805)
The Régulus was a Téméraire class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.From 25 May 1801, her armament was upgraded to sport between 80 and 86 guns....
. A hurricane dispersed the squadron in August 1806, and he returned to Brest with the lone Régulus on 2 October, barely escaping four British ships. Having captured 26 ships, L'Hermite was promoted to rear admiral and made a Baron of the Empire.
In October 1808, L'Hermitte was put in command of the Rocherfort squadron, with his flag on the Ville de Varsovie
French ship Ville de Varsovie (1808)
The Ville de Varsovie was an 80-gun Bucentaure-class 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, designed by Chaumont from original plans by Sané.Built as Tonnant, she was renamed Ville de Varsovie while still under construction...
. By mid-February, his failing health had forced him to resign his command, and he never again occupied a command at sea.
Following 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...
, L'Hermitte was appointed Imperial commissaire (commissaire impérial, with the function of a procuror) in the court martial that trialed four captains who had lost their ships, obtaining the death penalty for one and destitution for another. In spite of his controversial role in the affair, Admiral Zacharie Allemand
Zacharie Allemand
Zacharie Jacques Théodore Allemand, was a French admiral.- Early career :Allemand was born to a captain of the East Indian Company. Orphaned at an early age, he started his sailing career at 12 as an apprentice on Superbe, an East Indiaman...
was not incriminated.
From 1811, L'Hermitte was préfet maritime
Préfet Maritime
The Préfet Maritime is a servant of the French State who exercises authority over the sea in one particular region . As a civil servant, he reports to the Prime Minister...
in Toulon. In 1812, he briefly commanded the Mediterranean squadron, which did not sail at the time. His chronic illness forced him to rely on captain Christy-Pallière, who supervised the harbour, to relieve him.
After the Bourbon restauration, in 1814, L'Hermitte was sent by Louis XVIII pick up the Duke of Orléans and his family in Palerme, on the Ville de Marseille
French ship Ville de Marseille (1812)
The Ville de Marseille was a Téméraire class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.In 1827, she was upgraded to 80 guns. The next year, she took part in operations in Easter Mediterranean under captain Cuvillier....
. On that occasion, he received the cross of the Order of Saint Louis
Order of Saint Louis
The Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis was a military Order of Chivalry founded on 5 April 1693 by Louis XIV and named after Saint Louis . It was intended as a reward for exceptional officers, and is notable as the first decoration that could be granted to non-nobles...
.
During the Hundred Days
Hundred Days
The Hundred Days, sometimes known as the Hundred Days of Napoleon or Napoleon's Hundred Days for specificity, marked the period between Emperor Napoleon I of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815...
, L'Hermitte declared himself in favour of the King, which caused his immediate dismissal.
L'Hermitte retired in 1816 with the honorary rank of vice-admiral.
Honours
- Baron d'Empire
- Legion of Honour
- Order of Saint LouisOrder of Saint LouisThe Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis was a military Order of Chivalry founded on 5 April 1693 by Louis XIV and named after Saint Louis . It was intended as a reward for exceptional officers, and is notable as the first decoration that could be granted to non-nobles...
- Name engraved on the Arc de TriompheArc de Triomphe-The design:The astylar design is by Jean Chalgrin , in the Neoclassical version of ancient Roman architecture . Major academic sculptors of France are represented in the sculpture of the Arc de Triomphe: Jean-Pierre Cortot; François Rude; Antoine Étex; James Pradier and Philippe Joseph Henri Lemaire...
Portraits
Two portraits, representing L'Hermitte and his wife, were made by Langlois de SézanneLanglois de Sézanne
Claude Louis Langlois , known as Langlois de Sézanne, was a French portraitist and pastel artist. His portrait of Madame Morel is held by the Musée Antoine Vivenel, Compiègne....
, and later given by the family to the museum of Coutances
Coutances
Coutances is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.-History:Capital of the Unelli, a Gaulish tribe, the town took the name of Constantia in 298 during the reign of Roman emperor Constantius Chlorus...
. A smaller portrait by Fanish is also on display there representing L'Hermitte in 1793.