Jean Parmentier
Encyclopedia
Jean Parmentier born in Dieppe
, France
, was a navigator, cartographer, and poet. Jean and his brother Raoul made numerous voyages for the shipowner Jean Ango
, and sailed to the coasts of Brazil
, North America
, West Africa
and Sumatra
.
On 3 April 1529 he sailed two ships to the island of Sumatra
with the aim of breaking the Portuguese
spice trade monopoly. They reached the western coast of Sumatra at the end of October, but were unable to buy the quantity of spices wanted. The men who spent time ashore got sick and many died, including Jean and his brother. The surviving crew members voted to return to France and, on 22 January 1530, they set out. Both ships returned safely to France.
In 1531 Pierre Crignon, the chief pilot on the Sumatra expedition, published a collection of Jean’s poetry. Although Jean was well known as a cartographer, none of his maps has survived.
The expedition was accompanied by "Jean Sasi, le grand Peintre". Upon their return they triggered the development of the Dieppe maps
, influencing the work of Dieppe
cartographers, such as Jean Rotz
.
Dieppe, Seine-Maritime
Dieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled...
, France
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...
, was a navigator, cartographer, and poet. Jean and his brother Raoul made numerous voyages for the shipowner Jean Ango
Jean Ango
Jean Ango was a French ship-owner who provided ships to Francis I for exploration of the globe. A native of Dieppe, Ango took over his father's import-export business, and ventured into the spice trade with Africa and India...
, and sailed to the coasts of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
and Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
.
On 3 April 1529 he sailed two ships to the island of Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
with the aim of breaking the Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
spice trade monopoly. They reached the western coast of Sumatra at the end of October, but were unable to buy the quantity of spices wanted. The men who spent time ashore got sick and many died, including Jean and his brother. The surviving crew members voted to return to France and, on 22 January 1530, they set out. Both ships returned safely to France.
In 1531 Pierre Crignon, the chief pilot on the Sumatra expedition, published a collection of Jean’s poetry. Although Jean was well known as a cartographer, none of his maps has survived.
The expedition was accompanied by "Jean Sasi, le grand Peintre". Upon their return they triggered the development of the Dieppe maps
Dieppe maps
The Dieppe maps are a series of world maps produced in Dieppe, France, in the 1540s, 1550s and 1560s. They are large hand-produced maps, commissioned for wealthy and royal patrons, including Henry II of France and Henry VIII of England...
, influencing the work of Dieppe
Dieppe, Seine-Maritime
Dieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled...
cartographers, such as Jean Rotz
Jean Rotz
Jean Rotz, also called Johne Rotz, was a 16th century French artist-cartographer. He was born to a Scottish father and a French mother.-Career:Rotz was a member of the school of the Dieppe maps...
.
See also
- France-Asia relations