Édouard Jean Joseph de Laborde de Marchainville
Encyclopedia
Édouard Jean Joseph de Laborde de Marchainville(26 June 1762, Paris
- 13 July 1786, Baie des Français, Lituya
, Alaska
) was a French explorer and naval officer.
, Marchainville participated in battles of the American Revolutionary War
and bore himself so well that his captain mentioned him favourably in dispatches. On l'Aigrette, commanded by Fleuriot de Langle he functioned as an "officier chargé du détail", as he also did on board the la Résolue.
In 1784, he was held to be experienced enough to command the corvette la Fauvette. Leaving Newport
for île de France
in consort with le Réfléchi, la Fauvette was separated by a sudden storm in the approaches to the a great bank off Newfoundland and so Marchainville returned with only one ship, despite bad weather on the return voyage.
A good and brave sailor, he was also noted for his scientific researches, which won him a
"lunette de mer" on 23 August 1777. On 9 March 1785, he gained permission to spend 3 months in England and the Netherlands
to learn more about science. On his return to Brest
in June 1785, Marchainville was immediately chosen to fill the supplementary role of enseigne prévue on board the l'Astrolabe and Langle, Marchainville's commander twice before, very probably asked for him to serve under him again.
He and his brother Ange
died on the La Pérouse expedition
, and their father (the wealthy court banker Jean-Joseph de Laborde
) erected a blue-turquoise marble rostral column
beside a pool at his château de Méréville
, decorated with 4 ships' bows, to glorify their virtues.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
- 13 July 1786, Baie des Français, Lituya
Lituya Bay
Lituya Bay is a fjord located on the coast of the Southeast part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is long and wide at its widest point. The bay was noted in 1786 by Jean-François de La Pérouse, who named it Port des Français...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
) was a French explorer and naval officer.
Life
In 1780, on board la Couronne, commanded by GuichenLuc Urbain de Bouexic, comte de Guichen
Luc Urbain de Bouëxic, comte de Guichen - French admiral; entered the navy in 1730 as "garde de la Marine," the first rank in the corps of royal officers.His promotion was not rapid...
, Marchainville participated in battles of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
and bore himself so well that his captain mentioned him favourably in dispatches. On l'Aigrette, commanded by Fleuriot de Langle he functioned as an "officier chargé du détail", as he also did on board the la Résolue.
In 1784, he was held to be experienced enough to command the corvette la Fauvette. Leaving Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
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...
in consort with le Réfléchi, la Fauvette was separated by a sudden storm in the approaches to the a great bank off Newfoundland and so Marchainville returned with only one ship, despite bad weather on the return voyage.
A good and brave sailor, he was also noted for his scientific researches, which won him a
"lunette de mer" on 23 August 1777. On 9 March 1785, he gained permission to spend 3 months in England and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
to learn more about science. On his return to Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
in June 1785, Marchainville was immediately chosen to fill the supplementary role of enseigne prévue on board the l'Astrolabe and Langle, Marchainville's commander twice before, very probably asked for him to serve under him again.
He and his brother Ange
Ange Auguste Joseph de Laborde de Boutervilliers
Ange Auguste Joseph de Laborde de Marchainville was a French explorer....
died on the La Pérouse expedition
Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse
Jean François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse was a French Navy officer and explorer whose expedition vanished in Oceania.-Early career:...
, and their father (the wealthy court banker Jean-Joseph de Laborde
Jean-Joseph de Laborde
- Biography:Laborde was born near Jaca in Aragon, into a modest béarnaise family. When he reached adolescence he joined his uncle, who was head of a maritime import-export company at Saint-Jean-de-Luz, and took over as head of the business on the cousin's death...
) erected a blue-turquoise marble rostral column
Rostral column
A rostral column is a type of victory column, originating in ancient Greece and Rome where they were erected to commemorate a naval military victory. Traditionally, rostra — the prows or rams of captured ships — were mounted on the columns...
beside a pool at his château de Méréville
Château de Méréville
The Château de Méréville is a chateau in Méréville in the valley of the Juine, France. It is the rival of the Désert de Retz as two of the most extensive Landscape Gardens provided with follies and picturesque features — parcs à fabriques — made in the late eighteenth century...
, decorated with 4 ships' bows, to glorify their virtues.