Lesuire - Maurice-Julien Emériau, comte de l'Empire, né le 20 octobre 1763 à Carhaix

Maxime Julien Émeriau de Beauverger (20 October 1762 in

Carhaix Carhaix-Plouguer (; br, Karaez-Plougêr ), commonly known as just Carhaix (), is a Communes of France, commune in the Departments of France, French department of Finistère, region of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, France.

– 2 February 1845 in

Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...

) was a French Navy officer and admiral.

Biography

American War of Independence

Emeriau joined the Navy in 1776, just before the outbreak of the

American War of Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, taking service on the

fluyt A fluyt (archaic Dutch: ''fluijt'' "flute"; ) is a Dutch type of sailing vessel originally designed by the shipwrights of Hoorn as a dedicated cargo vessel. Originating in the Dutch Republic in the 16th century, the vessel was designed to facilit ...

''Sylphe''. He took part in the Battle of Ushant on the ''Intrépide'' in 1778. He was then transferred on the ''Diadème'', in

Admiral d'Estaing Jean Baptiste Charles Henri Hector, Count of Estaing (24 November 1729 – 28 April 1794) was a French general and admiral. He began his service as a soldier in the War of the Austrian Succession, briefly spending time as a prisoner of war of the ...

's fleet, taking part in the

Battle of Grenada The Battle of Grenada took place on 6 July 1779 during the American Revolutionary War in the West Indies between the British Royal Navy and the French Navy, just off the coast of Grenada. The British fleet of Admiral John Byron (the grandfather ...

, where he was wounded, and in the

Siege of Savannah The siege of Savannah or the Second Battle of Savannah was an encounter of the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) in 1779. The year before, the city of Savannah, Georgia, had been captured by a British expeditionary corps under Lieutenan ...

, where one of his eyes was wounded. Emeriau served under Lamotte-Picquet during the Battle of Martinique. After rising to ''lieutenant de frégate'', he took part in the campaigns of Admiral de Grasse, serving aboard a number of ships. He took part in the

Battle of St. Kitts The Battle of Saint Kitts, also known as the Battle of Frigate Bay, was a naval battle fought on 25 and 26 January 1782 during the American Revolutionary War between a British fleet under Rear Admiral Sir Samuel Hood and a larger French fleet u ...

and in the

Battle of the Saintes The Battle of the Saintes (known to the French as the Bataille de la Dominique), also known as the Battle of Dominica, was an important naval battle in the Caribbean between the British and the French that took place 9–12 April 1782. The Brit ...

, where he was twice wounded. After the

Treaty of Paris Treaty of Paris may refer to one of many treaties signed in Paris, France: Treaties 1200s and 1300s * Treaty of Paris (1229), which ended the Albigensian Crusade * Treaty of Paris (1259), between Henry III of England and Louis IX of France * Trea ...

, Emeriau sailed with the commerce. In 1786, Emeriau returned to the Navy as a sub-lieutenant. He sailed to the Caraibs on the ''Chameau''and ''Mulet'', and then on the 74-gun ''Patriote'' and the frigate ''

Fine Fine may refer to: Characters * Sylvia Fine (''The Nanny''), Fran's mother on ''The Nanny'' * Officer Fine, a character in ''Tales from the Crypt'', played by Vincent Spano Legal terms * Fine (penalty), money to be paid as punishment for an offe ...

'', until 1791.

Revolutionary wars

On 1 January 1792, Emeriau was promoted to lieutenant. The next year, he received command of the corvette ''Cerf''. He notably ferried a convoy of refugees to New England after a fire devastated

Cap Français A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...

. From 1793, Emeriau captained the ''Embuscade'', taking part in, under

Pierre Jean Van Stabel Pierre Jean Van StabelSometimes written "Vanstabel" (8 November 1744 in DunkirkLevot, p.528 – 30 March 1797 in DunkirkLevot, p.528) was a French naval officer and rear-admiral, famous for his role in the Glorious First of June. Career Va ...

, the escort of the grain convoy that was the background for the

Glorious First of June The Glorious First of June (1 June 1794), also known as the Fourth Battle of Ushant, (known in France as the or ) was the first and largest fleet action of the naval conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the First French Republic ...

. In December 1794, Emeriau was promoted to captain,''capitaine de vaisseau'' receiving command of the ''Conquérant'', and later of the , both in the Mediterranean fleet under Admiral Pierre Martin. He took part in the various battles fought by the fleet, notably the

Battle of Cape Noli The Battle of Genoa (also known as the Battle of Cape Noli and in French as ''Bataille de Gênes'') was a naval battle fought between French and allied Anglo-Neapolitan forces on 14 March 1795 in the Gulf of Genoa, a large bay in the Ligurian ...

and the

Battle of Hyères Islands A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

. In 1796, Emeriau took part in the

Expédition d'Irlande The French expedition to Ireland, known in French as the ''Expédition d'Irlande'' ("Expedition to Ireland"), was an unsuccessful attempt by the French Republic to assist the outlawed Society of United Irishmen, a popular rebel Irish republica ...

, captaining the ''Jemmapes''. In 1798, Emeriau served in Brueys' fleet, as commodore on the ''Spartiate''. He led the French squadron that captured

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

. He took part in the

Battle of the Nile The Battle of the Nile (also known as the Battle of Aboukir Bay; french: Bataille d'Aboukir) was a major naval battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the Navy of the French Republic at Aboukir Bay on the Mediterranean coast off the ...

, where ''Spartiate'' was the third ship in the French line. She dueled with Nelson's ''Vanguard'', and ''Audacious'' from 19:00. At 21:00, Emeriau, twice wounded and facing three opponents, orders the colours struck. In July 1802, Emeriau was promoted to ''contre-amiral'', commanding a division with his flag on the 80-gun ''Indomptable''. He took part in the French repression of the

Haitian Revolution The Haitian Revolution (french: révolution haïtienne ; ht, revolisyon ayisyen) was a successful insurrection by slave revolt, self-liberated slaves against French colonial rule in Saint-Domingue, now the sovereign state of Haiti. The revolt ...

. In 1803, he was transferred to command part of the flotilla in

Ostend Ostend ( nl, Oostende, ; french: link=no, Ostende ; german: link=no, Ostende ; vls, Ostende) is a coastal city and municipality, located in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerk ...

, before returning to

Lorient Lorient (; ) is a town (''Communes of France, commune'') and Port, seaport in the Morbihan Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in western France. History Prehistory and classical antiquity Beginn ...

to command a division, with his flag on ''Jemmapes''.

Préfet maritime and chief commander in Toulon

In late 1803, Emeriau was promoted to

préfet maritime A maritime prefect ( French: ''Préfet maritime'') is a servant of the French State who exercises authority over the sea in a particular region under French jurisdiction, known as a maritime arrondissement (''Arrondissement maritime''). His admini ...

. He served in this capacity until 1811. when he took command of the Mediterranean squadron as a vice-admiral. The fleet was however blockaded in its harbour by

Lord Exmouth Viscount Exmouth, of Canonteign in the County of Devon, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. History The title was created in 1816 for the prominent naval officer Edward Pellew, 1st Baron Exmouth. He had already been created a baron ...

's fleet, and was unable to mount large-scale operations. On 7 March 1813, he was promoted to vice-admiral and nominated inspector of the coasts of Ligurie. During the

Hundred Days The Hundred Days (french: les Cent-Jours ), also known as the War of the Seventh Coalition, marked the period between Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba to Paris on20 March 1815 and the second restoration ...

, Emeriau was made a

Pair de France The Peerage of France (french: Pairie de France) was a hereditary distinction within the French nobility which appeared in 1180 in the Middle Ages. The prestigious title and position of Peer of France (french: Pair de France, links=no) was ...

. However, he never had a chance to serve in this capacity. The

Bourbon Restoration Bourbon Restoration may refer to: France under the House of Bourbon: * Bourbon Restoration in France (1814, after the French revolution and Napoleonic era, until 1830; interrupted by the Hundred Days in 1815) Spain under the Spanish Bourbons: * ...

sent him into retirement, making him a Pair de France in 1831.

Freemasonry

Emeriau was a

Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

, member of four lodges: the ''Mère Loge Écossaise'', the lodge ''Paix et Parfaite Union'' in Toulon, ''Amitié à l'Épreuve'' and ''Amis Fidèles de Saint Napoléon'' in Marseille. He was a member of the

Society of the Cincinnati The Society of the Cincinnati is a fraternal, hereditary society founded in 1783 to commemorate the American Revolutionary War that saw the creation of the United States. Membership is largely restricted to descendants of military officers wh ...

Honours

* Name engraved on the Southern pillar of the

Arc de Triomphe The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile (, , ; ) is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, France, standing at the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly named Place de l'Étoile—the ''étoile'' ...

* Grand cross of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

* Knight of the

Order of Saint Louis The Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis (french: Ordre Royal et Militaire de Saint-Louis) is a dynastic order of chivalry founded 5 April 1693 by King Louis XIV, named after Saint Louis (King Louis IX of France). It was intended as a rewar ...

Sources and references

* * ''Dictionnaire des Marins Francs-Maçons'' (sous la direction de Jean Marc Van Hille), Éditions le Phare de Misaine, Nantes, 2008. {{DEFAULTSORT:Emeriau de Beauverger French Navy admirals 1762 births 1845 deaths French naval commanders of the Napoleonic Wars Peers of France Names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe