Baron Pierre-Jacques-Nicolas Rolland (17 June 1769 – 9 December 1837) was a French naval architect and engineer. Pierre-Jacques-Nicolas Rolland was born on 17 June 1769 in the harbour town of Brest, into the family of Pierre Nicolas Rolland, engineer-constructor of the Brest Port. He followed his father's footsteps and in 1785, at the age of 16 entered the service at Rochefort Port. In 1795 he fought the British fleet at the naval battle of Genoa on board the French ship ''Sans Culotte''.Better known as ''Orient'', as she was named at 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 ...

Ten years later he was already an established engineer and shortly thereafter chief engineer. In 1802 the launching (under his direction) of two major ships, the ''République-Française'' and the ''Magnanime'', drew the attention of

Denis Decrès Denis Decrès (18 June 1761 – 7 December 1820) was an officer of the French Navy and count, later duke of the First Empire. Early career Decrès was born in Châteauvillain, Haute-Marne on 18 June 1761 and joined the Navy at the age of 18, ...

, Minister of the Navy, and of

Napoléon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

himself to the young engineer. In 1808, Bonaparte visited Rochefort's naval dockyard and was highly satisfied with Rolland's work there. He therefore ordered him to relocate his office to Paris as shipwright advisor and awarded him the title of "lieutenant-general-inspector of Naval Engineers". In 1811 he was assigned to go from France to the

Kingdom of Holland The Kingdom of Holland ( nl, Holland (contemporary), (modern); french: Royaume de Hollande) was created by Napoleon Bonaparte, overthrowing the Batavian Republic in March 1806 in order to better control the Netherlands. Since becoming Emperor ...

in order to compare shipbuilding methods between these two countries. In 1817, Rolland became a close collaborator to

Jacques-Noël Sané Jacques-Noël Sané (18 February 1740, Brest – 22 August 1831, Paris) was a French naval engineer. He was the conceptor of standardised designs for ships of the line and frigates fielded by the French Navy in the 1780s, which served during the ...

, and co-authored plans of 18-pounder frigates with him. He is notable credited for the ''Armide'' class. Rolland rose to general inspector of naval constructions ("inspecteur général du génie maritime") during 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: * ...

, and took part in the Commission de Paris. In 1825 he was elevated by

King Charles X Charles X (born Charles Philippe, Count of Artois; 9 October 1757 – 6 November 1836) was King of France from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. An uncle of the uncrowned Louis XVII and younger brother to reigning kings Louis XVI and Loui ...

to the rank of

Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...

. Pierre-Jacques-Nicolas Rolland died in Paris on 9 December 1837. He was awarded

Order of Saint Michael , status = Abolished by decree of Louis XVI on 20 June 1790Reestablished by Louis XVIII on 16 November 1816Abolished in 1830 after the July RevolutionRecognised as a dynastic order of chivalry by the ICOC , founder = Louis XI of France , hig ...

and the Order of Saint-Louis in 1817, and Commander 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, ...

in 1831.

References

; Notes ; Citations
La frégate de 18.
Nicolas MIOQUE, ''Trois Ponts''
Biography
Annales maritimes et coloniales, vol. 22, p. 1311.
Portrait
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rolland, Pierre-Jacques-Nicolas Rolland First French Empire 1769 births 1837 deaths French Navy officers from Brest, France French naval architects