Jean-Charles Perrinet d’Orval (1707,

Sancerre Sancerre () is a medieval hilltop town and commune in the department of Cher, Centre-Val de Loire, France, overlooking the river Loire. It is a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (The Most Beautiful Villages of France) Association, no ...

– 5 May 1782, Paris) was a French chemical engineer and

pyrotechnician Pyrotechnicians are people who are responsible for the safe storage, handling, and functioning of pyrotechnics and pyrotechnic devices. Although the term is generally used in reference to individuals who operate pyrotechnics in the entertainment ...

Biography

Perrinet d'Orval was the son of Jean Perrinet d'Orval (1670–1729) and Madeleine Annes (died 1758). Jean Perrinet d'Orval was married two times, his first wife was Suzanne Chamaillard (1658–1705). From this first marriage he had four children: Jean Robert Perrinet (1696–1696), Marianne Perrinet d'Orval (born 1697), Jean Perrinet (born 1699) and Benjamin Perrinet (born 1700). From his second marriage he had five other children: Jean Charles Perrinet d’Orval (born 1707), Pierre Perrinet de Faugnes (1710−1773), Anne Perrinet d’Orval, Madeleine-Marguerite Perrinet d’Orval and Etienne Perrinet du Bignon. In addition to

Amédée-François Frézier Amédée-François Frézier (; 1682 – 26 October 1773) was a French military engineer, mathematician, spy, and explorer who is best remembered for bringing back five specimens of '' Fragaria chiloensis'', the beach strawberry, from an assignm ...

(1682–1773), Perrinet d'Orval was of the most important pyrotechnicians of his era, who also thought about the military utility of explosives and

gunpowder Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, charcoal (which is mostly carbon), and potassium nitrate, potassium ni ...

. His works were conceived as practical manuals and instructions and demonstrated the high level of craftsmanship of pyrotechnics in the early modern period.

Capitoul The ''capitouls'', sometimes anglicization, anglicized as ''capitols'', were the chief magistrates of the Communes of France, commune of Toulouse, France, during the France in the Middle Ages, late Middle Ages and France in modern times, e ...

Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

from 1758 to 1762, Perrinet wrote some books on

pyrotechnics Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating fireworks, but also includes safety matches, oxygen candles, Pyrotechnic fastener, explosive bolts (and other fasteners), parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, q ...

, of which he made a special study, books in which

Diderot Denis Diderot (; ; 5 October 171331 July 1784) was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer, best known for serving as co-founder, chief editor, and contributor to the along with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. He was a prominent figure during t ...

d'Alembert Jean-Baptiste le Rond d'Alembert ( ; ; 16 November 1717 – 29 October 1783) was a French mathematician, mechanics, mechanician, physicist, philosopher, and music theorist. Until 1759 he was, together with Denis Diderot, a co-editor of the ''E ...

drew information for the articles of the Encyclopédie that dealt with this part. By judgment of 12 June 1743, Perrinet Orval, salt store recipient of Sancerre and Stephen Renouard, master of water and forests of the Sancerre County, are in dispute with Jean et Étienne Ravot, merchants of Orleans, about the liquidation of an inheritance (1743–1745).archivesnationales.culture.gouv.fr, SOMMAIRE. p. 138
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Works (selection)

*1745: ''Essai sur les feux d’artifice.'' Paris in-8°, fig. *1750: ''Traité des feux d’artifice pour le spectacle et pour la guerre.'' Bern, 1750, in-8°, fig. *1757
''Manuel de l’artificier.''
Neufchâtel, 1755, in-8°, fig.

References

Sources

Ferdinand Hoefer Jean Chrétien Ferdinand Hoefer (German: ''Ferdinand Höfer'', 21 April 1811, Döschnitz – 4 May 1878) was a German-French physician and lexicographer. He is now known for his many works on the history of science. Selected works *''Éléme ...

, ''Nouvelle Biographie générale'', t. 39, Paris, Firmin-Didot, 1862, (p. 650). * Vincent Poupard: ''Histoire de Sancerre''. 2nd ed, Bourges, 1838, (p. 192–193)

External links

Jean-Charles Perrinet d’Orval
on Wikisource {{DEFAULTSORT:Perrinet dOrval, Jean-Charles 1707 births 1780 deaths Contributors to the Encyclopédie (1751–1772) French chemical engineers Pyrotechnics