Jean-Marthe-Adrien L'Hermite
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Counter-Admiral Jean-Marthe-Adrien l'HermiteFirst name also written "Jean-Matthieu-Adrien", and family name also written "Lhermitte" (29 September 1766Levot, p. 316 — 28 August 1826Levot, p. 319) was a
French Navy The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...
officer best known for his involvement in the
Glorious First of June The Glorious First of June, also known as the Fourth Battle of Ushant, (known in France as the or ) was fought on 1 June 1794 between the British and French navies during the War of the First Coalition. It was the first and largest fleet a ...
and
L'Hermite's expedition L'Hermite's expedition was a French naval operation launched in 1805 during the Napoleonic Wars. The operation was intended as both a commerce raiding operation against the British trading posts of West Africa and as a diversion to the Trafalgar ...
during the
Atlantic campaign of 1806 The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...
.


Biography


Early career

L'Hermite was born to the family of a counselor to the
Bailiwick A bailiwick () is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and once also applied to territories in which a privately appointed bailiff exercised the sheriff's functions under a royal or imperial writ. In English, the original French combi ...
and
Présidial The presidial courts (; singular ) were judicial courts of the Kingdom of France set up in January 1551 by Henry II of France with jurisdiction between the ''parlements'' and the bailiwick A bailiwick () is usually the area of jurisdiction of a ba ...
of
Cotentin The Cotentin Peninsula (, ; ), also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy that forms part of the northwest coast of France. It extends north-westward into the English Channel, towards Great Britain. To its west lie the Gu ...
. He joined the Navy in 1780, at the age of 14 as a novice on the coast guard cutter ''Pilote-des-Indes'', cruising the English Channel, and on which he distinguished himself during the capture of a British privateer off
Chausey Chausey () is a group of small islands, islets and rocks off the coast of Normandy, in the English Channel. It lies from Granville and forms a ''quartier'' of the Granville commune in the Manche '' département''. Chausey forms part of the C ...
. In 1780, he joined the ''Northumberland'' as a volunteer and took part in the battles 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 the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
. In 1784, when many French naval ships were put in the reserve, L'Hermite left the Navy and worked as first officer on the fishing ships ''Modeste'' and ''Surveillante'' off
Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...
. In 1787, with
Castries Castries () is the capital city, capital and largest city of Saint Lucia, an island country in the Caribbean. The urban area has a population of approximately 20,000, while the eponymous Castries Quarter, district has a population of just under ...
's reform of the Navy, l'Hermite took a commission as a sub-lieutenant on the ''Achille'', and later of a number of smaller units that escorted merchantmen. One of these was the ''Goėland'', which was escorting the fishing fleet from Granville to Newfoundland.


French Revolution


English Channel and Northern Sea

In February 1793, when war broke out against England, L'Hermite was first officer on the frigate ''Résolue'', and he engaged in commerce raiding in the Channel and off the Atlantic coast of France. Promoted to lieutenant in August 1793, he received command of the '' Tamise'', recently captured from the British by the frigate division to which ''Résolue'' belonged. After extensive tests, ''Tamise'' conducted two patrols in the Channel, capturing over 60 prizes, and was then attached to ''Montagne'', the flagship of the Brest squadron. As such, she took part in the
Glorious First of June The Glorious First of June, also known as the Fourth Battle of Ushant, (known in France as the or ) was fought on 1 June 1794 between the British and French navies during the War of the First Coalition. It was the first and largest fleet a ...
, in which she ferried orders from the admiral to other ships. In 1794, l'Hermite took command of a frigate squadron bound to raid commerce off Ireland, with his flag on the frigate . The squadron captured over 80 of small vessels, including on 23 August , a 16-gun sloop returning from Jamaica.Troude, vol.2 p.383Troude (vol.2 p.383 incorrectly identifies Jean-Marthe-Adrien l'Hermite with his homonym Pierre Lhermite. L'Hermitte then led the frigates ''Seine'' and ''Galathée'' and a corvette to
Christiansand Kristiansand is a city and municipality in Agder county, Norway. The city is the fifth-largest and the municipality is the sixth-largest in Norway, with a population of around 116,000 as of January 2020, following the incorporation of the mun ...
, visiting several harbours of the coast of Norway to capture British merchantmen that had fled there. Trapped by cold and disrepair, his ships were forced to spend the winter of 1794-1795 there, where sickness weakened their crews. He returned to France with three prizes, though a storm wrecked ''Galathée'' off
Penmarc'h Penmarch (, ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Finistère Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, northwestern France.Sercey, bound for
île de France Ile or ILE may refer to: Ile * Ile, a Puerto Rican singer * Ile District (disambiguation), multiple places * Ilé-Ifẹ̀, an ancient Yoruba city in south-western Nigeria * Interlingue (ISO 639:ile), a planned language * Isoleucine, an amino aci ...
. He took part in a number of small actions, and was wounded in the
action of 8 September 1796 The action of 9 September 1796 was an inconclusive minor naval engagement between small French Navy and British Royal Navy squadrons off northwestern Sumatra, near Banda Aceh, during the French Revolutionary Wars. The French squadron comprised si ...
.Levot, p. 317 In 1798, he took command of the 46-gun frigate '' Preneuse''. He was tasked to ferry ambassadors sent by
Tippu Sultan Tipu Sultan (, , ''Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu''; 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799) commonly referred to as Sher-e-Mysore or "Tiger of Mysore", was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery ...
to
Île de France Ile or ILE may refer to: Ile * Ile, a Puerto Rican singer * Ile District (disambiguation), multiple places * Ilé-Ifẹ̀, an ancient Yoruba city in south-western Nigeria * Interlingue (ISO 639:ile), a planned language * Isoleucine, an amino aci ...
to request help against the British. Spotting two
Indiamen East Indiamen were merchant ships that operated under charter or licence for European Trading company, trading companies which traded with the East Indies between the 17th and 19th centuries. The term was commonly used to refer to vessels belon ...
off
Thalassery Thalassery () (also called Tellicherry) is a city and municipality on the Malabar Coast in Kannur district in the state of Kerala, India, bordered by the districts of Mahe and Kozhikode. Thalassery municipality has a population of just under ...
, L'Hermite decided to attack. He captured them after a one-hour fight, and in spite of a lightning striking ''Preneuse''s main mast. When they arrived at Surabaya, the crew of ''Preneuse'' mutinied when L'Hermite decided to send the captured flags to Admiral Sercey. Subsequently, five men were court-martialed, found guilty of mutiny, and executed by firing squad. L'Hermite then set out for a three-month patrol in the Chinese seas with ''Preneuse'' and ''Brûle-Gueule'', under Don Álava. In 1799, upon their return to Mauritius, the ships were blockaded by a British squadron of three ships of the line, a frigate and a brig. The French took refuge in Rivière noire, sent seven guns ashore and kept the British at bay for three weeks, before the British squadron departed. On 4 September 1799, ''Preneuse'' engaged a British frigate squadron that she had approached in the fog and mistaken for merchant vessels, escaping after a furious fight that cost her 40 men. In October 1799, off
Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( ) is a rocky headland on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A List of common misconceptions#Geography, common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Afri ...
, ''Preneuse'' was spotted and chased by the 54-gun HMS ''Jupiter'', which was cruising to intercept her. After a 22-hour chase, L'Hermite engaged ''Jupiter'' and managed to manoeuver into a favourable position from which he sent her a raking broadside at pistol range, forcing her to sail back to
Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
to avoid boarding. His ship damaged and with 80 of his men killed of wounded, L'Hermite returned to Mauritius. On her return to Mauritius, ''Preneuse'' ran into the 74-gun ''Tremendous'', anchored in front of
Port-Louis Port Louis (, ; or , ) is the capital and most populous city of Mauritius, mainly located in the Port Louis District, with a small western part in the Black River District. Port Louis is the country's financial and political centre. It is ad ...
.Levot, p. 318 As she attempted to escape by sailing in shallow waters, the 50-gun HMS ''Adamant'' cut her retreat. Erratic winds then grounded ''Preneuse'' on a coral bank, and she came under fire from the two ships of the line, able to return fire only from her stern chasers. L'Hermite sent his sick and wounded ashore and was taken prisoner by Commodore Hotham, who boarded ''Preneuse'' and burnt her. Ailing, L'Hermite was received with extreme courtesy by Hotham, and release on parole with his staff a few days later. He returned to Île de France a hero, the population celebrating him and a 15-shot saluted being fired in his honour.


Career during the First Empire

L'Hermite returned to France in October 1801, where he was received by Bonaparte who promoted him to captain, and called him "the Brave". He took command of the 74-gun ''Impétueux'' to ferry her from Lorient to Brest, then of the 80-gun ''Alexandre'', and eventually of the 120-gun ''Vengeur'', as flag officer of Admiral Truguet. L'Hermitte's rising star came to a halt, however, when Truguet was dismissed after speaking against the rise of the Empire, and for one year l'Hermite was left without a command. He was appointed
Officer of the Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...
at the founding of the Order in late 1805. In 1805, L'Hermite took command of a squadron tasked with raiding commerce in the Atlantic and in the Caribbean, with his flag on the ''Régulus''; the squadron further comprised two frigates and two fireships. The squadron departed Lorient on 31 October 1805 and cruised off the
Azores The Azores ( , , ; , ), officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores (), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira). It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atl ...
,
Cape Verde Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an island country and archipelagic state of West Africa in the central Atlantic Ocean, consisting of ten volcanic islands with a combined land area of about . These islands ...
, the coast of Africa up to
Benin Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its po ...
, crossed the Atlantic to
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
, and sailed towards the Caribbean. On 6 January 1806 they captured . In August 1806, a storm dispersed the squadron and L'Hermite lost his frigates, and he was forced back to Brest by an epidemic of
scurvy Scurvy is a deficiency disease (state of malnutrition) resulting from a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Early symptoms of deficiency include weakness, fatigue, and sore arms and legs. Without treatment, anemia, decreased red blood cells, gum d ...
. in the
Iroise Sea Iroise () or the Iroise Sea ( ; ) is the part of the Atlantic Ocean which stretches from the Ile de Sein to Ushant off the coast of Brittany in north-western France. It is contained within the Celtic Sea, bordering the remainder of the Celtic Sea ...
, he ran into four British ships of the line blockading Brest, but managed to elude them and reach Brest harbour on 2 September 1806. Having captured around 50 ships and 10 million franc worth of goods during his 11-month campaign, L'Hermite was promoted to rear admiral and made a
Baron of the Empire As Emperor of the French, Napoleon I created titles in a newly established ' (imperial nobility) to institute a stable elite in the First French Empire, after the instability resulting from the French Revolution. Like many others, both befo ...
. In October 1808, L'Hermite was put in command of the
Rochefort Rochefort () may refer to: Places France * Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, in the Charente-Maritime department ** Arsenal de Rochefort, a former naval base and dockyard * Rochefort, Savoie in the Savoie department * Rochefort-du-Gard, in the G ...
squadron, raising his flag on ''Ville de Varsovie''. He also served as a
rapporteur A rapporteur is a person who is appointed by an organization to report on the proceedings of its meetings. The term is a French-derived word. For example, Dick Marty was appointed ''rapporteur'' by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Eur ...
in the
Council of war A council of warBattle of the Basque Roads The Battle of the Basque Roads, also known as the Battle of Aix Roads ( French: ''Bataille de l'île d'Aix'', also ''Affaire des brûlots'', rarely ''Bataille de la rade des Basques''), was a major naval battle of the Napoleonic Wars, fought in ...
. By mid-February, his failing health had forced him to resign his command and he never again occupied a command at sea. From 1811, L'Hermite was
préfet maritime A maritime prefect ( French: ''Préfet maritime'') is a servant of the French government who exercises authority over the sea in a particular region known as a maritime prefecture (''Préfecture maritime''). As of , there are three maritime prefec ...
in Toulon. In 1812, he briefly commanded the Mediterranean squadron, which did not sail at the time. His chronic illness forced him to rely on captain Christy-Pallière, who supervised the harbour, to relieve him. After 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: * Ab ...
in 1814, L'Hermite commanded the ''Ville de Marseille''. Louis XVIII sent him to pick up the
Duke of Orléans Duke of Orléans () was a French royal title usually granted by the King of France to one of his close relatives (usually a younger brother or son), or otherwise inherited through the male line. First created in 1344 by King Philip VI for his yo ...
and his family in
Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...
. This task earned l'Hermite the cross of the
Order of Saint Louis The Royal and Military Order of 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 reward for exceptional officers, notable as the fi ...
. During the
Hundred Days The Hundred Days ( ), 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 of King Louis XVIII o ...
, L'Hermite declared himself in favour of the King, which caused his immediate dismissal. L'Hermite retired in 1816 with the honorary rank of vice-admiral, and was appointed Knight of the Order of Saint Louis.


Honours

*
Baron of the Empire As Emperor of the French, Napoleon I created titles in a newly established ' (imperial nobility) to institute a stable elite in the First French Empire, after the instability resulting from the French Revolution. Like many others, both befo ...
*
Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
*
Order of Saint Louis The Royal and Military Order of 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 reward for exceptional officers, notable as the fi ...
* Name engraved on the
Arc de Triomphe The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile, often called simply the Arc de Triomphe, 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 Plac ...
* The steamer
aviso An ''aviso'' was originally a kind of dispatch boat or "advice boat", carrying orders before the development of effective remote communication. The term, derived from the Portuguese and Spanish word for "advice", "notice" or "warning", an ...
''L'Hermitte'' was named in his honour


Portraits

Langlois de Sézanne painted two portraits, representing L'Hermite and his wife, which the family gave to the museum of
Coutances Coutances () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. History The capital of the Unelli, a Gaulish tribe, the town was given the name of ''Constantia'' in 298 during the reign of Roman Emperor Constantius ...
. A smaller portrait by Fanish, which shows l'Hermite in 1793, is also on display there.


See also

* Pierre Lhermite


Notes and references


Notes


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * *Van Hille, Jean-Marc (2011) ''Dictionnaire des marins francs-maçons, Gens de mer et professions connexes aux XVIIIe, XIXe et XXe siècles: Travaux de la loge maritime de recherche La Pérouse'' - Kronos N° 56. (Editions L'Harmattan).


External links


Jean-Marthe-Adrien l'Hermite
sailingnavies.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Lhermitte, Jean-Marthe-Adrien 1766 births 1826 deaths People from Coutances French Navy admirals French naval commanders of the Napoleonic Wars Recipients of the Legion of Honour Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Louis Names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe