Augustin de Beaulieu
Encyclopedia
Augustin de Beaulieu was a French general of the 17th century, who in 1619 was put in charge of an armed expedition to the East Indies
composed of three ships (275 crews, 106 cannons) and called the "Fleet of Montmorency", after its sponsor the Admiral Montmorency.
, Augustin de Beaulieu studied science and navigation. and made a few other expeditions before the 1619 one, and, in 1612, he had sailed to Gambia. In 1616 he participated to an expedition to the east as captain of a small ship in the fleet led by Captain De Nets.
Augustin de Beaulieu would again sail for the east in 1619. The fleet was sent from Honfleur, with the objective of fighting the Dutch in the Far East and establishing trade with the sponsorship of traders from Rouen
and Paris
. Beaulieu made a noted description of Cape Town
, the year it was occupied by England
. The fleet visited Aceh
, an experience which allowed Beaulieu to write one of the best accounts of Aceh in the early 17th century. Beaulieu met with Sultan Iskander Muda (1607–36) to obtain a trading license and the agreement to establish a factory.
They encountered the Dutch fleet off Sumatra
. One ship was captured, another remained in Asia for inter-country trade, and the third returned to Le Havre
in 1622. Finally in 1624, with the Treaty of Compiègne
, Richelieu obtained an agreement with the Dutch to cease fighting in the East.
Augustin de Beaulieu advocated a French settlement on the island of Madagascar
but Richelieu would refrain from the adventure for fear of annoying the Dutch. It was only in 1665, with the establishment of the Compagnie des Indes Orientales, that a proper attempt would be made to settle the island. Beaulieu wrote in 1631-32:
Augustin de Beaulieu later participated to the Siege of La Rochelle
in the Royal fleet in 1627-28, as well as in the capture of Sainte-Marguerite island
.
He died of influenza
in Toulon in 1637.
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
composed of three ships (275 crews, 106 cannons) and called the "Fleet of Montmorency", after its sponsor the Admiral Montmorency.
Biography
Born at RouenRouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, Augustin de Beaulieu studied science and navigation. and made a few other expeditions before the 1619 one, and, in 1612, he had sailed to Gambia. In 1616 he participated to an expedition to the east as captain of a small ship in the fleet led by Captain De Nets.
Augustin de Beaulieu would again sail for the east in 1619. The fleet was sent from Honfleur, with the objective of fighting the Dutch in the Far East and establishing trade with the sponsorship of traders from Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
and Paris
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...
. Beaulieu made a noted description of Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, the year it was occupied by England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The fleet visited Aceh
Aceh
Aceh is a special region of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Daerah Istimewa Aceh , Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam and Aceh . Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin...
, an experience which allowed Beaulieu to write one of the best accounts of Aceh in the early 17th century. Beaulieu met with Sultan Iskander Muda (1607–36) to obtain a trading license and the agreement to establish a factory.
They encountered the Dutch fleet off Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
. One ship was captured, another remained in Asia for inter-country trade, and the third returned to Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
in 1622. Finally in 1624, with the Treaty of Compiègne
Treaty of Compiègne
The Treaty of Compiègne of 10 June 1624 was a peace treaty between France and the Netherlands. It allowed France to subsidize the Dutch war effort against Spain in the Dutch War of Independence after the end of the Twelve Years' Truce...
, Richelieu obtained an agreement with the Dutch to cease fighting in the East.
Augustin de Beaulieu advocated a French settlement on the island of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
but Richelieu would refrain from the adventure for fear of annoying the Dutch. It was only in 1665, with the establishment of the Compagnie des Indes Orientales, that a proper attempt would be made to settle the island. Beaulieu wrote in 1631-32:
Augustin de Beaulieu later participated to the Siege of La Rochelle
Siege of La Rochelle
The Siege of La Rochelle was a result of a war between the French royal forces of Louis XIII of France and the Huguenots of La Rochelle in 1627-1628...
in the Royal fleet in 1627-28, as well as in the capture of Sainte-Marguerite island
Île Sainte-Marguerite
The Île Sainte-Marguerite is the largest of the Lérins Islands, about half a mile off shore from the French Riviera town of Cannes. The island is approximately 3km in length and 900m across....
.
He died of influenza
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
in Toulon in 1637.