Dieppe Company
Encyclopedia
The Dieppe Company was founded on 1 June 1604, through the issuance of letter patents by Henry IV
to Dieppe
merchants. The establishment of the company give the merchants exclusive rights to Asian trade for 15 years, but no ships were finally sent.
After the king's death in 1610, the charter was renewed in 1611, for a period of 12 years. The company remained inactive however during the troubles of the regency of Marie de Medicis, and other cities such as Rouen moanouevered to obtain trading rights. In 1615, Marie de Medicis joined the different parties into the Company of the Moluccas
, with trading privileges for 18 years.
As a consequence, in 1616, two expeditions were to Asia from Honfleur
in Normandy
: three ships left for India
, and two ships for Bantam
. One ship returned from Bantam in 1617 with a small cargo, and letters from the Dutch expressing their hostility towards French ships in the East Indies
. Also in 1616, two ships were sent from Saint-Malo
to Java
. One was captured by the Dutch, but the other obtained an agreement from the ruler of Pondicherry to build a fortress and a factory there, and came back with a rich cargo.
In 1619, an armed expedition composed of three ships (275 crews, 106 cannons) was sent from Honfleur, with the objective of fighting the Dutch in the Far East. 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 that the Dutch would stop fighting the French in the East.
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
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Dieppe, Seine-Maritime
Dieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled...
merchants. The establishment of the company give the merchants exclusive rights to Asian trade for 15 years, but no ships were finally sent.
After the king's death in 1610, the charter was renewed in 1611, for a period of 12 years. The company remained inactive however during the troubles of the regency of Marie de Medicis, and other cities such as Rouen moanouevered to obtain trading rights. In 1615, Marie de Medicis joined the different parties into the Company of the Moluccas
Company of the Moluccas
The Company of the Moluccas was an French trading company which was established in 1615 for trade in the East Indies...
, with trading privileges for 18 years.
As a consequence, in 1616, two expeditions were to Asia from Honfleur
Honfleur
Honfleur is a commune in the Calvados department in northwestern France. It is located on the southern bank of the estuary of the Seine across from le Havre and very close to the exit of the Pont de Normandie...
in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
: three ships left for India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and two ships for Bantam
Bantam (city)
Bantam in Banten province near the western end of Java was a strategically important site and formerly a major trading city, with a secure harbor on the Sunda Strait through which all ocean-going traffic passed, at the mouth of Banten River that provided a navigable passage for light craft into...
. One ship returned from Bantam in 1617 with a small cargo, and letters from the Dutch expressing their hostility towards French ships in the East Indies
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...
. Also in 1616, two ships were sent from Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo is a walled port city in Brittany in northwestern France on the English Channel. It is a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine.-Demographics:The population can increase to up to 200,000 in the summer tourist season...
to Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
. One was captured by the Dutch, but the other obtained an agreement from the ruler of Pondicherry to build a fortress and a factory there, and came back with a rich cargo.
In 1619, an armed expedition composed of three ships (275 crews, 106 cannons) was sent from Honfleur, with the objective of fighting the Dutch in the Far East. 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 that the Dutch would stop fighting the French in the East.