Jean-Jacques Magendie
Encyclopedia
Jean-Jacques Magendie was a French
Navy officer. He famously captained the flagship Bucentaure
at the Battle of Trafalgar
.
. He was brought into Navy service with the rank of ensign and given command of a cutter patrolling off the coasts of England and Ireland.
In 1794, he captained the cutter Ranger, and the corvette Espoir
from July. On 2 March 1793, captured Espoir.
Released, Magendie returned to France, where the court-martial found him innocent for the loss if his ship. On 28 September 1795, he married Raimonde Deschazeau.
, but on 5 January 1797, Tartu she was captured by HMS Polyphemus
.
Magendie was again taken prisoner. He returned to France in September 1798, and was again cleared of any wrongdoing in the less of his ship. He then served as first officer on the brand new Africaine, under captain Pierre-Félix de Lapalisse. Upon her return, Africaine joined up with Régénérée
and was put under the command of captain Saunier. Tasked with ferrying ammunition for the Armée d'Orient
.
Split from Régénérée by a storm, Africaine ran into HMS Phoebe
, under Captain Robert Barlow
, east of Gibraltar
. Phoebe, which had the weather gage
, overtook Africaine and engaged her at close range, despite the French soldiers, who augmented the frigate's guns with their musket
fire. Phoebe's guns inflicted more than 340 casualties on the soldiers and seaman of Africaine before she struck at 9:30PM. Magendie sustained a head injury and was captured for the third time.
Released from Minorca, Magendie returned to France in March 1801. In September, he was given command of the Minerve
. He took part in a variety of missions, and distinguished himself during the capture of Santo Domingo, earning the provisory rank of captain. After returning to France, he sailed to Naples to surrender his frigate to the Napolitan government, as ordered.
. After she entered service, he became her captain and flag officer to Vice-Admiral Latouche Tréville
, who died on board on 18 August 1804, and then to Vice-Admiral Villeneuve
.
Magendie then took part in the Trafalgar Campaign
, notably the Battle of Cape Finisterre
. Magendie captained Bucentaure at the Battle of Trafalgar
, where he was wounded in the mouth and captured.
Released on parole in February 1806, he returned to France, where he worked at the Ministry of the Navy.
, the defeated French troops were allowed to return to France and Magendie was ferried on HMS Nymphe.
He worked in various duties on shore and at the ministry until October 1810, when he was again sent to besieged Lisbon to command the naval forces there. The city did not fall, however, and Magendie stayed in Portugal until June 1811.
He supervised the commissioning of Trajan, before commanding the Ajax in Toulon. In February 1812, he took part in a skirmish between three ships of the line and two frigates against one ship and two frigates.
, Ajax was decommissioned and Magendie was task with the supervision of Toulon harbour. During the Hundred Days
, Ajax was reactivated with Magendie for captain. He was consequently dismissed from the Navy at the Second Restoration, and retired.
From 1821, he directed a steamboat service between Paris and Le Havre.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Navy officer. He famously captained the flagship Bucentaure
French ship Bucentaure (1804)
Bucentaure was a 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, lead ship of her class. She was the flagship of Vice-Admiral Latouche Tréville, who died on board on 18 August 1804....
at the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
.
Early career
Magendie joined the French Royal Navy in 1781 as an apprentice, and later sailed on merchant ships, raising to second captain and distinguishing himself to the point where he was mentioned in a June 1793 meeting of the National ConventionNational Convention
During the French Revolution, the National Convention or Convention, in France, comprised the constitutional and legislative assembly which sat from 20 September 1792 to 26 October 1795 . It held executive power in France during the first years of the French First Republic...
. He was brought into Navy service with the rank of ensign and given command of a cutter patrolling off the coasts of England and Ireland.
In 1794, he captained the cutter Ranger, and the corvette Espoir
Espoir (ship)
During the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, British vessels captured at least 11 French warships and privateers named Espoir, which means “Hope” in French. In only one case was there mention of an exchange of fire or casualties. In general, the privateers tried to escape, and failing that...
from July. On 2 March 1793, captured Espoir.
Released, Magendie returned to France, where the court-martial found him innocent for the loss if his ship. On 28 September 1795, he married Raimonde Deschazeau.
Frigate captain
In March 1796, he was promoted to commander, and in September received the command of the Tartu. He took part in the early stages of the Expédition d'IrlandeExpédition d'Irlande
The Expédition d'Irlande was an unsuccessful attempt by the First French Republic during the French Revolutionary Wars to assist the outlawed Society of United Irishmen, a popular rebel Irish republican group, in their planned rebellion against British rule...
, but on 5 January 1797, Tartu she was captured by HMS Polyphemus
HMS Polyphemus (1782)
HMS Polyphemus, a 64-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 27 April 1782 at Sheerness. She was the first ship of the Royal Navy named for Polyphemus the Cyclops.-Baltic service:...
.
Magendie was again taken prisoner. He returned to France in September 1798, and was again cleared of any wrongdoing in the less of his ship. He then served as first officer on the brand new Africaine, under captain Pierre-Félix de Lapalisse. Upon her return, Africaine joined up with Régénérée
French frigate Régénérée (1794)
Régénérée was a 40-gun Cocarde class frigate of the French Navy. The British captured her in 1801 at the fall of Alexandria but never commissioned her...
and was put under the command of captain Saunier. Tasked with ferrying ammunition for the Armée d'Orient
Order of battle of the Armée d'Orient (1798)
The Armée d'Orient was the French military force gathered by the French Directory to send on the expedition to Egypt in 1798...
.
Split from Régénérée by a storm, Africaine ran into HMS Phoebe
HMS Phoebe (1795)
HMS Phoebe was a 36-gun fifth rate of the British Royal Navy. She had a career of almost twenty years and fought in the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812...
, under Captain Robert Barlow
Robert Barlow (Royal Navy officer)
Admiral Sir Robert Barlow GCB was a senior and distinguished officer of the British Royal Navy who saw extensive service in the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He made his name in small ship actions, especially fighting French frigates, or which...
, east of Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
. Phoebe, which had the weather gage
Weather gage
The weather gage is a nautical term used to describe the advantageous position of a fighting sailing vessel, relative to another. The term is from the Age of Sail, and is now antiquated. A ship is said to possess the weather gage if it is in any position, at sea, upwind of the other vessel...
, overtook Africaine and engaged her at close range, despite the French soldiers, who augmented the frigate's guns with their musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
fire. Phoebe's guns inflicted more than 340 casualties on the soldiers and seaman of Africaine before she struck at 9:30PM. Magendie sustained a head injury and was captured for the third time.
Released from Minorca, Magendie returned to France in March 1801. In September, he was given command of the Minerve
French frigate Minerve (1794)
The Minerve was a 40-gun frigate of the French Navy. She was captured twice by the British and recaptured once by the French. She therefore served under four names:*Minerve, 1794–1795*HMS Minerve, 1795–1803*Canonnière, 1803–1810...
. He took part in a variety of missions, and distinguished himself during the capture of Santo Domingo, earning the provisory rank of captain. After returning to France, he sailed to Naples to surrender his frigate to the Napolitan government, as ordered.
Trafalgar campaign
In October 1803, Magendie was tasked to supervise the commissioning of BucentaureFrench ship Bucentaure (1804)
Bucentaure was a 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, lead ship of her class. She was the flagship of Vice-Admiral Latouche Tréville, who died on board on 18 August 1804....
. After she entered service, he became her captain and flag officer to Vice-Admiral Latouche Tréville
Louis-René Levassor de Latouche Tréville
Louis-René Levassor de Latouche Tréville was a French admiral and a hero of the American Revolutionary War and of the Napoleonic wars.-Early life:...
, who died on board on 18 August 1804, and then to Vice-Admiral Villeneuve
Pierre-Charles Villeneuve
Pierre-Charles-Jean-Baptiste-Silvestre de Villeneuve was a French naval officer during the Napoleonic Wars. He was in command of the French and Spanish fleets defeated by Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar....
.
Magendie then took part in the Trafalgar Campaign
Trafalgar Campaign
The Trafalgar Campaign was a long and complicated series of fleet manoeuvres carried out by the combined French and Spanish fleets; and the opposing moves of the Royal Navy during much of 1805. These were the culmination of French plans to force a passage through the English Channel, and so achieve...
, notably the Battle of Cape Finisterre
Battle of Cape Finisterre (1805)
In the Battle of Cape Finisterre off Galicia, Spain, the British fleet under Admiral Robert Calder fought an indecisive naval battle against the Combined Franco-Spanish fleet which was returning from the West Indies...
. Magendie captained Bucentaure at the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
, where he was wounded in the mouth and captured.
Released on parole in February 1806, he returned to France, where he worked at the Ministry of the Navy.
Peninsula wars
In December 1807, he was sent to Lisbon and tasked with supervising the naval activities of the harbour. In August 1808, by the Convention of SintraConvention of Sintra
The Convention of Cintra was an agreement signed on August 30, 1808 during the Peninsular War. By the agreement, the defeated French were allowed to evacuate their troops from Portugal without further conflict...
, the defeated French troops were allowed to return to France and Magendie was ferried on HMS Nymphe.
He worked in various duties on shore and at the ministry until October 1810, when he was again sent to besieged Lisbon to command the naval forces there. The city did not fall, however, and Magendie stayed in Portugal until June 1811.
He supervised the commissioning of Trajan, before commanding the Ajax in Toulon. In February 1812, he took part in a skirmish between three ships of the line and two frigates against one ship and two frigates.
Late career and retirement
At the Bourbon RestorationBourbon Restoration
The Bourbon Restoration is the name given to the period following the successive events of the French Revolution , the end of the First Republic , and then the forcible end of the First French Empire under Napoleon – when a coalition of European powers restored by arms the monarchy to the...
, Ajax was decommissioned and Magendie was task with the supervision of Toulon harbour. During the Hundred Days
Hundred Days
The Hundred Days, sometimes known as the Hundred Days of Napoleon or Napoleon's Hundred Days for specificity, marked the period between Emperor Napoleon I of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815...
, Ajax was reactivated with Magendie for captain. He was consequently dismissed from the Navy at the Second Restoration, and retired.
From 1821, he directed a steamboat service between Paris and Le Havre.
Honours
- Officer of the Legion of Honour.
- Knight of the Order of Saint Louis.
- Order of the Lily.