Cartographer of the Dieppe maps and world atlas in 1555; alleged to have been the first European to map Australia.
Guillaume Le Testu, sometimes referred to as Guillaume Le Têtu (c. 1509-12 – April 29, 1573), was a French privateer, explorer and navigator. He was one of the foremost cartographers of his time and an author of the Dieppe maps. His maps were distinguished by their sophistication and detail; they influenced generations of cartographers, navigators and explorers.
Le Testu was successful as a privateer during the early years of the French Wars of Religion. In 1573, he and Sir Francis Drake attacked a Spanish mule train escorting gold and silver to Nombre de Dios on the Atlantic coast of Panama, and he was subsequently killed following his capture by the Spanish.
Suggestions that Le Testu may have mapped (or even visited) Australia are based on: first, his maps' depiction of a large island (or continent), south of Java, which Le Testu identified as the Jave la Grande ("Java Major" or "Great Java") mentioned by Marco Polo (and was otherwise known at the time as Terra Australis) and second, Le Testu's incorporation in these maps of birds that resemble black swans and cassowaries, which are both native to Australia.[1] However, he did not claim to have seen Jave la Grande in person and many cartographers at the time incorporated hypothetical, mythological or fantastic elements, a practice that is clearly also true of Le Testu.[2] His maps also showed unicorns and monstrous creatures such as 200 metre long giant snakes, basilisks, satyrs, Blemmyes (headless humans) and Cynocephalics (dog-headed humans).[3]
Le Testu's work was used by Admiral Gaspard de Coligny and French Huguenots hoping to establish themselves in Brazil, Florida, the Caribbean and even the Terra Australis derived from Le Testu's "Jave la Grande". However, these attempts were abandoned following Coligny's assassination in 1572 and Le Testu's death the following year.[4]
^Eisler, William. The Furthest Shore: Images of Terra Australis from the Middle Ages to Captain Cook. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1995. (pg. 23) ISBN 0-521-39268-3
^McIntosh, Gregory C. The Piri Reis map of 1513. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2000. (pg. 45) ISBN 0-8203-2157-5
^Pettegree, Andrew. Europe in the Sixteenth Century. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishers, 2002. (pg. 228) ISBN 0-631-20704-X
^Quinn, David B. Explorers and Colonies: America, 1500-1625. London: Hambleton Press, 1990. (pg. 63) ISBN 1-85285-024-8
and 22 Related for: Guillaume Le Testu information
GuillaumeLeTestu, sometimes referred to as GuillaumeLe Têtu (c. 1509-12 – April 29, 1573), was a French privateer, explorer and navigator. He was one...
continue to locate the headless in Ethiopia. The post-medieval map of GuillaumeLeTestu (pictured above) illustrates the headless and the dog-headed cynocephali...
school of cartographers included Pierre Desceliers, Jean Rotz, GuillaumeLeTestu, Guillaume Brouscon and Nicolas Desliens. The Dieppe Maps known to have...
Albert-Marie-Ferdinand Anthiaume, "Un pilote et cartographe havrais au XVIe siècle: GuillaumeLeTestu", Bulletin de Géographie Historique et Descriptive, Paris, Nos 1–2...
an explorer and cartographer GuillaumeLeTestu (1509–1573): a dock in Le Havre still bears his name. On 20 April 1564 Le Havre became the port of departure...
privateers in the sixteenth and seventeenth century. Francis Drake and GuillaumeLeTestu, a French privateer, succeeded in capturing the train. "Spanish Silver...
and famous. Near Cabo de Cativas he encountered a French privateer, GuillaumeLeTestu, who was in command of the 80-ton warship Havre, and joined forces...
1509–1591) Urbano Monti (Italy, 1544–1613) Jacques le Moyne (France, c. 1533–1588) GuillaumeLeTestu (France, c. 1509–1573) Jacobus Pentius de Leucho (Italy)...
(died 1527), privateer. François le Clerc known as Jambe de Bois (or Wooden Leg) (died 1563), privateer. GuillaumeLeTestu, privateer. Catherine, Duchess...
Théodore de Mayerne, Swiss-born physician (died 1655) April 29 – GuillaumeLeTestu, French privateer, explorer and cartographer (born c. 1509) July 29...
siècle: GuillaumeLeTestu", Bulletin de Géographie Historique et Descriptive (Paris), Nos. 1-2, 19111, pp.35-202, n.b. p.176. See also Armand Rainaud, Le Continent...
school of cartographers included Pierre Desceliers, Johne Rotz, GuillaumeLeTestu, Guillaume Brouscon and Nicolas Desliens. The Vertical Perspective projection...
1559) Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, Spanish conquistador (d. 1579) GuillaumeLeTestu, French privateer (d. 1573) John Erskine of Dun, Scottish religious...
Drake, Cavendish, and Dampier. London: Nelson. From Internet Archive Francois Le Clerc, at Rob Ossian's Pirate Cove Isle of Tortuga: Jacob Collaart[dead link]...
7 – Andreas Masius, Flemish Catholic priest (b. 1514) April 29 – GuillaumeLeTestu, French privateer (b. 1509) May 13 – Takeda Shingen, Japanese warlord...
world, Locat is situated in Indochina, south of Champa (Ciamba). On GuillaumeLeTestu’s 1556 Cosmographie Universel, Locach appears to be named La Joncade...
7 – Andreas Masius, Flemish Catholic priest (b. 1514) April 29 – GuillaumeLeTestu, French privateer (b. 1509) May 13 – Takeda Shingen, Japanese warlord...
Strait of Magellan] to Java, to the western coast of the said Java". GuillaumeLeTestu’s Grande Jave of 1556 is part of the Terre Australle, and bears a Baie...
work Natural hystoria de las Indias and others. GuillaumeLeTestu's Cosmographie Universelle selon les navigateurs, tant anciens que modernes contains...
Italian philosopher and natural scientist (died 1588) possible date – GuillaumeLeTestu, French privateer, explorer and cartographer (k. 1573) Juan de la...
Scépeaux, governor (d. 1571) Gaspard de Saulx, military leader (d. 1573) GuillaumeLeTestu, privateer (d. 1573) Valérand Poullain, Calvinist minister (d. 1557)...
Lord of Le Mez (died 1191), Marshal of France in 1185 Matthew II of Montmorency, Lord of Montmorency and Marly, Marshal of France in 1191 Guillaume de Bournel...