Portrait of Villaret-Joyeuse, painted in 1839 by Guérin
Born
(1747-05-29)29 May 1747 Auch
Died
24 July 1812(1812-07-24) (aged 65) Venice
Allegiance
Kingdom of France
Service/branch
French Navy
Years of service
1778 — 1797
Rank
Vice-admiral
Battles/wars
American Revolutionary War
Siege of Pondicherry
Battle of Cuddalore
French Revolutionary Wars
Glorious First of June
Croisière du Grand Hiver
First Battle of Groix
Napoleonic Wars
Saint-Domingue expedition
Invasion of Martinique
Awards
Order of St. Louis Grand-croix Legion of Honor Grand-croix
Spouse(s)
Thérèse Félicité de Villars de Roche
Louis-Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse (29 May 1747[1][note 1] – 24 July 1812[2]) was a French admiral.
Villaret was born at Auch. After serving in the Indies under Suffren, he rose in rank during the early stages of the French Revolution. He was in command of the French fleet during the Glorious First of June, where despite being handed a heavy tactical defeat, he ensured the passage of a vital grain convoy to France. He led the French fleet during the disastrous Croisière du Grand Hiver and failed to prevent a British fleet from successfully retreating, with his last battle being a defeat off Groix. He was relieved when he refused to serve for the disastrous Expédition d'Irlande. Villaret was then elected at the Council of Five Hundred. He joined the Club de Clichy, a party promoting colonies and slavery, and harbouring Royalist sympathies. After the Coup of 18 Fructidor, Villaret was to be deported to Cayenne but went into hiding long enough for his sentence to be commuted to exile to Oléron, where he went willingly.
Reinstated in 1801, Villaret took command of the naval component of the Saint-Domingue expedition, and was appointed captain general of Martinique and Sainte-Lucie alongside the colonial prefect, Charles-Henri Bertin. He served in this capacity until the British captured Martinique in 1809. Returned to France, Villaret fell in disfavour for his perceived weak defence during the invasion. After two years, Napoléon pardoned him and appointed him governor of Venice. Villaret died there of edema on 24 July 1812.
^Granier, p.87
^Levot, p.544
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and 15 Related for: Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse information
Louis-ThomasVillaretdeJoyeuse (29 May 1747 – 24 July 1812) was a French admiral. Villaret was born at Auch. After serving in the Indies under Suffren...
Cherbourg, and also in the colonies, such as Fort Saint Louis in Martinique and Port Louis in Île-de-France, which were humbler versions of the three great...
Court of Inquiry in Paris in December 1809 stripped Admiral LouisThomasVillaretdeJoyeuse, the Governor General of Martinique, and some of his subordinates...
Hood, which in June 1795 came across a French fleet under LouisThomasVillaretdeJoyeuse, and which included the captured Alexander off Groix. The Alexander...
late Revolutionary period battles of Castricum and Pozzolo. Louis-ThomasVillaretdeJoyeuse, admiral. Jean Lafitte, French-American pirate and privateer...
protected by the French Atlantic Fleet, commanded by Rear-Admiral Villaret-Joyeuse. The two forces clashed in the Atlantic Ocean, some 400 nautical miles...
known as the Army of the Coasts of the Ocean. Soon Hoche, LouisThomasVillaretdeJoyeuse and Laurent Truguet put him in command of a planned expedition...
bride were the French admiral Pierre André de Suffren and LouisThomasVillaretdeJoyeuse. This marriage made her the sister-in-law of Georges-René Pléville...
(Year V of the Republic), he was given a division in a squadron under Villaret-Joyeuse for an expedition to Ireland, with 15 ships of the line, 12 frigates...
February – Étienne-Louis Malus, military officer, engineer, physicist, and mathematician (born 1775) 24 July – LouisThomasVillaretdeJoyeuse, admiral (born...
the French neglected to act. The governor of Martinique, LouisThomasVillaretdeJoyeuse, ordered work to begin on building a road to the coast opposite...
Lord Bridport on 21 June. A French fleet under Vice-Admiral LouisThomasVillaretdeJoyeuse looked to attack the British, and Bridport ordered Standard...
Atlantic campaign of May 1794. When the French fleet, under LouisThomasVillaretdeJoyeuse, was sighted, Howe ordered an attack, with Molloy leading the...
Global Information
Kingdom of France
French Navy