Abraham Duquesne

Vice-Admiral Abraham Duquesne, marquis du Bouchet (French pronunciation: [abʁa.am dykɛn]; c. 1610 – 2 February 1688) was a French naval officer, who also saw service as an admiral in the Swedish navy. He was born in Dieppe, a seaport, in 1610, and was a Huguenot. He was the son of a naval officer and therefore became a sailor himself, spending his early years in merchant service.

Born into a Huguenot family in the early 17th century, he first went to sea under his father’s command, a ship’s captain. He served under King of France Louis XIII during the Thirty Years’ War and distinguished himself on several occasions, particularly in the battles of Tarragona and Cartagena, but was forced to leave the navy in 1644 after losing a ship.

During the turbulent regency (the Fronde) of Louis XIV, the Sun King, he secured Mazarin’s permission to serve in the Swedish Royal Navy alongside his brother. He fought in the Torstenson War between Sweden and Denmark and made his mark at the Battle of Fehmarn, capturing the flagship of the Danish commander Pros Mund.

Returning to France, he rejoined the French Royal Navy and was sent in 1669 to relieve Candia, then under siege by the Turks. He took part in the Franco-Dutch War (1672–1678), fighting at the battles of Solebay (1672) and Stromboli (January 1676). But it was at the battles of Augusta (April 1676) and Palermo that he truly stood out. He ended his career as a lieutenant general of the naval forces, his advancement hindered by his refusal to renounce his Protestant faith despite pressure from the Sun King and his advisors, including Colbert and Bossuet.