Portal:Piracy/Selected biography/December 2007

René Trouin, Sieur du Gué, usually called Réné Duguay-Trouin, (Saint Malo, 10 June 1673 -- 1736) was a famous French corsair of Saint-Malo. He had a brilliant privateering and naval career and eventually became "Lieutenant-General of the Naval Armies of the King" (i.e. admiral) (French:Lieutenant-Général des armées navales du roi), and a Commander in the Order of Saint-Louis.

At sixteen he joined the navy aboard the Trinité, under Captain Legoux, on the 16 December 1690. The Trinité subsequently captured the François Samuel and Seven Stars of Scotland. Duguay-Trouin displayed such bravery that he was handed command of the Danycan, soon after he turned 18.

On the 6 June 1692, the King handed him command of a forty-gun ship, the Hermine. He captured five ships at the entrance of the Channel.

Louis XIV handed him a sword of honour in 1694, and made him a nobleman in 1709, with the motto Dedit haec insignia virtus ("Bravery gave him nobility"). At the time, he had captured 16 warships and over 300 merchantmen from the English and Dutch. (more...)