Aigle

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Current situation of my research

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YES, the Aigle
was owned by the King Louis XIV and acting as a privateer.

 

• February 9, 1691
  List of materials (wood) to build 2 frigates of 36 to 40 guns (the Aigle? and the Favory?)

  Source: AD64  3E4099 (387-392/787)

   

• April 7, 1691
  The Aigle, Favory and Gaillard were probably built along the river Adour at "de Begoigne", property of Messire Jean de Saint Esteven, Seigneur of Saint Esteven in Saint Esprit, district of Bayonne (French Basque Country).

  Source: AD64  3E4099 (637-639/787)

   

• March 1, 1692
  Letter from Comte de Ponchartrain, Secretary of State for the Navy, to Sieur de la Boulaye: "I was well at ease to learn the action from the captain  Coursic and although this captain is not with the service of the King, His Majesty would like to give him the command of one of  the frigates (the Aigle or the Favory) built in Bayonne".
  Source: AN Marine B/2/83 (2) f°410
   

• March 4, 1692
  Sieur Pierre de Lalande (Admiralty of Bayonne) confers power of attorney to Sieur François de Lissonde (future syndic of the armement of the Aigle).
  Source: AD64 3E4037 (704-705/741)
   

• April 5, 1692
  From Comte de Ponchartrain to Duc de Gramont: "the armament of the two frigates (the Aigle? and the Favory?) you have built.."
  Source: AN Marine B/2/84 (1) f°47
   

• April 30, 1692
  Notice from Comte de Ponchartrain to Duc Degramont: "the King has decided to arm the Aigle and the Françoise, now in Bayonne (...) captain Coursic will command one of them…"
  Source: AN Marine B/2/84 (2) f°319
   

• May 7, 1692
  The King Louis XIV is arming the new frigates the Aigle and the Favory that he had constructed to fight in the difficult conditions of the Arctic Ocean.
  Source: AN Marine B/2/84 (2)  f°448

  The construction and armament of those twin frigates were probably given to the Basques because of their extensive experience of whalers in the waters of the Artic Ocean.

  Source: J.Thierry du Pasquier: The Whalers of Honfleur in the Seventeenth Century

   

• June 30, 1692
  From de Ponchartrain to de Gramont :
  "The King agreed to interest Sieur Deplanque into the commission of the Aigle and the Favory."
  Source: AN Marine B/2/84 (4) f° 953
   

• August 25, 1692
  Messire Louis Bazin Chevalier Seigneur de Bezon (Intendant of the King at Bordeaux) acting for the King Louis XIV, gave interest into the commissioning of the Aigle and the Favory to:

  • Messire Antoine Charles Duc de Gramont (Governor of Bayonne)

  • Messire Charles de Planque (Lieutenant of the King)

  • Messire Claude Louis Hiacinte de Laboulaye (Consellor to the King)

  Source: AD64 3E4421 (310-317/1030)
   

• October 1, 1692
  From the Duc de Gramont: I let you know that the Aigle is arrived in Saint Jean de Luz and that I went to make it put at the veil under command of Coursic (...) I did not have yet any news of the Favory

  Source: AN Marine B/3/74 f°93
   

• October 5, 1692
  Coursic will be ready by October 8 and he will command the Aigle…
  Source: AN Marine B/3/74 f°98
   

• October 21, 1692
  From de Ponchartrain to de Gramont :
  "I proposed to the King to arm the Mignon and to interest you and your friends as His Majesty already done to arm the Aigle and the Favori."
  Source: AN Marine B/2/86 (1) f°138
   

• October 27 and 28, 1692
  The Guilhaume and Pierre,
  the George Detalcon,
  the Rose,
  the Loyauté from London,
  were captured by
  the Aigle,
  the Maure,
  the Maudéré
  the Légère,
  the Princesse from Ciboure,
  the Entreprenante from Bayonne, Captain Dubois.
  Source: AD64  B8700  December 10, 1692 (91/97)
   

• October 29, 1692

  Coursic left four days ago with the Aigle, the Légère and the Madone to go join with Chevalier des Ogiers

  Source: AN Marine B/3/74 f°104

   

• November 22, 1692
  Ponchartrain to Laboulaye: the King approves that Mr. le Duc de Gramont puts Sieur Coursic on the Mignon and Harismendy on the Aigle
  Source: AN Marine B/2/86 (2) f° 431
   

• November 29, 1692
  From de Ponchartrain to Begon :
  "His Majesty graciously allow the Duc de Gramont and the Sieur de Laboulaye to be interested in the armament of the Mignon built in Bayonne as it was already done to arm the Aigle and the Favory."
  Source: AN Marine B/2/86 (2) f°481
   

• December 10, 1692
  Letter of marque from Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, Comte de Toulouse and Admiral of the French Navy to the Captain Louis de Harismendy to command and arm the frigate of the King, the Aigle.
  Source: AD64 B8700  p 24
   

• December 24, 1692
  Registration at the Admiralty of Bayonne of the letter of marque of Captain Louis de Harismendy to command and arm the frigate of the King, the Aigle.
  Source: AD64 B8700  p 24

   

• March 5, 1693
  The Lecluse de Pierre from Dantzig
  was captured by
  the Aigle, Captain Louis de Harismendy
  the Mignon, Captain Croisic
  and the Favory, Captain de Laralde.
  Source: AD64  B8700  f°78
              AD64  B8702  May 6, 1694 (132-139/204)
   

• April 26, 1693
  Sieur François de Lissonde, syndic for the ship's armaments of the frigate Legere, the Aigle and other vessels of the King.
   

• June 27, 1693
  Capitaine Joannis de Suigarrichipy also known as Croisic is authorized to command and armed the fregate of the King named the Aigle
  Source: AD64 B8701  p 54-55
   

• June 30, 1693
  The Sieur Antoine d'Arcy de la Varenne received instructions from the Comte de Ponchartrain, Secretary of State for the Navy, to form a squadron to stop the Dutch trading of the whales in Spitzberg:

  • Vessel the Pélican, under command of Captain de la Varenne

  • Frigate the Aigle, under command of Captain Johannis Suhigaraychipy, also known as Coursic or Croisic

  • Frigate the Favory, under command of Captain Louis de Harismendy

  • Vessel the Prudent, privateer of Saint Malo, under command of Sieur Gouin de Beauchesne

  Source: AN Marine B/4/14 (2)  f°522
               Philippe Henrat: French Naval Operations in Spitsbergen During Louis XIV's Reign
   

• August 6, 1693
  The frigates the Aigle and the Favory meet 40 enemy ships in Bear Bay, Spitzberg.
  Coursic and Harismendy decided to sent the "Sieur d'Etchebehere enseigne on the Aigle", who speake fluent Dutch, to deliver an ultimatum to the enemy admiral...

  Source: AN Marine B/4/14 (2)  f°524 

   

• August 12, 1693
  The frigates the Aigle and the Favory leave the Spitzberg bound for France with 11 captured Dutch boats
  Source: AN Marine B/4/14 (2)  f°526
   

• September 25, 1693
  Master Pierre Delacaussade priest and chaplain on the vessel of the King the Aigle.
  Source: AD64  3E4101 (1152-1155/1449)
   

• April 21, 1694
  The Sieur de Saint Clair, received instructions from the Comte de Ponchartrain to form a squadron to stop the English trading on the Large Bench of Newfoundland:

  • Vessel the Gaillard, under command of Captain de Saint Clair

  • Frigate the Aigle, under command of Captain Johannis Suhigaraychipy, also known as Coursic

  • Frigate the Favory, under command of Captain Louis de Harismendy

  • Vessel the Prudent, privateer of Saint Malo, under command of Sieur Gouin de Beauchesne

  Source: AN Marine B/2/96 f°94
   

• May 26, 1694
  The Sieur de Saint Clair and its squadron leave Bayonne for Newfoundland (via La Rochelle).
  Source: AN Marine B/3/86 f°140
               AN Marine B/2/98 f°480
   

• June 27, 1694
  Letter from the Duc de Gramont, governor of Bayonne, to Louis de Ponchartrain: Sieur de Saint Clair wrote to me under veil a letter signed of all its captains by which they informed me after having held council about the project of Greenland that I had proposed to them by your order was impracticable due to the advanced season and that they are not able to put at veil to follow their first project and I believe Monsieur that it is the right reason, and that in the continuation the King will be some better, I report this to you only to make known to you that I would punctually have followed your orders which were those transmitted to Sieur de Saint Clair and his captains
  Source: AN Marine B/3/86 f°150
   

• September 10, 1694
  "Combat de Forillon": in the South-East of Newfoundland (around the latitudes 47°, 48° Northern), in bay of Ferryland near St John's, the captain Duvignau in command of the Aigle and the captain Harismendy in command of the Favory fight against the English during height hours. During the combat, Coursic, second in command of the Aigle, is seriously wounded by a blow of gun and the frigate the Aigle ran aground. But the frigate the Favory succeeds in towing the Aigle to the port of Placentia.
  Source: AN Marine B/4/15 f°373-374
  
  The bay of Ferryland was successfully defended by Captain William Holman in his ship the "William and Mary".
  Source: Great Britain, PRO, Colonial Office, CO 194/1 (78ii), 145
               http://www.heritage.nf.ca/avalon/history/documents/letter_76.html
               http://www.heritage.nf.ca/avalon/arch/defense.html
              
  

• September 15, 1694
  "Affaire de Plaisance": of return to the port of Placentia, after the battle of Ferryland, the captain Duvignau accused a part of his crew "to desert from the vessel of the King, the Aigle, during the fight".

  • According to the Sieur de Saint Clair : Monsieur du Brouillan, Governor of Newfoundland, is "the only cause of the loss of the armament, the honor and the interest of the commanders of the vessels" (and particularly the Chevalier de Saint Clair who invested 1000 écus in the venture). He summarizes the participation of the Aigle in the combat as follow : "Monsieur du  Vignau which entered the first was disabled for a moment and the vessel failed in the passage which is narrowest, and it was a great happiness to refloat the vessel under the enemy gunfire and the crew disorder".

  • According to testimonies of this "crew disorder" aboard the Aigle:

  • Sieur Suygaraychipy, was wounded by a blow of gun, "this event discouraged the crew which desert the deck".

  • Certain officers (Daspicouette, Detchevery, Haramboure) and many sailors went aboard a launch to go on the Favory (to flee according to the ones, to seek for material according to the others).

  • Sieur Duvignau deposed a complaint against "Detcheverry de Bidart, blue enseigne, and Tipito Daspicouette de Hendaye, blue lieutenant" and enter a reservation to depose a complaint (later) against the Captain Harismendy "to have taken on his edge the deserters with their weapons and part of their luggage, which it would have return during the night on board the Aigle"...

  • The Captain de Saint Clair ordered to transfer on board the Gaillard, the officer Detcheverry prisoner on the Aigle.

  Source: AN Marine B/4/15 (2) f°375
  
  

• September 16, 1694
  De Beleville la proûsiere acting as Major on the Gaillard: I certify to have by order of Monsieur de Saint Clair transferred, onboard the Gaillard, the Sieur Detchevery de Bidart prisoner on the Aigle
  Source: AN Marine B/4/15(2)  f°378
  
  

• October 5, 1694
  I would be well to wish that the squadron of Sieur de Saint Clair had captured the one of Virginia (...) the flute which carried food for the squadron of Sieur de Saint Clair
  Source: AN Marine B/2/100 (1) f°36
   

• October 13 to November 15, 1694
  On October 13, 1694, a squadron of 34 ships departed Placentia for Bayonne including the Aigle, the Favory, the Gaillard, the Prudent and the Pélican.
  On October 15, they are hit by a bad weather and the squadron was separated in two groups:

  • first group with the Aigle, the Favory, the Gaillard, the Prudent and 10 merchant ships

  • second group with the Pélican and 19 merchant ships

  On October 24, in the first group, captain Duvignau on the Aigle loses sight of the Favory and cannot find it again. The next time they would meet would be in Bayonne. The Aigle arrived on November 16 and the Favory on December 7, 1694.
  Source: AN Colonies C/11c/2  f°237-240
   

• November 3, 1694
  Ponchartrain to Sieur de la Boulaye: it is extremely sad that Sieur de Saint Clair as badly succeeded in the things as it was to exert, he does not appear to me that there is fault of the Governor of Plaisance who offered on the contrary all that depended on him and beyond that, however let me know with the return of the vessels of Bayonne, what are the complaints of the captains of the vessels which carried disunion to this colony against him. You will find a letter herewith from Sieur Sommereau on the calculation of the crew of the frigate Aigle written to me of which I wrote you above, it is necessary that you clear up the facts of which he speaks and let me know what happened.
  Source: AN Marine B/2/100 (2) f°366
   

• November 15, 1694
  The Aigle, under command of Captain Duvignau, arrived at Bayonne.
  Source: AN Colonies C/11c/2  f°240
   

• November 24, 1694
  Ponchartrain to Sieur de Saint Clair: I received the letters that you wrote from Plaisance to me and I saw with displeasure that you had not dared the mission of Saint John nor to capture English vessels which were in Forillon, we knew by English even as nothing was easier and than you would have succeeded if you had wanted to carry out the orders which had been given to you

  Source: AN Marine B/2/100 (3) f°567
   

• December 15, 1694
  Ponchartrain to Sieur de la Boulaye: the judgement which was given against the deserter who was given to you by Sieur DuVignau (...) of the complaint which was made to you by Sieur Du Vignau against some officers and the best part of its crew which leaved the frigate when it entered Forillon. I make give to Rochefort the sum of eight miles (ecus) installment of what is due by the King for the armament of the Gaillard, the Aigle and the Favory to be able to pay off the officers, marines and sailors of the crew of le Gaillard. You must oblige the ship-owners to pay those of  the Aigle and the Favory (...) Sieur de Saint Clair extremely destroyed in my spirit in the cruise which it has just made, the good opinion that I had of him (...) send to me the declarations of Sieurs DuVignau, Harismendy and Beauchesne of his refusal to enter in Forillon and to finish the mission of Saint John
  Source: AN Marine B/2/100 (3) f°746
   

• 1711-1712
  On June 9, 1711, the Aigle installs La Rochelle to join the fleet of Duguay-Trouin on Rio de Janeiro. During January 1712, with the return of Rio, the Aigle runs in the storm in Cayenne.
  Source: AN Colonies C/11c/2 f°38-42