Jean-François de Galaup, count de La Pérouse

Jean François Galaup, count (comte) de La Pérouse (August 23, 1741{{ref|novaresio_birthyear}} - 1788) was a French naval officer and explorer whose expedition vanished in Oceania.

Early career

Jean-François Galaup was born near Albi, France{{ref|novaresio_birthplace}}. La Pérouse was the name of a family property which he added to his name. He studied in a Jesuit college, and entered the naval college in Brest when he was fifteen, and fought the British off North America in the Seven Years' War.{{ref|novaresio_7yearwar}} In the beginning of the war he was wounded in a naval engagement off the French coast and was briefly imprisoned.{{ref|novaresio_wounded}} He was promoted to rank of commodore when he defeated the English frigate Ariel in the West Indies. In August 1782 he made fame by capturing two English forts on the coast of the Hudson Bay, but left the survivors with food and ammunition when he departed. The next year his family finally consented in his marriage to Louise-Eléonore Broudou, a young creole from modest origins he had met on Ile de France (present-day Mauritius).{{ref|novaresio_marriage}}

Related Topics:
Albi - France - Jesuit - Brest - British - North America - Seven Years' War - Commodore - West Indies - 1782 - Hudson Bay - Ile de France

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