Robert Surcouf Robert Surcouf ( 12 December 1773 – 8 July 1827 ) was a French privateer and slave trader who operated in the Indian Ocean between 1789 and 1801 , and again from 1807 to 1808 , capturing over 40 prizes , while amassing a large fortune as a ship - owner , both from privateering and from commerce . Surcouf started his career as a sailor and officer on the slave ship s " Aurore " , " Courrier d ' Afrique " and " Navigateur " . Having risen to Captain , and in spite of the prohibition of slave trading by the National Convention in 1793 , he engaged in the business himself as a captain on " Créole " . He then captained the merchantman " Émilie " , on which he engaged in commerce raiding despite lacking a lettre de marque . He preyed on British shipping , famously capturing the East Indiaman " Triton " , before returning to Mauritius , where his prizes were confiscated . He then returned to France , where he obtained prize money from the government . Returning to the Indian Ocean , Surcouf captained the privateers " Clarisse " and " Confiance " , raiding British , American and Portuguese merchantmen . He famously captured the East Indiaman " Kent " on 7 October 1800 . Returning to France , he was awarded the Legion of Honour and settled as a ship - owner . He briefly returned to the Indian Ocean in 1807 on the custom - built " Revenant " before returning to France . There , he armed privateers and merchantmen . His privateers led successful campaigns in the Indian Ocean and disastrous ones in the English Channel , except for " Renard " which achieved fame in her victory over on 9 September 1812 . After the Bourbon restoration , he organised fishing expeditions to Terre - Neuve and amassed a considerable fortune . He died in 1827 and is buried in a graveyard at Saint - Malo . Career . Youth . Robert Surcouf was born 12 December 1773 in Saint - Malo to a family of ship - owner s . His father , Charles - Ange Surcouf de Boisgris , was the grandson of Robert Surcouf de Maisonneuve , who had captained the privateer " Aimable " during the reign of Louix XIV . On his mother ' s side , Robert was a distant relative of René Duguay - Trouin . When his parents sent him to Dinan college to become a priest , he fled at age thirteen to enlist on the merchantman " Héron " , which shuttled between Saint - Malo and Cadiz . On 3 March 1789 , he enlisted as a volunteer on the 700 - ton " Aurore " , under Captain Tardivet , a slave ship bound for India . " Aurore " sailed to Pondicherry and ferried troops bound for Isle de France . On her next journey , seeking to purchase slaves on the Horn of Africa , " Aurore " was wrecked in Mozambique Channel , drawning 400 black slave s chained in the orlop . Tardivet chartered the Portugues " San Antoine " in October 1790 to return to Port - Louis , but had to divert to Sumatra because of the weather , and only returned to Port - Louis in late 1790 , on a French ship via the French colony of Pondicherry . Promoted to officer , Surcouf enlisted on the " Courrier d ' Afrique " , another slave ship , bound for Mozambique under Captain Garnier . Captain Tardivet then brought him over as Lieutenant on his new ship , " Revanche " . On " Revanche " , Surcouf made several expeditions off Madagascar . Surcouf enlisted as a helmsman on the French Royal Navy ' s 20 - gun fluyt " Bienvenue " , under Lieutenant Haumont , bound for France . " Bienvenue " arrived at Lorient on 2 January 1792 , where Surcouf discovered the political changes France had undergone in the wake of the French Revolution . After six months , Surcouf enlisted as a lieutenant on the slave ship " Navigateur " , under Captain Lejoliff . She departed on 27 August 1792 for Mozambique before sailing to Isle de France , where Surcouf was informed on his arrival of the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars . He served as an auxiliary ensign on the 40 - gun frigate " Cybèle " during the Action of 22 October 1794 . Rising to the rank of captain , Surcouf took command of the brig " Créole " , a four - gun slave ship . He departed Isle de France on 3 June 1794 for a journey off Africa and Madagascar , and engaged again in slave trading , even though it had been prohibited by the National Convention and the Assembly of Île Bourbon . Upon his return , agents of the Committee of Public Safety inspected " Créole " for evidence of slave trading , but left empty - handed as Surcouf had already sold his slaves . Cruise of " Émilie " and capture of " Triton " . In the spring in 1795 , Surcouf took command of the 180 - ton , privateer schooner " Modeste " , renamed " Émilie " , with a 32 - man crew and four 6 - pounder guns , armed by Malroux and Levaillant . Governor Malartic refused to proved a lettre de marque and ordered " Émilie " to go to the Seychelles to purchase tortoise s as food for Isle de France . " Émilie " departed on 3 September 1795 with a " congé de navigation " authorising her to defend herself , but not to take prizes as a privateer . The next day , she made a port call at Saint - Denis before cruising to Mahé . At Sainte Anne Island , two large British ships chased him , but he was able to evade them by sailing through the reefs , at night . Surcouf then decided to sail to the Mergui Archipelago to load a rice cargo . On 8 December 1795 , while in transit , cruising off the Ganges Delta , Surcouf captured his first prized , the ship " Penguin " , loaded with lumber , on which he detached a prize crew under Lieutenant Péru before sending her to Isle de France . On 19 January 1796 , Surcouf met the pilot ship " Cartier " leading two merchantmen , the " Russel " and " Sambolasse " , through Ganges delta . He attacked and captured them , finding the merchantmen to be carrying rice . After detaching prize crews , Surcouf transferred his command , along with his remaining 22 crew members and " Émilie " s four guns , to " Cartier " , which ( according to Ambroise Louis Garneray ) he renamed " Hasard " . , Surcouf then sent " Émilie " , under Lieutenant Croizet , together with his prizes , to Isle de France . On the night of 28 January , Surcouf captured the 12 - gun " Diana " , loaded with 6000 bags of rice . The next day , " Cartier " met a 26 - gun Indiaman , the " Triton " , armed with 12 - pounders and a 150 - man crew ; having decided to attack and recognising only too late the overwhelming superiority of his opponent , Surcouf , feeling threatened and unable to flee , decided to board her with his 26 men . After haranguing his men , he approached under a British flag , before hoisting French colours at the very last moment and launching a violent assault . In the ensuing 45 - minute battle , " Triton " suffered 5 wounded and 10 killed , including her captain , Captain Burnycat , and the first officer , Picket ; The prisoners were transferred to " Diana " , which Surcouf released against a 30 , 000 rupee ransom . Surcouf returned to Ile de France with his prizes , where he arrived on 10 March 1796 . As " Émilie " had been armed as a merchant rather than a privateer , the Prize court seized her prizes and sold them for the benefit of the State , although their capture was declared to be legal . Surcouf returned to France to claim his prize money , and on 3 September 1797 , the government finally granted him 660 , 000 francs , of which he only received 80 , 000 . Cruise of " Clarisse " . In early 1798 , after 14 months in Paris , Surcouf took command of the " Clarisse " , a 14 - gun privateer brig armed with four 12 - pounders , ten 8 - pounder s , and manned by a 120 - strong complement . He departed from Paimboeuf Nantes in February 1798 , this time with a propre lettre de marque . During the journey to Isle de France , " Clarisse " chased a British slave ship , which escaped after one of her shots cut off " Clarisse " ' s foremast tops . Surcouf captured a British brig South of Cape of Good Hope , which surrendered at the warning shot , on which he sent a prize crew under Captain Dujardin , and arrived La Réunion on 5 December . In early 1799 , Surcouf sailed to the city of Susoh in Aceh , on Sumatra , where he found two 20 - gun merchantmen anchored in the harbour , in the process of loading pepper ; " Clarisse " dropped anchor close by and opened fire , after which Surcouf sent his brother Nicolas to head a 20 - man board party on " Clarisse " ' s boats and board the largest of the ships , while he boarded her with " Clarisse " from the opposite side ; assaulted from two sides , she surrendered after a 30 - minute battle . The other ship cut her anchor and attempted to flee , but she was overhauled by the boats of " Clarisse " and captured without resistance , most of her crew being ashore . Surcouf returned to Isle de France with his prizes in June . On 16 August , " Clarisse " departed Isle de France for another cruise ; she sailed to La Réunion carrying despatches of Malartic to the governor . She then cruised to Java to procure water , where she arrived on 27 September . On 1 October , Surcouf captured a Danish merchantman , which he sent away under Lieutenant Fonroc ; on 4 November , the Portuguese merchantman " Nostra Signora de la Conception " carrying 116 000 piastres ; on 6 , a British ship laden with a salt cargo ; and on 11 November , the 20 - gun " Auspicious " , with a cargo worth 1 , 032 , 580 francs . Surcouf sailed to Mergui to purchase food and free his prisonners , and put to sail on 10 December . En route , he met the fellow French privateer " Malartic " , under Jean Dutertre ; soon after , the privateers met a British frigate , 38 - gun frigate HMS " Sybille " , which gave chase and which Surcouf managed outsail by throwing eight guns overboards , along with various other implements . On 1 January 1800 , " Clarisse " captured a large rice - laden merchantman , the British " James " . On 3 January , she detected two American 16 - carronade ships forming a line of battle ; although " Clarisse " lacked her eight guns sacrificed to escape " Sybille " and 60 of her men detached on her various prizes , Surcouf engaged . " Clarisse " raked the rear - most ship , the " Louisa " , and boarded her , while simultaneously firing a broadside on the other ship , " Mercury " , which attempted to rescue her mate . Nicolas Surcouf led a 30 - man boarding party to seize " Louisa " , while " Mercury " escaped . " Clarisse " could not give chase , her bowsprit having been destroyed in the collision " Louisa " . Nicolas Surcouf was given command of " Louisa " " Clarisse " continued her patrol , capturing the ships " Catherine " , " Haderbux " , " Anna Maria " , " Nostra Signora de la Cruz " , " Louis " , " Janna " , " Notre Dame de Bon Succès " and " Albion " , before sailing back to Isle de France with her prizes . She arrived in early February 1800 . Cruise of " Confiance " and capture of " Kent " . In May 1800 , Surcouf took command of " Confiance " , a fast 18 - gun brig from Bordeaux , with a 150 - man complement ; the competition with Dutertre for the captainship of " Confiance " almost degenerated into a duel , and Governor Malartic had to intervene to prevent it , stating that such a confrontation would be " an English victory " . The sailor and painter Ambroise Louis Garneray , future biographer of Surcouf , enlisted at this time . In late April 1800 , " Confiance " cruised off Sunda Strait , where she captured the American ship ; she then left the strait to avoid a US frigate which was known to cruise in these waters , and sailed to the Seychelles . There , he escaped a British ship of the line and a frigate , and sailed on to cruise the Bay of Bengal . On 19 September , " Confiance " captured the " Prize " , from Calcutta , which has stored eight of her ten guns in her hold to improve her stability . " Prize " was sent off to Mauritius on the next day with a 85 - man prize crew . Surcouf then steered for Ganjam , where he captured three smaller ships . On 7 October 1800 , off Sand Heads , near Calcutta , " Confiance " met the 26 - gun East Indiaman " Kent " , of 824 tons burthen , under Captain Robert Rivington . " Kent " had rescued the crew of another ship , the " Queen " , destroyed by fire , and therefore had an exceptionally large complement of 437 men , including her passengers ; 300 of them were soldiers and sailors ; Surcouf managed to board his larger opponent and , after over an hour and a half of battle across the decks of the ship , seize control of the " Kent " . The British had fourteen killed , including the captain , and 44 wounded , while the French suffered five killed and ten wounded . The privateers were then granted one hour of free pillaging on " Kent " before Surcouf restored order ; however , the female passangers were strictly protected and sentries were placed in front of their apartments . Amongst the prisoners were General Frederick St . John and his wife , Arabella Craven . The first officer of " Confiance " , Drieux , was sent on " Kent " with a 60 - man prize crew , while her passagers were released on a merchantman that Surcouf stopped a few days later . " Confiance " and " Kent " arrived at the Rade des Pavillons in Port - Louis in November . The capture of " Kent " became a sensation , and the British Admiralty promise a reward for the capture of Surcouf . After her return to Ile de France , " Confiance " was armed as a merchantman " en aventurier " with a 89 - man crew and loaded with colonial goods for her return to France . On the journey , Surcouf still managed to capture a number of ships , notably the Portuguese " Ebre " , with eighteen 12 - pounder carronades and a 60 - man crew ; he released her against a ransom of 10 , 000 piastres and after exchanging her greatmast with that of " Confiance " . Upon her return , " Confiance " ran into the British blockade and was chased by a frigate ; Surcouf managed to evade her by throwing overboard all but one of her guns , his boats , anchors , chains and even components of his masts . He eventually arrived at La Rochelle on 13 April 1801 . In France , Navy Minister Truguet attempted to enrol Surcouf in the Navy as an auxiliary officer , which he declined . Hennequin states that Bonaparte himself offered him the rank of Captain and the command of two frigates , which Surcouf declined for fear of losing his freedom of action , and awarded him a Sabre of honour . Surcouf was awarded the Legion of Honour at the founding of the Order , on 19 May 1802 . On 28 May , in Saint - Malo , he married Marie Blaize , who had been his fiancée for two years ; over the course of their marriage , they had five children together . Around 1805 , Surcouf started to arm privateers in Saint - Malo in partnership with his father - in - law , notably " Caroline " which captured four ships in the Indian Ocean under Nicolas Surcouf ; " Marsouin " ; and " Confiance " , which took two prizes under Joseph Potier . Cruise of " Revenant " . After a five - year retirement , in early 1807 , Surcouf ordered the 18 - gun " Revenant " , a privateer which he had built on his own specifications . On 2 March , he departed Saint - Malo with a 192 - man crew to cruise off Bengal . On 9 March 1807 , while en route , off Madeira , " Revenant " captured the British slave ship " Aun " , of sixteen 12 - pounders , recently departed from Liverpool , which Surcouf let go for a ransom , after throwing her guns overboard , wetting her gunpowder and destroying some of her sails . " Revenant " reached Isle de France on 10 June 1807 , along with several prizes taken during her journey . The arrival of Surcouf at Isle de France did not go unnoticed : the authorities and the population reacted with enthusiasm , while British insurance companies on Calcutta doubled the reward for his capture , which amounted to one rupee lake , or 250 , 000 francs . On 3 September 1807 , " Revenant " departed to cruise off Bengal . On 25 September , she captured the British 12 - gun " Trafalgar " carrying 10 , 000 bags of rice , and the 14 - gun " Mangles " , carrying 11 , 000 ; on the 27th , the 12 - gun " Admiral Applin " , with 9 , 500 bags of rice ; on 1 October , the 1 — gun Suzannah , with 5 , 500 bags of rice ; on the 19th , the wood - laden " Success " , which was burnt ; on the 30th , the 12 - gun " Fortune " , which carried no cargo and was sunk ; on 15 Novermber , the Indian " Macauly " ; on 18 December , the British 10 - gun " Sir William Burrough " ; on the 30th , the Portuguese " Oriente " ; and on 6 January 1808 , the Arab " Jem lab Dim " . Surcouf sent with prize crews to Isle de France , and returned himself on 31 January 1808 . Surcouf then gave command of " Revenant " to his first officer , Joseph Potier . After a short cruise , Potier returned with a 34 - gun prize of the Portuguese East India Company , the " Conceçáo de San Antonio " , captured after a one - hour fight . On 4 July 1808 , " Revenant " was requisitionned by order of General Decaen , governor of Isle de France . She was renamed " Iéna " , and her command was given to Lieutenant Morice , with " Lieutenant de vaisseau " Albin Roussin as second officer . Surcouf had an altercation with Decaen but had to renounce his ship , and eventually purchased the " Sémillante " , which he renamed " Charles " , to return to Saint - Malo , where he arrived on 4 February 1809 . Late life . From 1809 , Surcouf went into business as ship - owner , and over the years , he armed a number of privateers : " Auguste " , under Pelletier ; " Dorade " ; " Biscayenne " ; " Édouard " ; " Espadon " ; " Ville - de - Caen " ; " Adolphe " and his last , the " Renard " , under Leroux . The British captured all the privateers sent into the Channel , with the exception of " Renard " . In January 1814 , Surcouf was made a colonel in the National Guard of Saint - Malo . During the Hundred Days , he served as a chief of Legion and maintained order . He resigned after the Battle of Waterloo and became a merchant , arming 19 merchantmen and establishing business with Terre - Neuve . Surcouf died on 8 July 1827 , and was buried in Saint - Malo graveyard with military honours . His tomb features a globe showing the Indian Ocean and an anchor , with the epitaph : Legacy . A number of legends have grown around Surcouf over the time : he is often stated to have been made a Baron of the Empire , which is untrue . Another legend states that Surcouf had thrown overboard gold seized on " Kent " ; in fact , " Kent " did not carry gold . An epic tale goes that around 1816 or 1817 , Surcouf challenged twelve Prussian officers to a duel and defeated all of them except for the last , which he let go " to tell in his country how a former soldier of Napoleon fights " ; this story appears to be a fabrication posterior to 1890 . Five ships of the French Navy were named in honour of Surcouf : a steam aviso ; an armoured cruiser ; a submarine cruiser , which at the time of her launch was the largest submarine in the world , joined the Free French Naval Forces during the Second World War , and disappeared mysteriously after liberating Saint - Pierre and Miquelon ; a large fleet escort destroyer , which was heavily damaged in a collision with a Soviet ship ; and the present - day stealth frigates , one of the first stealth combat ships .