1-156-791 - Ann Ronan Picture Library/Heritage-Images

Jean Bart, French privateer and naval officer, 19th century. Bart (1651-1702) served in the French Navy in the war between Louis XIV and the United Provinces. Although initially prevented by his low birth (he was the son of a Dunkirk fisherman) from holding a commission, his success as a privateer led to him ultimately attaining the rank of Admiral in the French Navy. Operating out of Dunkirk, from 1691 Bart commanded a small squadron of French ships in the North Sea, which succeeded in destroying and capturing numerous English and Dutch vessels. A hero to the French Navy, his most celebrated exploit was the capture, in 1694, of a convoy of some 130 ships carrying grain from the Baltic to the Netherlands. At least 27 French warships have been named after Bart.