François Caron
François Caron (French pronunciation: [fʁɑ̃swa kaʁɔ̃]; 1600–1673) was a French Huguenot refugee to the Netherlands who served the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC) for 30 years, rising from cook's mate to the director-general at Batavia (Jakarta), only one grade below governor-general. He retired from the VOC in 1651, and was later recruited to become director-general of the newly formed French East Indies Company in 1665 until his death in 1673.
François Caron | |
|---|---|
A map of Japan in François Caron's "A True Description of the Mighty Kingdoms of Japan and Siam". | |
| 1st Director-General of the French East India Company | |
| In office 1667–1673 | |
| 8th Governor of Formosa | |
| In office 1644–1646 | |
| Preceded by | Maximiliaan le Maire |
| Succeeded by | Pieter Anthoniszoon Overtwater |
| 12th Opperhoofd in Japan | |
| In office 2 February 1639 – 13 February 1641 | |
| Preceded by | Nicolaes Couckebacker |
| Succeeded by | Maximiliaan le Maire |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1600 Brussels |
| Died | 5 April 1673 at sea, near Portugal |
| Nationality | Dutch, French |
| Spouse | Constantia Boudaen |
Caron is sometimes considered the first Frenchman to set foot in Japan, although he was actually born in Brussels to a family of Huguenot refugees. He only became a naturalized citizen of France when he was persuaded by Colbert to become head of the French East Indies Company, in his 60s. Thus the native-born French Dominican missionary Guillaume Courtet may have the stronger claim. Regardless, the first known instance of any Franco-Japanese relations precedes them both, being the visit of Hasekura Tsunenaga to France in 1615.