Jean-François de Surville
Jean-François Marie de Surville (18 January 1717 – 8 April 1770) was a merchant captain with the French East India Company. He commanded a voyage of exploration to the Pacific in 1769–70.
Jean-François de Surville | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 January 1717 Port-Louis, Brittany, France |
| Died | 8 April 1770 (aged 53) Chilca, Peru |
| Cause of death | Drowning |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupations |
|
| Known for | Exploration of the Pacific |
| Spouse | Marie Jouaneaulx |
| Children | 2 |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | France |
| Service/ | French Navy |
| Years of service | 1740–1764 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Commands held | Bagatelle Renommée Duc de Orleans La Fortuné |
| Battles/wars | War of the Austrian Succession Seven Years' War |
| Awards | Cross of Saint Louis |
Born in Brittany, France, Surville joined the French East India Company in 1727 at the age of 10. For the next several years he sailed on voyages in Indian and Chinese waters. In 1740 he joined the French Navy; he fought in the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War, twice becoming a prisoner of war. After his military career he rejoined the French East India Company. In 1769, in command of Saint Jean-Baptiste, he sailed from India on an expedition to the Pacific looking for trading opportunities. He explored the seas around the Solomon Islands and New Zealand before proceeding eastward across the South Pacific towards South America. Part of his route around New Zealand overlapped that of James Cook in Endeavour, which had preceded him by only a few days. De Surville drowned off the coast of Peru on 8 April 1770 while seeking help for his scurvy-afflicted crew.