Abraham Duquesne
| Abraham Duquesne | |
|---|---|
Figurehead of the Duquesne of 1814
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| Born | 1610 Dieppe, France |
| Died | 2 February 1688 (aged c. 78) Paris, France |
| Allegiance |
 Kingdom of France Sweden (1643 – 1645) |
| Service/branch |
 French Navy Swedish Navy
|
| Rank | Vice-Admiral (Lieutenant-Général) |
| Battles/wars | |
Abraham Duquesne, marquis du Bouchet (c. 1610 – 2 February 1688) was a French naval officer, who also saw service as an admiral in the Swedish navy. He was born in Dieppe, a seaport, in 1610, and was a Huguenot. He was the son of a naval officer and therefore became a sailor himself, spending his early years in merchant service.
In 1635, he was capitaine de vaisseau (captain) in the French navy. In 1636, he was appointed to the "Neptune" squadron. In May 1637 he gained some fame for capturing the island of Lerins from the Spanish. Around this time, his father died in a conflict with the Spanish, which permanently increased his animosity towards them and he sought revenge. He fought them viciously at the Battle of Guetaria in 1638, during the expedition to Corunna in 1639, and in the battles at Tarragona in 1641, Barcelona and the Cabo de Gata.
Duquesne then left to join the Swedish navy in 1643. On the side of the Swedes, he fought the Danish fleet at the Battle of Colberger Heide where King Christian IV himself was in command of the Danish fleet, in the frigate Regina 34. Later at Fehmarn, the Danes were decisively defeated, their admiral Pros Mund killed and his ship taken. After a peace had been reached between the Danes and the Swedes in 1645, he returned to France.
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