Born in Dunkirk as the son of a simple fisherman, Bart served when young in the Dutch navy under De Ruyter.
When war broke out between Louis XIV and the United Provinces in 1672 he entered the French service, as one of the Dunkirk Privateers. He gained great distinction in the Mediterranean, where he held an irregular sort of commission, unable due to his low birth to receive a command in the navy.
He had such success, however, that he became a lieutenant in 1679. He rose rapidly to the rank of captain and then to that of admiral.
He achieved his greatest successes during the Nine Years' War (1688 - 1697).
In 1689, in the beginning of this war he was captured by the English , together with Claude de Forbin , and taken to Plymouth. But 3 days later, they succeeded in escaping to Brittany in a rowing boat, together with 20 other sailors.
In 1691 he slipped through the blockade of Dunkirk, terrorizing the allied merchant fleet and burning a Scottish castle and four villages.
In 1694 he achieved his greatest success in the Action of 29 June 1694 , when he captured a huge convoy of Dutch grain ships, saving Paris from starvation.
On 3 February1676 he married the 16-year-old Nicole Gontier.
They had 4 children, until Nicole died 6 years later in 1682.
Their oldest son François-Cornil (17 June 1676- ?) became vice-admiral.
On 13 October1689 he remarried Jacoba Tugghe and they had 10 children. He signed his marriage contract, which is still available in Dunkirk, with the name "Jan Baert".
Jean Bart died of pleurisy and is buried in the Eglise Saint-Eloi in Dunkirk.
Legacy
Many anecdotes tell of the courage and bluntness of the 2,04 m tall, uncultivated sailor, who became the popular hero of the French naval service. He captured in total 386 ships and also sank or burned a great number of enemy ships. The town of Dunkirk has honoured his memory by erecting a statue and by naming a public square after him.
In World War II 70% of Dunkirk was completely destroyed, but the statue survived.
Ships bearing the name Jean Bart
More than 27 ships of the French Navy, over a period of 200 years, have borne the name Jean Bart. These include:
Jean Bart (1940) - 50,000 tonne battleship armed with 380mm guns. Although launched in 1940, the ship did not get fitted out and completed until 1955, having spent much of the World War II in dock at Casablanca; the last French battleship completed
