René-Nicolas Levasseur
René-Nicolas Levasseur | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1705 or 1707[1] France |
| Died | August 2nd, 1784[1] |
| Citizenship | France |
| Occupations | Ship Builder, Administrator |
| Children | 1 |
René-Nicolas Levasseur was a French ship builder and administrator. Born in either 1705 or 1707, he died in Aubagne, France on August 2, 1784.[1][2] He was appointed Seigneur de St-Armand on September 23, 1748. He designed the Abénaquise Class (1753), of 38 Guns.[3]
He was involved in the launch of the Original (62) on September 2, 1750, a Saint Laurent class ship-of-the-line, which broke into two halves during its launching and sank. This was attributed to poor wood, which had been chosen by Levasseur himself.[4] Some say that he was aware of the defects of his Saint-Armand wood, and decided to push his luck in order to meet the increasing demand for warships.[4]
His son, Pierre Levasseur was also a shipbuilder.[1][5]
He would move back to France in 1760, having sold his signatory to a merchant from London.[4]
| Ship | Date | His Role | Ship Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aquilon[6] | November 24, 1733 | Launched | Frigate (42-Gun) |
| Canada | June 4, 1742 | Launched | Frigate (28-Gun) |
| Caribou | May 13, 1744 | Launched | Ship-of-the-line (52-Gun) |
| Écrevisse | March, 1745 | Launched | Gabarre |
| Saint Laurent | June 13, 1748 | Launched | Ship-of-the-line (60-Gun) |
| Abénaquise Class | 1753 | Designed | (38-Gun Demi-Batterie) |
| Algonquin | July 3, 1753 | Launched | Ship-of-the-line (72-Gun) |
| Abénaquise | June, 1756 | Launched | (38-Gun Demi-Batterie) |
References
- ^ a b c d e "LEVASSEUR, RENÉ-NICOLAS". Dictionnaire biographique du Canada. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
- ^ "Rene-Nicolas Levasseur (1707-1784)". threedecks.org. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
- ^ "French Abénaquise Class". threedecks.org. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
- ^ a b c Darch, Heather (2023-11-08). "That Sinking Feeling". Journal Le Tour (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- ^ "Pierre Levasseur". threedecks.org. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
- ^ "French Fifth Rate frigate 'L'Aquilon' (1733)". threedecks.org. Retrieved 2025-09-15.