The don des vaisseaux (English: gift of ships of the line) was a subscription programme launched by the French statesman Étienne François de Choiseul, Duke of Choiseul in 1761 to rebuild the French Navy and make up for the losses it suffered in the Seven Years' War. Under the terms of the programme, the French public was encouraged to contribute funds for the construction of ships of the line. The programme raised 13 million livres from provinces, cities, institutions and private individuals, which were used to build 18 ships of the line for the French navy, including two first-rates, Ville de Paris and Bretagne.
All ships built under the programme were named either after their donors or qualities the donors wished to be associated with. Some ship names fell out of political favour during the French Revolution and were renamed between 1792 and 1794 under the National Convention's direction; in turn, some of the new names became politically unacceptable after the Thermidorian Reaction and were again changed in 1795. The success of the programme encouraged the French state to renew it on several occasions, including from 1782 to 1790 and again during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
Background
During the Seven Years' War, the French Navy suffered numerous defeats at the hands of the British Royal Navy. By 1761, the French navy had lost dozens of ships of the line in several engagements with the British, who as a result of their naval victories held command of the sea in both Europe and the Americas. As France was heavily in debt due to its war effort, it was impossible to fund the reconstruction of the French Navy through conventional means.
As such, the Secretary of State for the Navy, Étienne François de Choiseul, Duke of Choiseul, devised a subscription programme to raise the necessary funds. In 1761, Choiseul suggested to the Archbishop of Narbonne Charles Antoine de La Roche-Aymon, who presided over the Estates of Languedoc, to encourage the Estates' delegates to fund the construction of a 74-gun ship of the line via subscriptions. Choiseul hoped that this would set an example for other French organisations and private individuals to follow, which proved to be correct.
Fundraising
On 26 November 1761, de La Roche-Aymon gave a speech before the delegates of the Estates of Languedoc, encouraging them
The delegates obliged, and the example was followed the next year by the estates of Brittany, Burgundy, Artois and Flanders, the cities of Paris, Bordeaux, Montpellier and Marseille along with several private institutions and individuals such as the six corps de marchands and ferme générale.
Ships built through donations
Of the 30 ships of the line built for the French Navy between 1760 and 1769, 18 were funded by the don des vaisseaux programme, which raised 13 million livres. Two first-rates were built from funds raised using the programme, Ville de Paris and Bretagne, both of which participated in naval operations in the American Revolutionary War.
Ships funded through fundraising Ship Guns Patron Fate Six Corps 74 Six corps de marchands Decommissioned in August 1779 and broken up in 1780 Provence 64 Estates of Provence Decommissioned in 1785 and broken up in 1786 Union 64 Private individuals Wrecked in February 1782 Diligent 74 Head of Posts Decommissioned in June 1779 and broken up in 1780 Bordelois 56 Bordeaux Captured by HMS Romney on 1 July 1780 and sold in February 1786 Ferme 56 Ferme générale Sold to the Ottoman Navy in 1774 Ferme 74 Ferme générale Renamed Phocion on 1 October 1792, defected to the Spanish Navy on 11 January 1793 and broken up in 1808 Utile 56 Ferme générale Decommissioned in 1771 and broken up in 1791 Flamand 56 Estates of Flanders Decommissioned and broken up in 1785 Citoyen 74 Bankers and treasurers of the French Royal Army Decommissioned in 1783 and broken up in 1791 Zélé 74 General Director of Finance Decommissioned and broken up in 1806 Ville de Paris 90 Paris Captured by HMS Barfleur at the battle of the Saintes and sunk in the 1782 Central Atlantic hurricane Saint-Esprit 80 Order of the Holy Spirit Renamed Scipion in April 1794 and wrecked on 26 January 1795 Artésien 64 Estates of Artois Decommissioned in 1785 Languedoc 80 Estates of Languedoc Renamed Antifédéraliste in 1794 and Victoire in 1795, decommissioned in 1798 and broken up in 1799 Bretagne 110 Estates of Brittany Renamed Révolutionnaire in 1793, decommissioned on 28 January 1796 and broken up in May 1796 Marseillois 74 Chamber of commerce of Marseille Renamed Vengeur du Peuple in 1794 and sunk at the Glorious First of June Bourgogne 74 Estates of Burgundy Wrecked on 4 February 1783
Renewal of the fundraising After a costly French defeat at the Battle of the Saintes, a new fundraising drive was organised, yielding five new ships. Another ship was later built from such funding during the Empire.
Ships funded through fundraising Ship Guns Patron FateSecond fundraising (1782–1790) Deux Frères 80 Count of Provence and Count of Artois Renamed Juste in 1792, captured by HMS Queen Charlotte at the Glorious First of June and broken up in February 1811 Commerce de Bordeaux 74 Chamber of commerce of Bordeaux Renamed Timoléon in February 1794, destroyed at the battle of the Nile Commerce de Marseille 74 Chamber of commerce of Marseille Renamed Lys on 19 July 1786 and Tricolore on 6 October 1792, burnt at the siege of Toulon Commerce de Marseille 120 Chamber of commerce of Marseille Captured by the Royal Navy at the siege of Toulon, decommissioned and broken up in 1802 États de Bourgogne 120 Estates of Burgundy Renamed Côte d'Or on 27 January 1793, Montagne on 22 October 1793, Peuple on 17 May 1795 and Océan on 26 June 1795, decommissioned on 2 August 1850 and broken up in 1856Third fundraising (1793–1794)Fourth fundraising (27 May 1803) Commerce de Paris 110 Six corps de marchands Renamed Commerce in 1830, Borda in 1839 and Vulcain in 1863, decommissioned and broken up in 1885
Notes and references
LA BRETAGNE, 1766. Le renouveau de la Marine Française après la guerre de Sept Ans