Rosily-Mesros François-Étienne — French Admiral
STUB — Added to Research Queue 2026-05-05
Discovered via: Villeneuve Pierre-Charles — French Admiral See RESEARCH_QUEUE for priority.
What We Know So Far
- Born 13 January 1748, Rosily, Brittany; died 12 November 1832, Paris.
- French vice-admiral with a long pre-Revolution career; survived the purges and rose under Napoleon as a hydrographer and administrator.
- Sent by Decrès in October 1805 with orders to relieve Villeneuve Pierre-Charles — French Admiral at Cadiz — arrived at Madrid 18 October.
- News of his appointment, reaching Villeneuve the same day, drove the sortie that became the Battle of Trafalgar 1805 — Overview.
- After Trafalgar, hoisted his flag in Cadiz over the surviving French ships; surrendered them to the Spanish in 1808 when Spain switched sides.
Research Needed
- Pre-1805 career as hydrographer (Dépôt des cartes et plans)
- Travel route and timing from Paris to Madrid in October 1805
- Cadiz blockade 1805–08 and the surrender to Spain
- Post-Restoration honours and survival into the July Monarchy