Claude de Forbin was born in the village
Gardanne in the
Provence, as a member of a family established in Marseille in the 14th century. Later divided into several branches, Claude de Forbin was the most famous of the branch Forbin Gardanne. High-spirited and ungovernable in his boyhood, he ran away from his home, and through the influence of an uncle entered the navy, serving his first campaign in 1675. For a short time he quit the navy and entered the
musketeers. There, he killed the chevalier de Gourdon in a duel, and was sentenced to death by the Parliament of Aix; he managed to obtain a grace and joined the Navy under his brother's identity. He served under the
Count d'Estrées during the American campaign, and under
Duquesne that of
Algiers in 1683, on all occasions distinguishing himself by his impetuous courage.
Grand Admiral of Siam The most remarkable episode of his life was his mission to
Siam. During the administration of the Greek adventurer
Phaulcon in that country, the project was formed of introducing the Christian religion and European civilisation, and the king sent an embassy to
Louis XIV. In response a French embassy was sent out, Forbin accompanying the
Chevalier de Chaumont with the rank of major aboard the
Oiseau. When Chaumont returned to France, Forbin was induced to remain in the service of the Siamese king, and accepted, though with much reluctance, the posts of grand admiral, general of all the king's armies and governor of
Bangkok. During his tenure he crushed the
Makassar Revolt at Bangkok, although almost at the cost of his own life. His position, however, was soon made untenable by the jealousy and intrigues of the minister
Phaulcon; and at the end of two years he left Siam, reaching France in 1688. He was replaced as Governor of Bangkok by the
Chevalier de Beauregard.
War with England Claude de Forbin was afterwards fully engaged in active service, first with
Jean Bart in the war with England, when they escorted a convoy; attacked by superior forces, Forbin, aboard the
Jeux, and Jean Bart, aboard the
Railleuse, sacrificed themselves in a delaying action to allow the convoy the escape. They were both captured and taken to
Plymouth. They succeeded in making their escape after 11 days, crossed the Channel on a small craft, and were soon serving their country again. Made a
capitaine de vaisseau in June 1689, he commanded the
Neptune in the
Battle of Beachy Head (1690). After a campaign in the North Sea in 1691, he commanded the
Perle in
Barfleur, where he was wounded. He greatly distinguished himself at the
battle of Lagos in 1693. Commanding the
Marquis in 1695, he campaigned in the Mediterranean and
Constantinople. In 1697, he served in
Catalonia in the siege of
Barcelona. During the
War of the Spanish Succession, he led a three-
ship of the line division in the
Adriatic, where he
blockaded
Venice, bombed
Trieste and ransomed
Fiume. In 1703 and 1704, he hunted down the
privateers from
Vlissingen. In June 1706, he attacked a British convoy, capturing seven ships; on 12 July, he seized two Dutch ships, and on 28 October, engaging a strongly escorted Dutch convoy, he captured three ships and sank another one. In 1707, he was made a ''
Chef d'Escadre (Rear-Admiral). On 12 May he captured a British convoy of 18 ships en route for Portugal. In the summer he led the Mars'' and a division into the
White Sea, returning to Brest on 23 September with 34 captured ships. (1707), by
Jean Antoine Théodore de Gudin. On 21 October in the
Battle at the Lizard, he helped
Duguay-Trouin in attacking a British convoy set for Portugal: of 80 ships, 15 merchantman and three ships of the line were captured, and 1 other was sunk. In 1708, he led Prince
James Francis Edward Stuart to Scotland, in an attempt to reclaim the British throne; ill-prepared, the attempt failed, and Forbin ceased to navigate. He quit the Navy in January 1715, and died on 4 March 1733 in Saint-Marcel Castle near
Marseille. His
Memories were published in 1730, written by his secretary. ==See also==