Claude-René Pâris de Soulanges

Claude-René's brother-in-law was count Charles Jean d'Hector (1722-1808), the pre-revolutionary commander of the French naval force at Brest.

He was made a captain and a lieutenant of the company of gardes de la Marine and of the pavillon in the département of Rochefort in 1772.

He was given his commission as a capitaine de vaisseau on 4 April 1777, a year before France entered the American War of Independence.

He joined the fleet gathering at Brest in 1778 under the comte d'Orvilliers, commanding the 64-gun Sphinx at the battle of Ushant on 27 July.

On 17 April at the battle of Martinique, still in command of the Sphinx, he formed part of the French rearguard which faced George Brydges Rodney's British fleet.