Louis Guillouet, comte d'Orvilliers

In 1723, aged fifteen, he joined the colony's infantry regiment and quickly rose to the rank of Lieutenant.

In 1777, France began assisting the American colonies in their fight for independence from Great Britain.

The following year, however, he led an unsuccessful attempt to raid the English ports of Portsmouth and Plymouth.

The admiral encouraged his grandson, Hugues Duroy de Chaumareys, to enter Naval service.

He did not live to witness the court-martial, disgrace and label of "incompetent and complacent" that was triggered by the sinking of the frigate French frigate Méduse (1810) and loss of circa 150 lives, plus the notoriety of the painting by Théodore Géricault of the shipwreck scene The Raft of the Medusa which hangs in the Louvre.