Mathurin Desmarestz

Mathurin Desmarestz (1653-1700, last name also Demarais) was a French pirate and buccaneer active in the Caribbean, the Pacific, and the Indian Ocean.

History

Born Isaac Veyret (or Vereil) in 1653, son of Isaac Veyret and Esther Pennaud, Mathurin Desmaretz was first recorded as one of the leaders of a group of French flibustiers (buccaneers) in 1685. He joined with Edward Davis, Francois Grogniet, Pierre le Picard, and others hoping to intercept the Spanish treasure fleet off Panama. They engaged the fleet that May but were outgunned and outmaneuvered and left with little to show for their efforts. The combined group split up to raid separately, with most of the French contingent following Groginet.

In early 1688 he was quartermaster to Jean Charpin aboard a ship supplied by retired fellow buccaneer Laurens de Graaf. They joined forces with Jean-Baptiste du Casse in early 1689, raiding off Cape Verde before returning to the Caribbean to attack Dutch colonies at Surinam and Berbice. When war broke out against England they assaulted St. Christopher; while leading ground troops their ship was stolen by mutinous English crewmen, led by William Kidd and Robert Culliford. The buccaneers under du Casse broke up in September; Charpin had been replaced by Jean Fantin, who took a brigantine and some of the French troops. Desmarestz purchased a fluyt called La Machine with the help of Charles de Courbon, comte de Blénac (Governor of Martinique) and was elected Captain. They harassed three East India ships before Blénac returned to France. Other members of Desmarestz’ crew were given to Mughal authorities when they became furious over Every's capture of the pilgrim treasure ship Gunsway. Still others were found by a French warship squadron, who refused to help them and burned the ship they’d been building to escape Mohéli. Ironically William Kidd picked up a few more later in 1697 off Anjouan when his own crew was decimated by sickness.

Finally in December 1696 Desmarestz struggled to Reunion Island with a barely-seaworthy vessel and a few sick men. French officials knew he was a pirate but took him in when they saw his pathetic condition. He settled there, marrying a local woman and starting a family in 1697, and is believed to have died by 1700.