Need specialty info re French vessels 1690s

[Jane Elderfield]

Hello, forum members interested in Maritime History:

I am involved with a historical project involving French maritime documents from the 1690s (Louis XIV period).

The ships are warships, also "vaisseaux" and "fregates" used in interfering with the Dutch and English whaling, fishing, and commercial shipping.

I find myself lacking in knowledge of terminology--both English and French--of parts of the ship, sail names, crew members' job titles, words for ship handling manoeuvers. I have a fairly good French-English dictionary which does give some common nautical terminology, and I have found a couple of online glossaries of (modern) Nautical and sailboat terms.

Can anyone recommend a website or a book that would show a diagram of a French vessel of this period with the parts named in English and French?

Also a historical Nautical glossary French / English ?

My computer time is limited, and so far I haven't found anything else online that suits my needs.

Thank you--

Jane E

[Coromandel]

I haven't been able to find precisely what you wanted, but this perhaps goes part of the way.

Here is a diagram of a war ship with all the parts named, in English. It is from Chambers' Cyclopaedia (1728) which is online as part of the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections.

Then there's the Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers..., edited by Diderot and d'Alembert. You can search the full text online here. Illustrations are in a separate plates section, which you can see on another website (choose English title 'Sailing' or French title 'Marine').

[Jane Elderfield]

Coromandel--

Tonight I got into the Encyclopedie you suggested, and find it very helpful. I looked up some obscure (to me) French nautical terms, and found them fully explained. Many thanks!

Also had a close look at some of the diagrams, and likewise found them helpful.

Much appreciation!

--Jane E

[Jane Elderfield]

I have had several books from Inter-Library Loan, and the most helpful were The Age of the Ship of the Line: The British and French Navies 1650-1815 by Jonathan Dull, and The 50-Gun Ship, by Rif Winfield. The latter has extremely detailed drawings. Books have much historical information, both English and French. Recommended for anyone researching Navy ancestors and their ships.

Jane E

[Jane Elderfield]

FRENCH CREW LISTS?

Does any member know if Crew Lists exist for the period 1690s in France? Items in various archives give some tantalizing details of ships, investors, Captains and occasional mention of officers, prizes captured in war, etc.

But I'm hoping for muster lists or equivalent during reign of Louis XIV, of named Navy ships. Where would they be likely to be found? (I'm okay to read old French--handwriting is quite similar to English documents of the same era.)

Jane E