Charles-Henri Bertin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
as British Governor
Charles-Henri Bertin | |
|---|---|
| 1st Colonial Prefect of Martinique | |
| In office 1802–1804 | |
| Monarch | Napoléon I |
| Preceded by | Sir William Keppel as British Governor |
| Succeeded by | Pierre-Clément de Laussat |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 15, 1752 |
| Died | April 26, 1822 (aged 69) |
Louis-Charles-Henri Bertin (September 15, 1752 – April 26, 1822) was a French civil official who served as the first Colonial Prefect of Martinique and St. Lucia.[1]
Bertin was born in Louisbourg, Île-Royale (modern Cape Breton), in 1752 to Louis Bertin, a surgeon, and Marie-Anne Bertrand. Following Britain's capture of Louisbourg from France, the Bertin family went to Rochefort, France.[2]
As an adult, Bertin served as a senior civil servant in the Ministry of the Navy, which was charged with overseeing mercantile shipping, naval operations, and overseas colonies. Around 1792, Bertin served as a commissaire-ordonnateur for French naval forces in the Mediterranean, notably in 1793 aboard the Tonnant.[3] By 1798, he had risen to the chief civilian officer for the Port of Bordeaux,[4] before being transferred on July 12, 1798, to the Port of Toulon.
Bertin next served as the first maritime prefect for Le Havre from July 1800 to May 1801.[5] At the port, he focused on construction of the bassin de la Barre, a system of locks to ease movement between the outer harbor and the bassin des Capucins, employing some 250 diggers and 60 stonecutters to complete the work.[6][7] In September 1801, Bertin was promoted to counselor of the state for the navy, and was replaced as maritime prefect by Bourdon de Vatry.[8]
