Robert Surcouf (December 12, 1773 – July 8, 1827) is a French privateer who operates in the Indian Ocean between 1789 and 1801, and again from 1807 to 1808, capturing over forty prizes, while amassing a large fortune as a ship-owner, from both privateering and commerce.
Surcouf starts his career as a sailor and officer on the slave ships Aurore, Courrier d'Afrique and Navigateur.
Having risen to captain, and in spite of the prohibition of slave trading by the National Convention in 1793, he engages in the business himself as a captain on Créole.
He then captains the merchantman Émilie, on which he engages in commerce raiding despite lacking a letter of marque.\
He preys on British shipping, capturing the East Indiaman Triton, before returning to Île de France in the Indian Ocean, where his prizes are confiscated.
He then returns to France, where he obtains prize money from the government.
Returning to the Indian Ocean, Surcouf captains the privateers Clarisse and Confiance, raiding British, American, and Portuguese merchantmen.
He captures the East Indiaman Kent on October 7, 1800.
Returning to France, he is awarded the Legion of Honor and settles as a ship-owner.
He briefly returns to the Indian Ocean in 1807 on the custom-built Revenant before returning to France.
There, he arms privateers and merchantmen.
His privateers lead successful campaigns against the British in the Indian Ocean and disastrous ones in the English Channel, except for Renard which achieves fame in her very costly victory over HMS Alphea o September 9, 1812. which explodes after repulsing French attempts at boarding it, causing many casualties. \
After the Bourbon restoration, he organizes fishing expeditions to Newfoundland and amasses a considerable fortune.
He dies in 1827 and is buried in a graveyard at Saint-Malo.
