Pierre-Henri Philibert

Philibert was born the family of a Navy civil servant. He joined the Navy in 1786.[3]

During the French Revolution, on 16 November 1793, Philibert was promoted to Ensign.[3] He rose to Lieutenant in 1803,[3] and served as aid to Rear-Admiral Magon on the 74-gun Algésiras.[4] He took part in the Battle of Trafalgar, distinguishing himself by recapturing Algésiras after the battle and sailing her back to Cádiz.[3]

By June 1809, Philibert was in command of Sapho,[5] on which he voyaged to India.[6][Note 1] Sapho sailed from Bordeaux to Port-des-Barques between around 1 July. Philibert was promoted to Commander in 1811, after 26 April.[3][7]

From 7 October 1813, Philibert led a frigate division, comprising Étoile and Sultane, under Abel Aubert du Petit-Thouars,[8] to engage in commerce raiding.[9] Philibert commanded the French forces at the Battle of Jobourg, where both frigates of his squadron were captured.[9]

Philibert was promoted to Captain (second class) in 1814.[3] By 1815, Philibert was a Knight in the Legion of Honour and the Order of Saint Louis.[3]

At the end of the Hundred Days, Philibert was in command of the frigate Saale and led a squadron comprising her and Méduse, under Captain Ponée. A historic rumour has it that with Napoléon's armies in disarray, Ponée proposed to have ferry Napoléon to America on Saale, while Méduse would have engaged HMS Bellerophon in a hopeless battle to prevent her from giving chase.[10] Whether the plan was indeed ever formulated or not, it was never implemented, and Napoléon instead abdicated for the second time.[3] From 14 April 1815 to 15 December, he conducted a mission to India on his frigate, by then renamed to Amphitrite.[11] In 1816, he was in command of a full division, comprising the fluyts Licorne, under Lieutenant and later Commander Rouvroy de Saint-Simon, and Éléphant, under Commander de Cheffontaines, in addition to Amphitrite.[12] By 1817, the Division further comprised the frigate Cybèle, under Captain Achille de Kergariou; the storeships Alouette, under Lieutenant Rigodit, and Girouette, under Ensign Lemaarant de Kerdaniel; and the merchantman Célestine and Louise.[13] In 1818, the Division comprised Cybèle, the fluyts Normande and Rhône and the storeship Durance.

In 1820, Philibert commander the Expédition d'Asie, with his flag on Rhône and later on Durance.[14] His voyages are credited for bringing vanilla to La Réunion, creating the Bourbon vanilla cultivar.[1]

He was promoted to Officer on the Legion of Honour in 1821, and Captain (1st class) in 1822.[3]