| Phillipe de Rullecort | |
|---|---|
| Born | 9 July 1744 Flanders, Belgium |
| Died | 7 January 1781 (aged 36) Jersey |
| Allegiance | French Army |
| Rank | General |
| Battles/wars | Franco-Dutch Invasion of Jersey Battle of Jersey |
| Awards | Baron of Rullecourt |
Philippe de Rullecourt was a Belgian soldier of fortune who became a general of the Kingdom of France. In 1781, he was mortally wounded during the Battle of Jersey.
Phillipe Charles-Felix Macquart was born in Flanders in a wealthy family originating in Orleans. His title "Baron de Rullecort" was self-bestowed, and was a soldier for hire. He was placed in command of French troops during the 1779 failed invasion of Jersey, as second-in-command to the Prince of Nassau.
Two years later, he launched another invasion attempt on Jersey. His second-in-command Mir Sayyad advised him to ransack the island and to kill all civilians, but instead the commander captured the governor Moses Corbet, and used him as a tool to try and gain a British surrender. But the soldiers did not surrender, and Philippe was mortally wounded in the following battle in which the British outnumbered the French. Rullecourt died a day later of his wounds, in the modern-day Pearson Pub. He had failed in his attempt to bluff the British into surrender.
http://www.guernsey-society.org.uk/donkipedia/index.php5?title=Baron_de_Rullecourt