Pierre François Étienne Bouvet de Maisonneuve[1] (28 November 1775 – 18 June 1860) was a French admiral.
Born in Saint-Benoît, Réunion, to a family of sailors, Bouvet started sailing at the age of 12 on the Nécessaire. He was midshipman at 17 on the frigate Aréthuse. Arrested with his father in Brest during the Reign of Terror, he was sent to Paris; they were awaiting trial in Luxembourg prison when the Thermidorian Reaction occurred.
20-year old Bouvet embarked as lieutenant on the privateer Furet, only to be taken prisoner by the English and sent to Plymouth on a prison hulk. He was captured again five times before joining the crew of Redoutable, set for Guadeloupe. His behaviour in battle earned him the rank of lieutenant de vaisseau.
On 1 June 1804, Bouvet married his cousin Henriette Perier d'Hauterive. During their marriage, they had 15 children, of whom 10 died in their infancy.
Bouvet later embarked on Atalante, set for the Indian Ocean.
In 1806, Bouvet was prisoner in Bombay, where he observed patamars. Back in Île de France, Bouvet suggested the construction of an armed patamar to Decaen, in order to allow stealth attacks on the British. The ship was built as the 16-gun brig Entreprenant, and captured the Marguerite off Malabar on 23 January 1808.
Decaen promoted Bouvet to capitaine de frégate and gave him command of the Minerve. Between 1808 and 1809, she captured over 30 British merchantmen with their cargoes. He took part in the Battle of Mozambique on 3 July 1810, and in the Battle of Grand Port on 20 August 1810, where he assumed command of the French squadron, Duperré having been wounded.
On 12 September 1810, as Bouvet cruised off Mauritius with Iphigénie and Astrée in an attempt to capture HMS Boadicea, he encountered HMS Africaine. A night battle ensued, during which Africaine was captured. Her poor shape meant that she was abandoned by the French, and recaptured the next day by Boadicea.
After a leave of a few months, Bouvet sailed again on Aréthuse. On 6 February 1813, as she sailed with Rubis, Aréthuse met the 38-gun HMS Amelia. A furious night battle followed; neither ship was able to take the upper hand on her opponent, so Aréthuse and Amelia parted.
In 1815, at 40, he retired in Saint-Servan. His wife died on 3 July 1830. Three year later, he married Thérèse Pierrette. In 1830, he became liberal deputy of Ille-et-Vilaine, and the next year, representant of île Bourbon. In 1835, he sat on the General council. He was promoted to contre-amiral in 1853. He died in Saint-Servan in 1860.