François Coulomb the Younger

François Coulomb the Younger (La Ciotat, 1691 - Toulon, July 1751) was a French naval architect (ingénieur-constructeur), the son of François Coulomb the Elder. During his career, he designed 18 ships for the French Navy, and oversaw the construction of most of them.

Biography
Born to a family of naval engineers of renown, son to François Coulomb the Elder, François Coulomb was appointed master-constructor in 1727.

In 1728, he designed the frigate Zéphyr, a first-rank frigate. The next year, he designed the light frigate Flore, as well as the 50-gun Diamant.

In 1733, he completed the design of the 62-gun Borée. In 1737, he built the 74-gun Terrible.

The year 1740 saw the construction of the frigate Diane, the 62-gun Éole and the 80-gun Tonnant. The next year, he designed the heavy frigate Diane.

In 1745, he designed the 62-gun Triton, and the 74-gun Conquérant, which was modernised in 1764 to the specifications of the Citoyen class.

In 1748, he built the Pomone, and the next year, the 50-gun Hyppopotame and the 74-guns Redoutable and Téméraire.

His last achievement, in 1751, was the design of the 80-gun ship of the line Océan. The plans were completed just before he died, and the ship was launched in 1756.

Notes and references

 * Le Téméraire, Vaisseau de ligne de 74 canons
 * Solange Ami, Les maîtres constructeurs de la marine à Toulon au XVIIIe siècle, Mémoire en vue de la maîtrise d'histoire, Faculté des lettres et sciences humaines de Nice, 1974.
 * Éric Rieth, Le « Livre de construction des vaisseaux » (1683) du maître charpentier toulonnais François Coulomb (1654-1717).
 * Archives Nationales, série C/7/74, dossiers Coulomb.
 * Archives départementales du Var, Parish Register St.Louis, Toulon 7 E 145/40