Marc-Antoine Bourdon de Vatry
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Marc-Antoine Bourdon de Vatry was born on November 24, 1761 in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés. An official of the Ministry of the Navy in 1778, he participated in the American War of Independence in the ranks of the French army.
During the Revolution, he headed the general administration of the colonies from 1792 to 1797 before being sent to Antwerp.
Emmanuel Siéyès installed him at the Ministry of the Navy in July 1799. Napoleon Bonaparte, after thinking of keeping him in his post, quickly clashed with him and obtained his resignation ten days after becoming First Consul.
Marc-Antoine Bourdon de Vatry, maritime prefect in Le Havre in 1801, suffered another disgrace for having predicted the disaster of the Saint-Domingue expedition.
He was recalled a year later and continued his career as a prefect until the end of the Empire, serving in Vaucluse (1802), Maine-et-Loire (1805-1809) and Genoa (1809-1814). It earned him the title of baron in 1810.
The first Restoration appointed him director of naval personnel and intendant of the naval forces. The second forced him into retirement for having accepted the prefecture of Isère during the Hundred Days.
He died in Paris on April 22, 1828.
No portrait of Marc-Antoine Bourdon de Vatry is available.
The tomb Marc-Antoine Bourdon de Vatry's tomb is located in Paris, at the Père Lachaise cemetery, division 26 .