Jeanne Baret Google Doodle from July 27, 2020
Jeanne Baret is believed to be the first woman ever to circumnavigate the globe. Born in 1740 to a poor family in the Burgundy region of France, Baret became skilled in identifying local plants. While in her early 20s, she became a housekeeper for Philibert Commerson, a practicing physician and amateur naturalist. After the death of Commerson’s wife, she and Baret developed a more personal relationship. Baret is believed to have had a son by Commerson.
In 1766, Commerson joined Louis Antoine de Bougainville’s scientific expedition circumnavigating the world. As the expedition botanist, Commerson was allowed to bring along an assistant. He chose Baret, although as it was illegal to bring a woman aboard a French naval ship, Jeanne Baret dressed as a man and signed aboard as Jean Baret.
The disguise apparently was effective. Commerson suffered badly from both seasickness and a recurring ulcer on his leg in the early part of the voyage, and Baret may have spent much of her time attending to him.
According to Bougainville’s journals, Baret was an expert botanist. When the expedition stopped in Rio de Janeiro, Commerson was confined to the ship while his leg healed. Baret collected specimens of a flowering vine, which Commerson named Bougainvillea.
The New York Botanical Garden includes a plant specimen, attributed to Comerson but believed to be collected by Baret with him, in their herbarium.
Baret continued to assist Commerson in his collecting of plants until she was identified as a woman by Tahitians when the expedition visited the Pacific island. Commerson denied knowing anything about Baret’s gender as a woman. As such, Baret was allowed to continue working in her previous status. Nevertheless, at the next French port of call, Mauritius, both Commerson and Baret left the expedition.
Baret continued to work as Commerson’s servant and assistant until his death on Mauritius in 1773. After Commerson’s death, Baret ran a tavern in Port Louis. In 1774, she married Jean Dubernat, a non-commissioned officer in the French Army. There is no record of exactly when Baret and her husband arrived in France, thus completing her voyage of circumnavigation. Most likely it was sometime in 1775.
On her return to France, Baret acquired a measure of fame as the story of the cross-dressing botanist appeared in Bougainville’s best-selling account of his expedition.
In 1785, Baret was granted a pension of 200 livres a year by the Ministry of Marine. The document granting her this pension makes clear the high regard with which she was held by this point:
Jeanne Barré, by means of a disguise, circumnavigated the globe on one of the vessels commanded by Mr de Bougainville. She devoted herself in particular to assisting Mr de Commerson, doctor and botanist, and shared with great courage the labours and dangers of this savant. Her behaviour was exemplary and Mr de Bougainville refers to it with all due credit…. His Lordship has been gracious enough to grant to this extraordinary woman a pension of two hundred livres a year to be drawn from the fund for invalid servicemen and this pension shall be payable from 1 January 1785.
Jeanne Baret died in Saint-Aulaye on August 5, 1807, at the age of 67.
For a woman who spent considerable effort to hide her identity, Baret is far from forgotten. She may or may not have been fully literate and left no account of her adventures. Nevertheless, she has been the subject of three biographies, including the recently released In Search of the Woman who Sailed the World by Danielle Clode.
On July 27, 2020, Google celebrated her 280th birthday with a Google Doodle.
Thanks to Jean-Pierre Declemy for contributing to this post.