Jean Baptiste Bideau
Castries, St. Lucia
N 14° 00.642 W 060° 59.399
Short Description:
A monument honoring privateer Jean Baptiste Bideau is located in Bideau Park facing Laborie Street in Castries, St. Lucia.
Long Description:
A life-size, red, stone bust of Jean Baptiste Bideau rests on top of a 5' high square base made of irregular stone blocks and a 1.5' circular base made of irregular stone blocks. Bideau is wearing a dress military jacket with a upturned color, epaulettes, and four sets of gold braids across his chest.
The base of the bust is inscribed:
JEAN BAPTISTE BIDEAU
1770 - 1817
An aluminum plaque on the front of the base is inscribed:
JEAN BAPTISTE BIDEAU
c.1770-1817
BORN AT DESRUISSEAUX SAINT LUCIA
A SEA CAPTAIN WHO
DEDICATED HIS LIFE
TO FREEDOM AND
HEROICALLY SAVED
THE LIFE OF
SIMON BOLIVAR
Jean Baptiste Bideau was born on the island of St. Lucia. In 1794, he left St. Lucia to serve for the next four years as a corsair or privateer, in the French Revolutionary Government. In 1796, Bideau was Captain of the Cincinnatus, a ship that formed part of Victor Hugues’ navy. Hugues was the colonial governor of Guadeloupe who emancipating the island's slaves.
He moved to Trinidad from 1798 to 1811. There he became a boat builder and trader between Trinidad and Venezuela. In 1811 he participated in the War of Independence of Venezuela, under Simon Bolivar and General Santiago Marino. On July 14, 1816, Bideau saved Bolivar from drowning in Ocumare de la Costa, in the central region of Venezuela. Bideau died in Venezuela on April 7, 1817, defending the garrison at the Casa Fuerte de Barcelona.
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