Jean LâÂÂEscuyer (fl. 1685) was a French pirate active on the Pacific coast of Central America. He sailed and fought alongside a number of prominent buccaneers such as Edward Davis, Francois Grogniet, William Dampier, and others.
LâÂÂEscuyer 11-gun vessel sailed alongside Francois Grogniet in 1685 when they led a large contingent of flibustiers (French buccaneers) and a few English to join a growing group of Englishmen under Captains Charles Swan, Townley, Davis, and others. The Frenchmen had arrived in canoes and open boats after marching across Panama. Davis granted them the captured Spanish prize ship San Rosario, which still had with over 300 Frenchmen aboard.
There are varying accounts of LâÂÂEscuyerâÂÂs involvement in subsequent events. The account of Raveneau de Lussan, leader of another group of French flibustiers who joined the group a few months later, indicates that LâÂÂEscuyerâÂÂs crew âÂÂhad recently lost their captainâ and that the San Rosario was under the sole command of Grogniet. This account would place LâÂÂEscuyerâÂÂs death in mid-1685.
Other accounts claim that LâÂÂEscuyer was part of the French contingent from that point forward, participating in the blockade of Panama, the groupâÂÂs failure to capture the Spanish treasure fleet, and their sack of Guayaquil.
He was also with them when the Spanish burned their ships at Quibo, and for their subsequent attacks on Nicaragua, alongside Townley. Whether LâÂÂEscuyer stayed with Grogniet or left with other Frenchmen who followed Pierre le Picard is not recorded.