Jean Bouguer

Jean Bouguer (died 1714), sometimes written Jan Bouguer, was a French hydrographer and mathematician from Brittany. A former maritime pilot, he lost a leg at Bantry during the French invasion of Ireland in 1689, which ended his active service at sea. In June 1691 he was appointed royal professor of hydrography in charge of the new school of hydrography at Le Croisic. He wrote a highly regarded treatise on navigation and piloting, the Traité complet de la navigation, published in Paris in 1698, and taught pupils privately in a one-room school at his home, where he kept many astronomical and navigational instruments. He was well versed in astronomy, mathematics and hydrography. His son Pierre Bouguer succeeded him at Le Croisic, and another son, Jan, later took over the family navigation school.