Claude-François-Dorothée, Marquis de Jouffroy d'Abbans (September 30, 1751 – July 18, 1832), was a French ship designer and engineer. He invented the first steamboat.

Career

In 1773, Jouffroy d'Abbans met with the Perier brothers and studied their workshop to learn about the Pompe à feu (Fire pump). This device had been used as a power source for a hydraulic machine created by Chaillot, and Jouffroy wanted to use it for moving ships.

In 1776, Jouffroy d'Abbans built a 13-meter steamboat called the Palmipède. The boat used an engine to move oars with rotating blades. It was tested on the Doubs River in June and July of that year.

In 1783, he created a paddle steamer named the Pyroscaphe, which traveled on the Saône River. However, the Académie des Sciences (Academy of Sciences) stopped him from using his invention in Paris. Instead, they chose Périer, a rival whose earlier attempts had failed, to examine the project. Additional challenges from the French Revolution made it harder for Jouffroy to continue his work. His achievements were later recognized by Arago and the French Academy in 1840. Jouffroy wrote books, including Les bateaux à vapeur and Mémoires sur les pompes à feu. After losing money, he moved to the Hôtel des Invalides and died there from cholera.

In 1803, more than 20 years after Jouffroy’s first steamboat trip, Robert Fulton successfully sailed a steamship of his own design on the Seine River.

Personal life

Claude-François-Dorothée Jouffroy d'Abbans was born on September 30, 1751, in the town of Roches-Bettaincourt in the Grand-Est region of France. He died in Paris on July 18, 1832.

The Marquis de Jouffroy d'Abbans was imprisoned on the Royal Fort of Saint Margaret Island, a prison located in France, from 1772 to 1773. This happened because of a disagreement with the Count of Artois. It is said that he invented his steam-powered "Pyroscaphe" after watching galleys move near the island.