The expedition that led Jean de Béthencourt to the Canary Islands in 1402 began with the liquidation of his own property, including a Parisian house sold for 200 gold francs. Supported by a 7,000-pound mortgage secured by his cousin, this Norman nobleman sought to establish control over territories previously identified by Genoese merchants as sources of valuable orchil dye.
Early Life and Military Service
Born in 1362 in Grainville-la-Teinturière, Normandy, Béthencourt was the son of Jean III Béthencourt and Marie de Bracquemont. His formative years were defined by regional conflict and the demolition of his family's castle in 1365 following his father’s death at the Battle of Cocherel. By age fifteen, he had entered the service of Louis I, Duke of Anjou, eventually serving as chancellor to the Duke of Touraine. In 1390, he joined the Barbary Crusade against North African piracy, a campaign that exposed him to Genoese seafaring narratives and potential opportunities in the Atlantic.
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Béthencourt departed from La Rochelle on 1 May 1402 with eighty men. Upon reaching Cádiz, the party dwindled to fifty-three sailors before landing on Lanzarote. While his associate Gadifer de la Salle led initial military efforts, Béthencourt secured recognition as the Lord of the Canary Islands from the court of King Henry III of Castile. This relationship established him as a vassal of the Castilian crown, providing the necessary political legitimacy for his territorial claims over Fuerteventura and El Hierro.
Administrative Instability and Return to France
The conquest was marked by internal friction between Béthencourt’s Norman contingent and the Gascon forces led by Gadifer de la Salle. Tensions peaked during Béthencourt’s absences, leading to the departure of his lieutenant after they established the city of Betancuria in 1404. Following a failed attempt to take Gran Canaria in 1405, Béthencourt returned to France, likely in December of that year. Financial pressures and the instability of the Hundred Years' War prevented him from returning to the islands, leaving administration in the hands of his nephew, Maciot de Béthencourt.
Fast facts
- Born: 1362, Grainville-la-Teinturière
- Died: 1425, Kingdom of France
- Expedition start: 1 May 1402
- Spouse: Jeanne de Fayel
- Key acquisition: Lanzarote, 1402
- City founded: Betancuria, 1404
- Primary funding: Robert de Bracquemont
- Primary chroniclers: Pierre Bontier and Jean le Verrier
Questions readers ask
Did Béthencourt successfully govern the islands until his death?
No. He returned to France around 1405 and later authorized his nephew, Maciot de Béthencourt, to sell the Lordship to the Count of Niebla in 1418.
What was the purpose of the 1402 expedition?
Béthencourt sought control over the Canary Islands, motivated by the desire to profit from local resources like the dye-producing lichen known as orchil.
Achievements
- Recorded as explorer
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