François de Charette

François Athanase de Charette de la Contrie was born in 1763 in Couffé.  He would serve in the French Navy during the American War of Independence.

He was disgusted at the turn of the events during the French Revolution and moved to Trier in 1792.  He would soon return to France and was present at the Tuileries Palace to try and defend the Royals against the angry mobs of Paris.  When Revolt broke out in the Vendée against what they saw as the assault on the church and the demands of the National Assembly for more conscripts for the armies of France.  He led a relatively successful guerrilla war against the forces of the Revolutionary armies.

There was a temporary peace in February 1795 although this was very short lived and the war broke out again.  Charette was involved in the landing of Royalist troops at Quiberon by the Royal Navy which led to disaster.  Charette would be pursued by Lazare Hoche and would be wounded.  He would then be arrested near La Chabotterie and taken to Nantes for a trial. He was quickly found guilty and executed by firing squad.