Jean Baptiste, marquis de Traversay

Jean Baptiste Prevost de Sansac, marquis de Traversay was a naval officer of French Creole origins who distinguished himself in the ranks of the Royal French Navy during the American Revolutionary War. In 1791, fleeing from the French Revolution, Traversay joined the Imperial Russian Navy, rising to commander-in-chief of the Black Sea Fleet in 1802. In 1809 he was appointed Minister of the Navy, which position he held for 18 years. His name was frequently russified to Ivan Ivanovich de Traversay.