GADIFER DE LA SALLE

flourished c. 1340, 1415 French soldier who, with Jean de Bthencourt, conquered and explored the Canary Islands. Gadifer won renown in the French campaigns against England during the Hundred Years' War (13371453). While on a crusade against Tunis in 1390, he met Bthencourt, who later pledged his lands to finance their expedition to the Canary Islands. In 1402 they occupied Lanzarote, the northernmost inhabited island of the Canaries. Gadifer then explored the archipelago, and Bthencourt left for Cdiz, where he procured reinforcements at the Castilian court. In 1404 Bthencourt returned to the Canaries as king (a title granted by Henry III of Castile in exchange for Bthencourt's homage); Gadifer, slighted, returned to France.