were organized in three companies in 1674, at Toulon, Rochefort and Brest. In 1685, an ordinance created in addition three companies in demi-solde (one per port) to maintain an available reserve, soldiers to the demi-solde when the ships were disarmed. In 1689, the company of guards and demi-solde are designated as « compagnies de soldats-gardiens » ("companies of guardian soldiers"), deployed at Le Havre, Brest, Lorient, Rochefort and Toulon. In 1666, three companies of apprentice cannon men was put in place, at Brest, Rochefort and Toulon; their mission was to form during one year sailors of classes to serve as chief of artillery pieces, assistant cannon men, second-masters, and masters of cannon. In 1689, the ordinance of 15 April signed by count de Ponchchartrain regularized two companies of bombardiers ( a first one was detached from the army of Toulon since 1682 ). These men, specialized in the artillery (naval cannons), were notably destined to serve on the new bomb ketches. The Nine Years' War requiring necessary to have soldiers at disposition, Pontchartain received from the King, the ordinance of 16 December, 1690 creating 80 infantry companies, designated as Compagnies Franches de la Marine, despite the opinion of Louvois. The structure formation was composed of one lieutenant de vaisseau (with an infantry captain commission) and two ensigns (one serving as lieutenant, the other as an infantry ensign), the soldiers being the former guardian-soldiers. The effectifs and the number of companies evolved in function of the need and the budgetary needs, as well the location of the garrison: the ordinance stipulated companies of 80 men, spread between Toulon, Rochefort, Port-Louis, Brest, le Havre and Dunkerque. Since 26 December, effectifs passed to 86 companies, then to 88 companies and then 100 starting October 1691. Effectifs passed theoretically to 100 men per company, as in a force of 10000 soldiers in total. The treaty Ryswick () in 1697 led to the reduction to 50 men due to budgetary reasons; however, while preparing for the following war, effectifs passed to 60 in 1701, to 75 in January 1702 and to 100 in November 1705 during the War of the Spanish Succession. The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 reduced the effectifs to 50 men per company, the Régence made them fall to 35, then to 25 in December 1725. In 1727, the number of companies passed from 100 to 50, with theoretical effectifs to 60