Montmorency family
Encyclopedia
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France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, derived from the city of Montmorency
Montmorency, Val-d'Oise
Montmorency is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.Montmorency was the fief of the Montmorency family, one of the oldest and most distinguished families of the French nobility...
, now in the Val-d'Oise
Val-d'Oise
Val-d'Oise is a French department, created in 1968 after the split of the Seine-et-Oise department and located in the Île-de-France region. In local slang, it is known as "quatre-vingt quinze" or "neuf cinq"...
département, in the immediate neighborhood of Enghien-les-Bains
Enghien-les-Bains
Enghien-les-Bains is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris, in the département of Val-d'Oise....
and Saint-Denis, about 9 miles (15 km) northwest of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
The family, since its first appearance in history in the person of Bouchard I of Montmorency in the 10th century, has furnished six constable
Constable of France
The Constable of France , as the First Officer of the Crown, was one of the original five Great Officers of the Crown of France and Commander in Chief of the army. He, theoretically, as Lieutenant-general of the King, outranked all the nobles and was second-in-command only to the King...
s and twelve marshals of France
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
, several admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
s and cardinals
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
, numerous grand officers of the Crown and grand masters of various knightly orders, and was declared by Henry IV
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
to be, after that of the Bourbons
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
, the first house in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Bouchard I's son Thibaud of Montmorency was the ancestor of the lords of Montlhéry
Montlhéry
Montlhéry is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France. It is located from Paris.Inhabitants of Montlhéry are known as Montlhériens.-History:...
.
Matthieu I of Montmorency
Matthieu I of Montmorency
Matthieu Ier de Montmorency was lord of Montmorency, of Écouenof Marly-le-Roi, in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine and Attichy. He was also Constable of France from 1138 to 1160 under Louis VII....
, received in 1138 the post of constable, and died in 1160. His first wife was Aline, the natural daughter of Henry I of England
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
; his second, Adélaide de Maurienne
Adélaide de Maurienne
Adelaide of Savoy was the second spouse but first Queen consort of Louis VI of France.-Biography:...
, widow of Louis VI
Louis VI of France
Louis VI , called the Fat , was King of France from 1108 until his death . Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis".-Reign:...
and mother of Louis VII
Louis VII of France
Louis VII was King of France, the son and successor of Louis VI . He ruled from 1137 until his death. He was a member of the House of Capet. His reign was dominated by feudal struggles , and saw the beginning of the long rivalry between France and England...
, and according to Duchesne
Duchesne
-People:*André Duchesne , French historian*André Duchesne , Canadian musician*Antoine Nicolas Duchesne French botanist and strawberry breeder*Ernest Duchesne , French physician...
, he shared the regency
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of France with Suger
Abbot Suger
Suger was one of the last Frankish abbot-statesmen, an historian, and the influential first patron of Gothic architecture....
, during the absence of the latter king on the Second Crusade
Second Crusade
The Second Crusade was the second major crusade launched from Europe. The Second Crusade was started in response to the fall of the County of Edessa the previous year to the forces of Zengi. The county had been founded during the First Crusade by Baldwin of Boulogne in 1098...
.
Matthieu II of Montmorency had an important share in the victory of Bouvines
Battle of Bouvines
The Battle of Bouvines, 27 July 1214, was a conclusive medieval battle ending the twelve year old Angevin-Flanders War that was important to the early development of both the French state by confirming the French crown's sovereignty over the Angevin lands of Brittany and Normandy.Philip Augustus of...
(1214), and was made constable in 1218. During the reign of Louis VIII
Louis VIII of France
Louis VIII the Lion reigned as King of France from 1223 to 1226. He was a member of the House of Capet. Louis VIII was born in Paris, France, the son of Philip II Augustus and Isabelle of Hainaut. He was also Count of Artois, inheriting the county from his mother, from 1190–1226...
he distinguished himself chiefly in the south of France (Niort
Niort
Niort is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.The Latin name of the city was Novioritum.The population of Niort is 60,486 and more than 137,000 people live in the urban area....
, La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
, Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
). On the accession of Louis IX
Louis IX of France
Louis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and...
, he was one of the chief supports of the queen-regent Blanche of Castile
Blanche of Castile
Blanche of Castile , was a Queen consort of France as the wife of Louis VIII. She acted as regent twice during the reign of her son, Louis IX....
, and was successful in reducing all the vassals to obedience. He died in 1230.
His younger son, Guy, in right of his mother, became head of the house of Montmorency-Laval. Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's oldest French-language university, Université Laval
Université Laval
Laval University is the oldest centre of education in Canada and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French...
was named after François de Montmorency Laval, first bishop of New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
and founder of the Quebec Seminary, from while Université Laval emerged.
Anne de Montmorency
Anne de Montmorency
Anne de Montmorency, duc de Montmorency, Honorary Knight of the Garter was a French soldier, statesman and diplomat. He became Marshal of France and Constable of France.-Early life:...
, so named, it is said, after his godmother Anne of Brittany, was the first to attain the ducal title
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
(1551).
His eldest son, François de Montmorency
François de Montmorency
François, Duc de Montmorency was the eldest son of the first Duc de Montmorency, Anne.He was Duke of Montmorency, Count of Dammartin, Baron of Chateaubriant and Lord of L'Isle-Adam. Grand Master of France and Peer of France....
(1530-1579), was married to Diane
Diane de France
Diane de France was the natural daughter of Henry II, King of France, and his Piedmontese mistress Filippa Duci. Some sources claim that she was the daughter of Diane de Poitiers....
, natural daughter of Henry II
Henry II of France
Henry II was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559.-Early years:Henry was born in the royal Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, the son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany .His father was captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 by his sworn enemy,...
.
Another son, Henri I de Montmorency (1534-1614), who became duc de Montmorency on his brother's death in 1579, had been governor of Languedoc
Languedoc
Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
since 1563. As a leader of the party called the Politiques he took a prominent part in the French Wars of Religion
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise...
. In 1593 he was made constable, but Henry IV showed some anxiety to keep him away from Languedoc, which he ruled like a sovereign prince.
Henri II de Montmorency
Henri II de Montmorency
Henri II de Montmorency was a French nobleman and military commander.Born at Chantilly, Oise, he was the son of duke Henry I, whom he succeeded in 1614, having previously been made grand admiral...
(1595 - October 30, 1632), son of duke Henry I, succeeded to the title in 1614, having previously been made Grand Admiral
Grand Admiral
Grand admiral is a historic naval rank, generally being the highest such rank present in any particular country. Its most notable use was in Germany — the German word is Großadmiral.-France:...
. He also was governor of Languedoc. In 1625 he defeated the French Protestant fleet under Soubise
Benjamin de Rohan, duc de Soubise
Benjamin de Rohan, duc de Soubise , was a French Huguenot leader.The younger brother of Henri de Rohan, he inherited his title through his mother Catherine of Parthenay. He served his apprenticeship as a soldier under Maurice of Nassau in the Low Countries...
, and seized the islands of Ré
Île de Ré
Île de Ré is an island off the west coast of France near La Rochelle, on the northern side of the Pertuis d'Antioche strait....
and Oleron
Oléron
Île d'Oléron is an island off the Atlantic coast of France , on the southern side of the Pertuis d'Antioche strait....
, but the jealousy of Richelieu deprived him of the means of following up these advantages. In 1628-1629 he was allowed to command against the duke of Rohan
Henri, duc de Rohan
Henri de Rohan, Viscount then Duke of Rohan , later duke of Rohan, French soldier, writer and leader of the Huguenots, was born at the Château de Blain , in Brittany....
in Languedoc; in 1630 he defeated the Piedmontese, and captured Prince Doria, at Avigliana, and took Saluzzo
Saluzzo
Saluzzo is a town and former principality in the province of Cuneo, Piedmont region, Italy.The city of Saluzzo is built on a hill overlooking a vast, well-cultivated plain. Iron, lead, silver, marble, slate etc...
. In the same year he was created marshal
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
. In 1632 he joined the party of Gaston, duke of Orleans, and placed himself at the head of the rebel army, which was defeated by Marshal Schomberg
Frederick Schomberg, 1st Duke of Schomberg
Friedrich Hermann , 1st Duke of Schomberg , KG , was a marshal of France and a General in the English and Portuguese Army....
at Castelnaudary
Battle of Castelnaudary
The Battle of Castelnaudary occurred at Castelnaudary, France, on September 1, 1632, between Henri II de Montmorency and Marshal Henri de Schomberg....
(September 1, 1632); severely wounded, he fell into the enemy's hands, and, abandoned by Gaston, was executed as a traitor at Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
on October 30. The title passed to his sister Charlotte-Marguerite, princess of Condé
Charlotte-Marguerite de Montmorency
Charlotte Marguerite de Montmorency was an heiress of one of France's leading ducal families, and Princess of Condé by her marriage to Henry de Bourbon. She almost became a mistress of Henry IV of France, but her husband escaped with her after the wedding.-Life:She was the daughter of Henry de...
.
From the barons of Fosseux, a branch of the Montmorency family established in Brabant
Duchy of Brabant
The Duchy of Brabant was a historical region in the Low Countries. Its territory consisted essentially of the three modern-day Belgian provinces of Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant and Antwerp, the Brussels-Capital Region and most of the present-day Dutch province of North Brabant.The Flag of...
in the 15th century, sprang the seigneurs de Boutteville
Boutteville
Boutteville is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France....
, among whom was the duel
Duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...
list François de Montmorency-Boutteville, who was beheaded in 1627.
His son, François Henri
François Henri de Montmorency-Bouteville, duc de Luxembourg
François Henri de Montmorency-Bouteville, duc de Piney, called de Luxembourg was a French general, marshal of France, famous as the comrade and successor of the great Condé.-Early years:...
, marshal of France, became duke of Piney-Luxemburg by his marriage with Madeleine Charlotte Bonne Thérèse de Clermont, daughter of Marguerite Charlotte de Luxemburg, duchesse de Piney.
Charles François Frédéric, the son of the marshal, was created Duc de Beaufort
Duc de Beaufort
Duke of Beaufort was a title in the French nobility.It was first created in 1597 as a peerage for Gabrielle d'Estrée, Marquesses of Monceaux, the mistress of King Henry IV, with a remainder to their illegitimate son César of Bourbon-Vendôme, later also Duke of Vendôme.The duchy was sold by the...
in 1688 and duke of Montmorency in 1689.
In 1767 the title of duke of Beaufort-Montmorency passed by marriage to another branch of the Montmorency-Fosseux. This branch becoming extinct in 1862, the title was taken by the duc de Valencay, who belonged to the Talleyrand-Périgord family and married one of the two heiresses of this branch (1864). There were many other branches of the Montmorency family, among others that of the seigneurs of Laval
Laval, Mayenne
Laval is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France.It lies on the threshold of Brittany and on the border between Normandy and Anjou. Its citizens are called Lavallois.-Geography:...
.
Sires of Montmorency
- Bouchard I of Montmorency (d. 981)
- Bouchard II of Montmorency (d. 1020)
- Bouchard III of Montmorency
- Hervé of Montmorency (d. 1094)
- Bouchard IV of Montmorency (d. 1132)
- Matthieu I of MontmorencyMatthieu I of MontmorencyMatthieu Ier de Montmorency was lord of Montmorency, of Écouenof Marly-le-Roi, in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine and Attichy. He was also Constable of France from 1138 to 1160 under Louis VII....
(d. 1160) - Bouchard V of Montmorency (d. 1189)
- Matthieu II of Montmorency (d. 1230)
- Bouchard VI of Montmorency (d. 1243)
- Matthieu III of Montmorency (d. 1270)
- Matthieu IV of Montmorency (d. 1305)
- Jean of Montmorency (d. 1325)
- Charles of Montmorency (d. 1381)
- Jacques of Montmorency (d. 1414)
- Guillaume of Montmorency (d. 1531)
- Anne of MontmorencyAnne de MontmorencyAnne de Montmorency, duc de Montmorency, Honorary Knight of the Garter was a French soldier, statesman and diplomat. He became Marshal of France and Constable of France.-Early life:...
(d. 1567) - Henri I of Montmorency (d. 1614)
- Henri II of MontmorencyHenri II de MontmorencyHenri II de Montmorency was a French nobleman and military commander.Born at Chantilly, Oise, he was the son of duke Henry I, whom he succeeded in 1614, having previously been made grand admiral...
(d. 1632)