Thomas de Mahy, marquis de Favras
Encyclopedia
Thomas de Mahy, marquis de Favras (March 26, 1744 – February 19, 1790) was a French
aristocrat
and supporter of the House of Bourbon
during the French Revolution
.
, he belonged to an impoverished family whose nobility dated from the 12th century. At seventeen he was a captain of dragoon
s, and saw some service in the closing campaign of the Seven Years' War
. In 1772 he became a first lieutenant
in the Swiss Guard
s of King Louis XVI's younger brother, the Comte de Provence. Unable to meet the expenses of his rank, which was equivalent to that of a colonel
in the army, he retired in 1775.
Favras married in 1776 Victoria Hedwig Karoline, Princess of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg
, whose mother, after being deserted by her husband Karl Louis, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym
in 1749, had found refuge with her daughter in the house of Charles de Rohan, prince de Soubise. After his marriage, Favras went to Vienna
to attempt the restitution of his wife's rights, and spent some time in Warsaw
. In 1787 he was authorized to raise a patriotic legion to help the Dutch
against the Stadtholder
William IV
and his Prussia
n allies.
Returning to Paris
in 1789, he became involved in Royalist plans initiated by his former employer, the Comte de Provence
, to save the King and end the French Revolution
. In order to finance this venture, Provence (using one of his gentlemen, the Comte de la Chàtre, as an intermediary) commissioned Favras to negotiate a loan of two million franc
s from the bankers Schaumel and Sartorius.
and spirited out of the country. Then the Comte de Provence was to be declared regent
of the kingdom with absolute power. Simultaneously, a force of 30,000 soldiers was to encircle Paris. In the ensuing confusion, the city's three main liberal leaders (Jacques Necker
, the popular Finance Minister of France, Jean Sylvain Bailly, the mayor of Paris, and the Marquis de La Fayette
, the commander of the city's new National Guard
) were to be assassinated. Afterwards, the revolutionary city was to be starved into royal submission by cutting off its food supplies. As a consequence of the leaflet, Favras and his wife were arrested the next day, and imprisoned in the Abbaye Prison. Terrified of the consequences of the arrest, the Comte de Provence hastened to publicly disavow Favras, in a speech delivered before the Commune of Paris
, and in a letter to the National Constituent Assembly
.
A fortnight after the arrest, Favras and his wife were separated, and Favras was removed to the Grand Châtelet
. In the course of a trial that lasted nearly two months, witnesses disagreed about the facts concerning the case and evidence was lacking. Even Sylvain Maréchal
, the anarchist editor of the republican newspaper Révolutions de Paris, admitted that the evidence against Favras was insufficient. However, an armed attempt to free him by some Royalists on January 26, which was thwarted by La Fayette, aroused the suspicion of the Parisians, and on February 18, 1790, in spite of a notable defense plea, Favras was sentenced to be hanged
.
Although he had previously implicated others in the conspiracy (most notably, the Comte d'Antraigues
), Favras refused to give any further information to the authorities on the plot's details or participants, and his sentence was carried out in the Place de Grève
the next day - a measure which was received with enthusiasm by members of the Parisian population, since it was the first instance when no distinction in the mode of execution was allowed between noble and commoner. Purportedly, upon the reading of his death sentence, he is said to have remarked, "I see that you have made three spelling mistakes."
and the Imperial Russian armies. Under the Bourbon Restoration
, Charles received an allowance from Louis XVIII
. Her daughter Caroline married Rudiger, Freiherr von Stillfried und Rathenitz, in 1805.
The official dossier of Favras' trial for high treason against the nation disappeared from the Châtelet, but its substance is preserved in the papers of a clerk.
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...
aristocrat
French nobility
The French nobility was the privileged order of France in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern periods.In the political system of the Estates General, the nobility made up the Second Estate...
and supporter of the House of Bourbon
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...
during the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
.
Activities
Born in Favras near BloisBlois
Blois is the capital of Loir-et-Cher department in central France, situated on the banks of the lower river Loire between Orléans and Tours.-History:...
, he belonged to an impoverished family whose nobility dated from the 12th century. At seventeen he was a captain of dragoon
Dragoon
The word dragoon originally meant mounted infantry, who were trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. However, usage altered over time and during the 18th century, dragoons evolved into conventional light cavalry units and personnel...
s, and saw some service in the closing campaign of the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
. In 1772 he became a first lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the Swiss Guard
Swiss Guard
Swiss Guards or Schweizergarde is the name given to the Swiss soldiers who have served as bodyguards, ceremonial guards, and palace guards at foreign European courts since the late 15th century. They have had a high reputation for discipline, as well as loyalty to their employers...
s of King Louis XVI's younger brother, the Comte de Provence. Unable to meet the expenses of his rank, which was equivalent to that of a colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in the army, he retired in 1775.
Favras married in 1776 Victoria Hedwig Karoline, Princess of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg
Anhalt-Bernburg
Anhalt-Bernburg was a principality of the Holy Roman Empire and a duchy of the German Confederation ruled by the House of Ascania with its residence at Bernburg in present-day Saxony-Anhalt...
, whose mother, after being deserted by her husband Karl Louis, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym
Karl Louis, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym
Prince Charles Louis of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym , was a German prince of the House of Ascania from the Anhalt-Bernburg branch and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym....
in 1749, had found refuge with her daughter in the house of Charles de Rohan, prince de Soubise. After his marriage, Favras went to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
to attempt the restitution of his wife's rights, and spent some time in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
. In 1787 he was authorized to raise a patriotic legion to help the Dutch
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
against the Stadtholder
Stadtholder
A Stadtholder A Stadtholder A Stadtholder (Dutch: stadhouder [], "steward" or "lieutenant", literally place holder, holding someones place, possibly a calque of German Statthalter, French lieutenant, or Middle Latin locum tenens...
William IV
William IV, Prince of Orange
William IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau , born Willem Karel Hendrik Friso, was the first hereditary stadtholder of the Netherlands.-Early life:...
and his Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n allies.
Returning to 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...
in 1789, he became involved in Royalist plans initiated by his former employer, the Comte de Provence
Louis XVIII of France
Louis XVIII , known as "the Unavoidable", was King of France and of Navarre from 1814 to 1824, omitting the Hundred Days in 1815...
, to save the King and end the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. In order to finance this venture, Provence (using one of his gentlemen, the Comte de la Chàtre, as an intermediary) commissioned Favras to negotiate a loan of two million franc
Franc
The franc is the name of several currency units, most notably the Swiss franc, still a major world currency today due to the prominence of Swiss financial institutions and the former currency of France, the French franc until the Euro was adopted in 1999...
s from the bankers Schaumel and Sartorius.
Arrest, trial, and execution
Favras took the unfortunate step of taking into his confidence certain officers by whom he was betrayed. It was stated in a leaflet circulated throughout Paris on December 23, 1789 that Favras had been hired by the Comte de Provence to organize an elaborate plot against the people of France. In this plot, the King, Queen and their children were to be rescued from the Tuileries PalaceTuileries Palace
The Tuileries Palace was a royal palace in Paris which stood on the right bank of the River Seine until 1871, when it was destroyed in the upheaval during the suppression of the Paris Commune...
and spirited out of the country. Then the Comte de Provence was to be declared regent
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 the kingdom with absolute power. Simultaneously, a force of 30,000 soldiers was to encircle Paris. In the ensuing confusion, the city's three main liberal leaders (Jacques Necker
Jacques Necker
Jacques Necker was a French statesman of Swiss birth and finance minister of Louis XVI, a post he held in the lead-up to the French Revolution in 1789.-Early life:...
, the popular Finance Minister of France, Jean Sylvain Bailly, the mayor of Paris, and the Marquis de La Fayette
Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette , often known as simply Lafayette, was a French aristocrat and military officer born in Chavaniac, in the province of Auvergne in south central France...
, the commander of the city's new National Guard
National Guard (France)
The National Guard was the name given at the time of the French Revolution to the militias formed in each city, in imitation of the National Guard created in Paris. It was a military force separate from the regular army...
) were to be assassinated. Afterwards, the revolutionary city was to be starved into royal submission by cutting off its food supplies. As a consequence of the leaflet, Favras and his wife were arrested the next day, and imprisoned in the Abbaye Prison. Terrified of the consequences of the arrest, the Comte de Provence hastened to publicly disavow Favras, in a speech delivered before the Commune of Paris
Paris Commune (French Revolution)
The Paris Commune during the French Revolution was the government of Paris from 1789 until 1795. Established in the Hôtel de Ville just after the storming of the Bastille, the Commune became insurrectionary in the summer of 1792, essentially refusing to take orders from the central French...
, and in a letter to the National Constituent Assembly
National Constituent Assembly
The National Constituent Assembly was formed from the National Assembly on 9 July 1789, during the first stages of the French Revolution. It dissolved on 30 September 1791 and was succeeded by the Legislative Assembly.-Background:...
.
A fortnight after the arrest, Favras and his wife were separated, and Favras was removed to the Grand Châtelet
Grand Châtelet
The Grand Châtelet was a stronghold in Ancien Régime Paris, on the right bank of the Seine, on the site of what is now the Place du Châtelet; it contained a court and police headquarters and a number of prisons....
. In the course of a trial that lasted nearly two months, witnesses disagreed about the facts concerning the case and evidence was lacking. Even Sylvain Maréchal
Sylvain Maréchal
Sylvain Maréchal was a French essayist, poet, philosopher, and, as a political theorist, precursor of utopian socialism and communism...
, the anarchist editor of the republican newspaper Révolutions de Paris, admitted that the evidence against Favras was insufficient. However, an armed attempt to free him by some Royalists on January 26, which was thwarted by La Fayette, aroused the suspicion of the Parisians, and on February 18, 1790, in spite of a notable defense plea, Favras was sentenced to be hanged
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
.
Although he had previously implicated others in the conspiracy (most notably, the Comte d'Antraigues
Louis-Alexandre de Launay, comte d'Antraigues
Emmanuel Henri Louis Alexandre de Launay, comte d'Antraigues was a French pamphleteer, diplomat, spy and political adventurer during the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars....
), Favras refused to give any further information to the authorities on the plot's details or participants, and his sentence was carried out in the Place de Grève
Place de Grève
The public square in the 4th arrondissement of Paris that is now the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville was, before 1802, called the Place de Grève. The French word grève refers to a flat area covered with gravel or sand situated on the shores or banks of a body of water...
the next day - a measure which was received with enthusiasm by members of the Parisian population, since it was the first instance when no distinction in the mode of execution was allowed between noble and commoner. Purportedly, upon the reading of his death sentence, he is said to have remarked, "I see that you have made three spelling mistakes."
Legacy
Favras was generally regarded as a martyr to the Royalist cause for his refusal to implicate the Comte de Provence, and Madame de Favras was pensioned by Louis XVI. She left France, and her son Charles de Favras served in the HabsburgHabsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
and the Imperial Russian armies. Under the Bourbon Restoration
Bourbon Restoration
The Bourbon Restoration is the name given to the period following the successive events of the French Revolution , the end of the First Republic , and then the forcible end of the First French Empire under Napoleon – when a coalition of European powers restored by arms the monarchy to the...
, Charles received an allowance from Louis XVIII
Louis XVIII of France
Louis XVIII , known as "the Unavoidable", was King of France and of Navarre from 1814 to 1824, omitting the Hundred Days in 1815...
. Her daughter Caroline married Rudiger, Freiherr von Stillfried und Rathenitz, in 1805.
The official dossier of Favras' trial for high treason against the nation disappeared from the Châtelet, but its substance is preserved in the papers of a clerk.