Antoine I de Gramont

Last updated
Antoine I de Gramont
Antoine d'Aure, comte de Grammont.jpg
Born1526 (1526)
Died8 December 1576 (aged 49–50)
Bidache
Allegiance Kingdom of France
RankCommander of the "régiment colonel" in the Protestant Army in Guyenne
CommandsLieutenant-General to the Queen of Navarre
Battles/wars 1st French War of Religion (Siege of Calais)
AwardsKnight of the Order of Saint Michael

Antoine I d'Aure de Gramont, viscount of Aure, count of Guiche, sovereign-lord of Bidache (1526 - 8 December 1576) was a French courtier and general. He served as gentleman in ordinary to the king's chamber from 1559 to 1564, serving Henry II, Francis II and Charles IX in that role.

Contents

Life

Antoine was the son of Menaud d'Aure d'Aster (c. 1485-1534) and Claire de Gramont (c. 1500-c. 1527), daughter and heir of François de Gramont and Catherine d'Andouins. Menaud was himself son of Jean d'Aure and Jeanne-Isabeau de Foix-Grailly. Menaud and Claire's marriage contract, signed at Bidache on 23 November 1525, specified that any children born of the marriage should bear the name of Gramont. Antoine's first post came in 1538 as mayor and captain of Bayonne, followed by counsellor of state and captain of gendarmes in 1549.

Antoine distinguished himself commanding an infantry company (equipped at his own cost) the capture of Calais in 1558 and the conquest of the Boulonnais and was made a knight of the Order of Saint Michael. He was in great favour at prince de Condé's court, linked to the prince as he was through his wife. Antoine became a Protestant in order to serve at the court of Jeanne d'Albret, Queen of Navarre, becoming one of the main leaders of the Protestant faction in what is now south-west France.

Antoine became the queen's lieutenant-general in Navarre and Béarn on 22 March 1563, with his estates of Gramont and Guiche promoted to counties in December that year. [1] He tried to introduce Calvinism to Basse-Navarre and established preachers at Saint-Palais.

Antoine also commanded the 6,000-strong Protestant "régiment colonel" in Guyenne, "all old soldiers from Gascony, as good as any other" according to Brantôme. It was divided into three corps of 2,000 men each, with the lords of Montamat, La Lande and Bahus as their mestres de camp, most notably Bernard d'Astarac, baron of Montamat, who was made a lieutenant-general by the queen of Navarre at the same time as Bernard, baron of Arros. [2] During the First French War of Religion Antoine took part in the pillaging of Poitiers and Angoulême, the capture of Orléans and Bourges, the blockade of Paris and the Battle of Dreux. His regiment was disbanded on 19 March 1563 to comply with the declarations of the Peace of Amboise.

Charles IX sent an army against Béarn under Antoine de Lomagne, baron of Terride in 1569, during which Antoine de Gramont retired to Bidache since he was unable to resist it. [3] After the count of Montgomery's capture of Orthez, Antoine de Gramont met him but was unable to come to an agreement regarding the lieutenant-generalcy of Navarre and so retired to his château. [4] He was present at Henry of Navarre's marriage to Marguerite de Valois in Paris and Charles IX put him under his protection, thus saving him from the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre. He renounced Protestantism and remained a Catholic until his death.

Antoine entered the service of the King of France in October 1572 and was made governor of Navarre and Béarn, contrary to the wishes of the King of Navarre. On 17 April 1573 he and his son Philibert were captured by the Protestant forces whilst on their way to Dax to parley with the Protestant captain Bernard d'Arros  [ fr ]. This perturbed the Duke of Anjou and Charles IX, with Charles demanding that those responsible be punished. As the situation developed, Gramont communicated directly with the Duke of Anjou, insisting in his letters that he had remained loyal. During the following troubles which followed he played a rather reduced role, as described by his contemporary Nicolas de Bordenave (c. 1530–1601), historian of the House of Navarre. [5] He was granted the title of Prince of Bidache in 1570.

Marriage and issue

School of Jean Clouet, Portrait of Helene de Clermont J. Clouet - Helene de Clermont, dame d'Aure de Gramont.jpg
School of Jean Clouet, Portrait of Hélène de Clermont

By a marriage contract dated 29 September 1549, Antoine was married to Hélène de Clermont, [6] daughter of François de Clermont, Lord of Traves and his wife Anne Gouffier, daughter of Artus Gouffier de Boisy. In 1530 she had become a lady-in-waiting to Eleanor of Habsburg. The couple had:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lower Navarre</span> Province in Pays Basque, France

Lower Navarre is a traditional region of the present-day French département of Pyrénées-Atlantiques. It corresponds to the northernmost merindad of the Kingdom of Navarre during the Middle Ages. After the Spanish conquest of Iberian Navarre (1512–24), this merindad was restored to the rule of the native king, Henry II. Its capitals were Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Saint-Palais. In the extreme north there was the little sovereign Principality of Bidache, with an area of 1,284 km2 (496 sq mi) and a decreasing population of 44,450, 25,356.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philibert de Gramont</span> French count (1621–1707)

Philibert, Count de Gramont (1621–1707), was a French courtier and soldier, known as the protagonist of the Mémoires written by Anthony Hamilton. He was a younger half-brother of Antoine III of Gramont and uncle of Catherine Charlotte de Gramont, princess of Monaco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gramont family</span>

The House of Gramont is the name of an old French noble family, whose name is connected to the castle of Gramont Basque province of Lower Navarre, France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antoine de Gramont, 4th Duke of Gramont</span> Marshal of France (1672–1725)

Antoine de Gramont, 4th Duke of Gramont, Duke of Guiche, was a Marshal of France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arancou</span> Commune in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Arancou is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in southwestern France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sames, Pyrénées-Atlantiques</span> Commune in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Sames is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in southwestern France. It is considered part of the Basque Country province of Lower Navarre.

The title of Duke of Gramont is a French dukedom and former peerage. It was created in 1648 for French Marshal Antoine III de Gramont.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antoine de Gramont, 2nd Duke of Gramont</span> French military commander

Antoine de Gramont, 2nd Duke of Gramont,comte de Guiche,comte de Gramont,comte de Louvigny,Souverain de Bidache was a French military commander and diplomat. He served as Marshal of France from 1641, Viceroy of Navarre and Béarn, and Governor of Bayonne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antoine Charles de Gramont, 3rd Duke of Gramont</span> French diplomat

Antoine Charles de Gramont, 3rd Duke of Gramont was a French nobleman comte de Guiche,comte de Louvigny,Souverain de Bidachewho served as a diplomat. His senior title was Duke of Gramont.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Héraclius de Gramont, 9th Duke of Gramont</span>

Héraclius de Gramont, 9th Duke of Gramont, 9th Duke of Gramont, Duke of Guiche, Prince of Bidache, etc. was a 19th-century French aristocratic Army general and courtier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Descendants of Henry IV of France</span>

Henry IV of France was the first Bourbon king of France. Formerly known as Henri of Navarre, he succeeded to the French throne with the extinction of House of Valois, at the death of Henry III of France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeanne d'Albret</span> Queen of Navarre from 1555 to 1572

Jeanne d'Albret, also known as Jeanne III, was Queen of Navarre from 1555 to 1572.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Principality of Bidache</span> Feudal state in France from 1570 to 1793

The Principality of Bidache was from 1570 to 1793 a small feudal state in the south west of modern-day France. The sovereignty of Bidache was proclaimed by Count Antoine de Gramont in 1570. The counts of Gramont had formerly been vassals of the King of Navarre however they had last paid tribute in 1434 and considered themselves relieved of their fealty. The principality maintained de jure sovereignty until 1790 when by royal edict the territory of the principality was declared to be a part of France by Louis XVI. In 1793 the principality was occupied by troops loyal to the First French Republic and the last reigning prince, Antoine VII, was ousted. The royal and noble Gramont dynasty survives to the present day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diane d'Andoins</span>

Diane d'Andoins or d'Andouins was born in Hagetmau in the fall of 1554, and died there in February 1621. The Countess of Guiche, and called "the beautiful Corisande", she was known for having been a royal mistress of King Henri III of Navarre between 1582 and 1591.

Jean de Forcade, was a Fermier des monnaies de Béarn et Navarre.

Jean de Laforcade, Seigneur de La Fitte-Juson, aka Jean de Laforcade, Seigneur de La Fitte-Suzon (sic), aka Jean de La Forcade, aka Jean de La Fourcade, aka Jean de la Fourcade, aka Jean de Lafourcade, aka Jean de Laforcade, aka Jean de Fourcade, was the son of Protestant nobleman Jean de Laforcade, Seigneur de La Fitte, and a descendant of the noble family of Forcade of Béarn in Navarre.

Jean de Laforcade, Seigneur de La Fitte, aka Jean Laforcade, Seigneur de Lafitte, aka Jean Lafourcade, aka Jean II. de Forcade, was a Protestant nobleman and a descendant of the noble family of Forcade of Béarn in Navarre.

The Sovereign Council of Navarre and Béarn was created by Henry II of Navarre at the Château de Pau on 13 June 1519, replacing the Cour Majour which was disbanded in 1490.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antoine de Gramont, 1st Duke of Gramont</span> French military commander (1572–1644)

Antoine de Gramont, 1st Duke of Gramont (1572–1644) was a member of minor French nobility by birth. Created the 1st Duke of Gramont in 1643 by King Louis XIV, he was automatically a Peer. His granddaughter Catherine Charlotte de Gramont married Louis I, Prince of Monaco, making Antoine a direct ancestor of the present reigning Albert II of Monaco. Though created the 1st Duke of Gramont, the creation of the title was not officially registered in Parliament before his death, so his son had to petition for the dukedom to be recognised. His mother had been royal mistress of King Henri III of Navarre between 1582 and 1591.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agénor de Gramont, 11th Duke of Gramont</span> Duke of Gramont

Antoine Alfred Agénor de Gramont, 11th Duke of Gramont, known as the Duke of Guiche from 1855 to 1880, was a French aristocrat, soldier and landowner.

References

  1. ↑ (in French) Extraits des registres du Conseil Souverain de Pau, du Parlement de Navarre, et de la Chambre des Comptes de Pau XVIe et XVIIe siècles (suite et fin), publiés et annotés par M. A. de Defau de Maluquer. Tome, 35, p. 59, f° 195
  2. ↑ (in French) Nicolas de Bordenave, Histoire de Béarn et de Navarre (1517-1572), Chez Madame veuve Jules Renouard, Paris, 1873, p 291
  3. ↑ Nicolas de Bordenave, p. 200.
  4. ↑ Nicolas de Bordenave, p. 276-277.
  5. ↑ data BnF : Nicolas de Bordenave (1530?-1601)
  6. 1 2 Le Roux 2001, p. 235.

Bibliography (in French)

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.