| Colbert family | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Country | Kingdom of France French Empire |
| Place of origin | Reims |
| Titles | Marquis of Chabanais Marquis of Seignelay Marquis of Villacerf Marquis of Torcy Marquis of Maulévrier Marquis of Saint-Pouange Baron of Colbert |
| Distinctions | Archbishop of Rouen Archbishop of Toulouse Bishops of Luçon, Auxerre, Mâcon, Montauban |
| Estates | |
The Colbert family is a surviving family of the French nobility, originally from Reims, Marne. Descended from merchants and bankers established in Reims and Troyes in the 16th century, the family formed several branches which successively acceded to the nobility during the 17th century. The Troyes line, a cadet branch which is the only branch surviving today, was the first to be ennobled in 1603 by the purchase of a position as Counselor Secretary to the King. [1]
Following Jean-Baptiste Colbert, advisor to Cardinal Mazarin who, upon the death of the Cardinal, became minister to King Louis XIV, the Colbert family knew how to benefit from the social advancement of Louis XIV's minister and to give its members access to the highest offices and functions of the kingdom. In addition to the famous minister of Louis XIV, the Colbert family gave many dignitaries to the Kingdom of France, ministers, bishops, and general officers, from the second half of the 17th century to the end of the 18th century. From Louis XIV to the French Revolution, it belonged to the high nobility of the country. [2]
The first known Colbert, Jehan Colbert, was a masonry contractor in Reims, who married Marie Thuillier in 1492. They were the parents of: [3] [4]
| Figure | Blasonnement |
| | Arms of the Colbert family [10] Or, with a waving snake in pale azure. |
| | Antoine Martin Colbert de Seignelay (1659–1689) From Colbert, with a chief of gules charged with a cross of silver. |
| | François Édouard Henri René Colbert (1727–1748), Marquis de Maulévrier, Second lieutenant of the English gendarmes Quarterly: 1 and 4, azure, three silver fleurs-de-lis, a chief or ( d'Estaing); 2 and 3, argent, a saltire gules denched sable (de Froulay). Overall or, a serpent undulating in pale azure (Colbert). |
| | Jean-Baptiste Joachim Colbert (1703–1777), son of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Marquis of Torcy (1665–1746), Lieutenant-General of the King's Armies, governor of Crécy-en-Brie and Captain of the Guards of the King's Gate |