House of Montmorency

Montmorency
Montmorency
Noble house
	Coat of arms of the House of Montmorency
Country	Kingdom of France
Founded	c. 997
Founder	Bouchard I of Montmorency
Motto	Dieu ayde le premier baron chrestien; (God help the first Christian baron)
Cadet branches	House of Laval

Anne de Montmorency, 1530, by Jean Clouet

The House of Montmorency (pronounced [mɔ̃.mɔ.ʁɑ̃.si]) was one of the oldest and most distinguished noble families in France

.

Origins

The family name Montmorency derived from their castle in the

Gallo-Roman

landowner. The village that grew up in the vicinity of the castle was also known as Montmorency, and is

département, in the immediate neighborhood of Enghien-les-Bains and Saint-Denis, about 15 km (9 mi) northwest of Paris.^[1]

History

The family, since its first appearance in history in the person of

cardinals, numerous grand officers of the Crown and grand masters of various knightly orders. Henry IV of France once said, that if ever the House of Bourbon should fail (i.e., become extinct), no European family deserved the French crown more than the House of Montmorency. Bouchard I's son Thibaud of Montmorency was the ancestor of the lords of Montlhéry.^[1]

Suger, during the absence of the latter king on the Second Crusade.^[1]

Matthieu II of Montmorency had an important share in the victory of Bouvines (1214). As he captured 12 enemy flags at Bouvines, he was permitted by the king to display 12 eagles on his coat of arms. He was also made constable in 1218. During the reign of Louis VIII he distinguished himself chiefly in the south of France (Niort, La Rochelle, Bordeaux). On the accession of Louis IX, he was one of the chief supports of the queen-regent Blanche of Castile, and was successful in reducing all vassals to obedience. He died in 1230.^[1]

His younger son, Guy, in right of his mother, became head of the

François de Montmorency-Laval, first bishop of New France and founder of the Quebec Seminary, from while Université Laval emerged.^[1]

Anne of Brittany, was the first to attain the ducal title (1551).^[1]

His eldest son,

François de Montmorency (1530–1579), was married to Diane, natural daughter of Henry II.^[1]

Another son,

duc de Montmorency on his brother's death in 1579, had been governor of Languedoc since 1563. As a leader of the party called the Politiques he took a prominent part in the French Wars of Religion. 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.^[1]

Avigliana, and took Saluzzo

.

In the same year he was created

Charlotte-Marguerite, princess of Condé.^[1]

From the barons de Fosseux, a branch of the Montmorency family established in

Duke of Piney-Luxemburg by his marriage with Madeleine de Clermont, daughter of Marguerite Charlotte de Luxemburg, Duchesse de Piney.^[1]

Charles François Frédéric de Montmorency-Luxembourg, son of the marshal, was created

Duc de Beaufort in 1688 and Duke of Montmorency in 1689.^[1]

In 1767 the title of

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.^[1]

In the 19th century the Irish Morres family highlighted a claim to descent from the Montmorency family. Morres descendants persisted in asserting the connection, obtaining a Royal license to change their name,^[2] despite objections expressed in the 1860s by undisputed descendants of the Montmorency family in France.^{[citation needed]}

List of lords of Montmorency

The lords of Montmorency were:^{[citation needed]}

Bouchard I of Montmorency (died c. 980)
Bouchard II of Montmorency (died 1020)
Bouchard III of Montmorency
Hervé of Montmorency (died c. 1094), Grand Butler of France
Bouchard IV of Montmorency (died 1131/2 in Jerusalem), lord of Montmorency, Marly, Feuillarde, Saint-Brice, Épinay and Hérouville
Grand Constable of France
, lord of Montmorency, Écouen, Marly, Conflans and Attichy
Bouchard V of Montmorency (died 1189)
Grand Constable of France
Bouchard VI of Montmorency (died 1243)
Matthieu III of Montmorency (died 1270)
Matthieu IV of Montmorency (died 1305)
Jean Ι of Montmorency (died 1325)
Charles of Montmorency (died 1381)
Jacques of Montmorency (died 1414)
Jean II of Montmorency
(died 1477)
Guillaume of Montmorency
(died 1531)
Anne of Montmorency
(died 1567), Marshal and Constable of France, created Duke of Montmorency in 1551.
François de Montmorency
(died 1579), 2nd Duke of Montmorency, Marshal of France.
Henri I of Montmorency
(died 1614), 3rd Duke of Montmorency, Constable of France.
Henri II of Montmorency
(died 1632), 4th Duke of Montmorency
Henri II de Bourbon
were newly created first duke and duchess of Montmorency
Louis II de Bourbon (died 1686), 2nd Duke of Montmorency (2nd creation)
Henri III de Bourbon
(died 1709) 3rd Duke of Montmorency (2nd creation)

André Du Chesne

(1624)

In 1689, the title of Duke of Montmorency was merged with that of Duke of Enghien.

Louis, Prince of Condé (1668–1710) carried the title of Duke of Montmorency-Enghien. The title was extinct in 1830 with the House of Bourbon-Condé

.

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Chisholm 1911, p. 787.
^ Lundy 2017, p. 34654 § 346534 cites Mosley 2003, p. 1083

References

Lundy, Darryl (15 January 2017). "Reymond Hervey de Montmorency". The Peerage. p. 34654 § 346534.
Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage. Vol. 1 (107th edition, in 3 volumes ed.). Wilmington, Delaware: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books). p. 1083.

Attribution:

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Montmorency". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 11 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 787.

House of Montmorency

Origins

History

List of lords of Montmorency

See also

Notes

References

Further reading