André Falquet (* February 11, 1681 in Geneva;Entrée pour André Falquet dans le registre de la paroisse protestante de Saint-Pierre avec l'Auditoire: 1) Baptêmes du 1er janvier 1678 au 14 avril 1699. Archive de l'Etat de Genève, «CH AEG E.C. Saint-Pierre B.M. 10», Photo of the record. † January 28, 1755 ibid) was a Geneva merchant and trader, and a member of the Council of Two Hundred.

Life

Falquet's paternal ancestors came from Pouilly ( Contamine-sur-Arve). His great-great-grandfather Aymé Falquet was a vinegar manufacturer there. André Falquet's great-grandfather eventually acquired a property in Geneva. Falquet's father Pierre was a jeweler. André Falqet was baptized on Monday, February 14, 1681, in Saint-Pierre Cathedral by Charles Dufour. The godfather was André Rousseau, the brother of David Rousseau, Jean-Jacques' grandfather. Falquet worked in his father's business (jewelry trade) from the completion of his studies (1703). In 1703 he traveled through Southern Germany. While there, he became involved in the turmoil of the

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish E ...

and, since he spoke

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

, was able to plead with the French Marshal de Villars for the release of four confiscated wagons with merchandise belonging to

Augsburg Augsburg ( , ; ; ) is a city in the Bavaria, Bavarian part of Swabia, Germany, around west of the Bavarian capital Munich. It is a College town, university town and the regional seat of the Swabia (administrative region), Swabia with a well ...

merchants. For this he received from the city of Augsburg a

silver-gilt Silver-gilt or gilded/gilt silver, sometimes known in American English by the French language, French term vermeil, is silver (either pure or sterling silver, sterling) which has been gilding, gilded. Most large objects made in goldsmithing tha ...

cup, the

Gobelet André Falquet The Gobelet André Falquet is a silver-gilt cup with cover made in the 18th century by Hans-Matthias Rehm of Augsburg for the Swiss merchant André Falquet, which is kept in the Maison Tavel (''Musées d'Art et d'Histoire Genève'') in Geneva u ...

. For the services rendered to the Imperial Austrian Army (trade transactions), Falquet was ennobled and his coat of arms was improved by the Nobilization Certificate of June 16, 1725. André Falquet married Suzanne Lullin on June 10, 1731. From 1734 Falquet was a member of the Geneva Council of Two Hundred.

Nobility Diploma

In 1725 he was ennobled by a document of Charles VI and his coat of arms was improved. The document contains thirteen inscribed parchment pages, of which the depiction of the coat of arms fills an entire page. The entirety of the document is written in

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

, since the chancery regulations did not allow the use of French – André's native language – but prescribed the use of German or Latin. The document is signed and witnessed several times, as required by

letters of nobility The patent of nobility, also letters of nobility (always ), or diploma of nobility documented the legal act of ennoblement (granting rights of a nobleman to a "new man" and his family). The ennoblement was an event of ultimate importance in a feuda ...

and arms of the Imperial Court Chancellery, namely by * Charles IV; * Friedrich Karl Graf von Schönborn, the Imperial Vice-Chancellor; * Philipp Wilderich Johann Georgendiel von Georgenthal, the "secret secretary and referendary of Latin expedition" of the Imperial Court Chancellery; * Jodoc Pein, the Registrar of the Imperial Court Chancellery. The seal of Charles VI is also attached to the letter.

Family

Some of his descendants,

Jean-Louis Falquet Jean-Louis Falquet (19 November 1768 in Geneva – 6 November 1842 in Geneva) was a Genevan politician and banquier. Life Business career Together with four other limited partners, he founded the bank ''De Candolle Mallet & Cie'' in Geneva o ...

, were again statesmen.

Literature

* ''Archives Héraldiques de la Suisse'', Bd. XXXII (1918), S. 24. * ''Anzeiger für Schweizerische Altertumskunde'', Zürich. Jg. 25 (1892). * J. Haller & S. Brügger: ''Adelsbrief André Falquet. Aspekte einer kaiserlichen Urkunde von 1725'', Aarau 2007 (Maturaarbeit). * Gustave Chaix d'Est-Ange: ''Dictionnaire des familles françaises anciennes ou notables à la fin du XIXe siècle: Fab-For'', Éditions Vendôme, 1983, S. 82 ff.,
gallica.bnf.fr: Full view
,
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. * C.F. Lendorff: ''Almanach généalogique suisse'', Band 4, 1913, S. 192,
archive.org: Full view
,
Google Books: snippet view
. * J.-A.Galiffe: ''Notices généalogiques sur les familles genevoises, depuis les premiers temps, jusqu'à nos jours'', Genève, 1831, S. 25
Googlebooks
* Vermerk über den Taufpaten André Rousseau in Rosenblatt, H.: ''Rousseau and Geneva: From the First Discourse to the Social Contract, 1749–1762'', 1997, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-57004-2, Seite 31, Fussnote 99
Googlebooks
* CH AVG (Archives de la Ville de Genève): ''Factums judiciaires'', Band 2, Nummer 14 und 14bis.

Website links

Origunal Latin text of the nobility diploma

adelsbrief.com – Haller, J. & Brügger, S. – Excerpts of a high school thesis (Maturaarbeit) about the Nobility Diploma of André Falquet

References