François de Franquetot de Coigny (16 March 1670 – 18 December 1759) was a
Marshal of France
Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished ( ...
, Count, and from 1747, the Duke of Coigny.
He was born in the
Coigny château near
Coutances
Coutances () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.
History
Capital of the Unelli, a Gaulish tribe, the town was given the name of ''Constantia'' in 298 during the reign of Roman emperor Constantius Chloru ...
, Normandy as son of
Robert-Jean de Coigny, and Marie-Françoise de Matignon. His uncle was Charles-Auguste de Goyon-Matignon, Marshal of France and his nephew
Jacques I, Prince of Monaco. Like his father he pursued a military career. He became brigadier in 1702, Maréchal de camp in 1703 and lieutenant general in 1709.
His most notable victories were at
San Pietro and
Guastalla
Guastalla ( Guastallese: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Reggio Emilia in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
Geography
Guastalla is situated in the Po Valley, and lies on the banks of the Po River. Guastalla is located at around from the citie ...
, which he won in 1734 together with
Marshal de Broglie against the Austrians in the
War of Polish Succession
The War of the Polish Succession ( pl, Wojna o sukcesję polską; 1733–35) was a major European conflict sparked by a Polish civil war over the succession to Augustus II of Poland, which the other regional power, European powers widened in p ...
. He was made a Marshal of France in 1734. In the
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George ...
he replaced Marshal de Broglie in 1743 to defend the French positions on the Rhine.
In the 1720s he was a member of the
Club de l'Entresol, an early modern
think tank
A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-govern ...
.
Family
He married Henriette de Montbourcher du Bordage on 4 December 1699; they had three children:
*Marie-Françoise (1700–17??)
*Jean, marquis de Coigny (1702–1748; killed in a duel)
*Charlotte-Bibiane (1703–1772)
His grandson was
François-Henri de Franquetot de Coigny, also a Marshal of France.
Notes
External links
Genealogy of Franquetot
House of Franquetot
History of the Franquetot family
{{DEFAULTSORT:Franquetotdecoigny, Francois de
1670 births
1759 deaths
People from Manche
Counts of France
Dukes of Coigny
French soldiers
Marshals of France
French military personnel of the War of the Spanish Succession
French military personnel of the War of the Polish Succession
French military personnel of the War of the Austrian Succession
Knights of the Golden Fleece of Spain