The House of Ficquelmont is the name of a noble family from

Lorraine Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of G ...

dating back to the 14th century whose filiation is established with Henry de Ficquelmont, knight, dead before 1386.Henri Jougla de Morenas, ''Grand Armorial de France'', tome III, 1935 page 289.Gustave Chaix d'Est-Ange, ''Dictionnaire des familles françaises anciennes ou notables à la fin du XIXe siècle.'', tome XVIII Fel-For. - 1922, pages 126-129.
/ref> This family produced different branches in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

, and became extinct in 1948 in the male line with Louis-Charles de Ficquelmont de Vyle and in the female line in 1991 with countess Ghislaine de Ficquelmont de Vyle.

Origins

The origins of the Ficquelmont Family is the lordship of Ficquelmont (currently Thumeréville) in

, near

Briey Briey (; german: Brietz) is a former commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in northeastern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Val de Briey. The Ficquelmont family is known since 1138, with Gérard de Ficquelmont who gave a donation in 1138 but its filiation is established without doubts only since Henry de Ficquelmont, knight, dead before 1386. According to the genealogist Charles Poplimont, who wrote a genealogy of the de Ficquelmont family in ''La Belgique Héraldique'' (1866),Charles Poplimont,''La Belgique héraldique'', volume IV, 1866, pages 225-232.
/ref> Henri de Ficquelmont, was married with Marie le Loup and he was son of Erard de Ficquelmont and grandson of Manassés de Ficquelmont, who was living in 1346 and Marie Dannoy.

Lorraine and the Holy Roman Empire

In Lorraine where they sat as hereditary members of the

upper house An upper house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house.''Bicameralism'' (1997) by George Tsebelis The house formally designated as the upper house is usually smaller and often has more restric ...

of the Parlement de Nancy, the ruling institution of French Lorraine that also served as the courts of appeal of the Royal province. During that period, the Ficquelmonts' primary seats were the châteaux of

Dieuze Dieuze (; ) is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. People Dieuze was the birthplace of: *Charles Hermite, mathematician *Edmond François Valentin About, novelist, publicist and journalist * Émile Friant, p ...

(birthplace of

Count Charles-Louis de Ficquelmont Karl Ludwig, Count of Ficquelmont (; french: Charles-Louis comte de Ficquelmont; 23 March 1777 – 7 April 1857) was an Austrian aristocrat, statesman and Field marshal of the Austrian Imperial army of French noble origin. Biography French n ...

(1777-1857),

Parroy Parroy () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France. See also *Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department The following is a list of the 591 communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department of France. The com ...

and their Hôtel in Nancy. The Ficquelmonts were also instrumental in founding and funding several Lorrainer religious institutions such as the Holy Cross College of Nancy, the Cathedral of Metz and the

abbeys An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns. The conce ...

Remiremont Remiremont (; german: Romberg or ) is a town and commune in the Vosges department, northeastern France, situated in southern Grand Est. The town has been an abbatial centre since the 7th century, is an economic crossroads of the Moselle and Mos ...

and Flavigny. The members of the Ficquelmont family had been Great Officers of the Ducal Court of

: lords chamberlain, lords master of ceremonies or lords commander of the

Dukes Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...

. In the 17th and 18th century were: * Leonard de Ficquelmont, colonel of

Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine Charles IV (5 April 1604, Nancy – 18 September 1675, Allenbach) was Duke of Lorraine from 1624 until his death in 1675, with a brief interruption in 1634, when he abdicated under French pressure in favor of his younger brother, Nicholas Franc ...

, commanding the ''Blainville regiment''; * Robert de Ficquelmont, Great- chamberlain of

Charles III, Duke of Lorraine Charles III (18 February 1543 – 14 May 1608), known as ''the Great'', was Duke of Lorraine from 1545 until his death. Life He was the eldest surviving son of Francis I, Duke of Lorraine, and Christina of Denmark. In 1545, his father died, and ...

; * his grandson, Jean-François de Ficquelmont,Woelmont, ''Op. cit.'', p. 343-344. Great- chamberlain and colonel of the guard of

Leopold I, Duke of Lorraine Leopold the Good (11 September 1679 – 27 March 1729) was Duke of Lorraine and Bar from 1690 to his death. Through his son Francis Stephen, he is the direct male ancestor of all rulers of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty, including all Emperors o ...

, commanding the dukal cavalry; * his son,

Reichsgraf Imperial Count (german: Reichsgraf) was a title in the Holy Roman Empire. In the medieval era, it was used exclusively to designate the holder of an imperial county, that is, a fief held directly ( immediately) from the emperor, rather than from ...

Charles de Ficquelmont Great- chamberlain of Francis I of Lorraine, Holy Roman Emperor, colonel of HIM's

cuirassiers Cuirassiers (; ) were cavalry equipped with a cuirass, sword, and pistols. Cuirassiers first appeared in mid-to-late 16th century Europe as a result of armoured cavalry, such as men-at-arms and demi-lancers, discarding their lances and adopt ...

commanding the imperial guard's cavalry; * his son,

Jacques-Charles de Ficquelmont, colonel of the guard and Great- chamberlain of Francis I of Lorraine, Holy Roman Emperor, commanding the cavalry regiment of

Kalchreuth Kalchreuth is a municipality in the district of Erlangen-Höchstadt, in Bavaria, Germany. It is located 10 kilometers east of Erlangen and 15 kilometers north of Nuremberg and contains the villages of Kalchreuth, Käswasser and Röckenhof and also ...

then of

Thun Thun (french: Thoune) is a town and a municipality in the administrative district of Thun in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is located where the Aare flows out of Lake Thun (Thunersee), southeast of Bern. the municipality has almost ...

. The Ficquelmonts took part of the chivalry Orders of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, of the Golden Fleece. They also often fought as

warlord A warlord is a person who exercises military, economic, and political control over a region in a country without a strong national government; largely because of coercive control over the armed forces. Warlords have existed throughout much of h ...

s at the service of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

and the

Papacy The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

. The perfect illustration being Count Leonard de Ficquelmont, colonel of

, colonel of

King Philip V of Spain Philip V ( es, Felipe; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was King of Spain from 1 November 1700 to 14 January 1724, and again from 6 September 1724 to his death in 1746. His total reign of 45 years is the longest in the history of the Spanish mon ...

who died in 1709 during the

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phili ...

Cataluna Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the no ...

France and Austria

After

Empress Maria Theresa of Austria Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position ''suo jure'' (in her own right). ...

had married Emperor Francis of Lorraine, the family was under the rule of the

Habsburgs The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

, but, by the Treaty of Vienna, the

Duchy of Lorraine The Duchy of Lorraine (french: Lorraine ; german: Lothringen ), originally Upper Lorraine, was a duchy now included in the larger present-day region of Lorraine in northeastern France. Its capital was Nancy. It was founded in 959 following t ...

became part of the

Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period ...

and the Ficquelmonts were allowed to choose to serve and live either in

or in the

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

France

Some others members of the family had chosen France. The count Charles Henri de Ficquelmont was introduced at the Honors of the French Court (Honneurs de la Cour) in 1777 and 1789. In 1789, during the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

, the Ficquelmonts, as

aristocrats Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'. At the time of the wor ...

, were targeted by the

Revolution In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...

, and several members of the family were

beheaded Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the au ...

br>
leaving the remaining ones no other choice than fleeing the country, joining fellow aristocrats as ''

émigré An ''émigré'' () is a person who has emigrated, often with a connotation of political or social self- exile. The word is the past participle of the French ''émigrer'', "to emigrate". French Huguenots Many French Huguenots fled France follow ...

s''. After the

, the Ficquelmont family remained divided into different lines and spread in

and

Austrian Empire

Some Ficquelmonts who had followed Emperor Francis of Lorraine to the Imperial Court and therefore already established themselves in Austria, chose to settle in Austrian territory. Of that tight branch are

Charles de Ficquelmont, Great- chamberlain of

Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor Francis I (Francis Stephen; french: François Étienne; german: Franz Stefan; 8 December 1708 – 18 August 1765) was Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, Duke of Lorraine and Bar, and Grand Duke of Tuscany. He became the ruler of the Hol ...

, colonel of HIM's

commanding the imperial guard's cavalry and his son,

Jacques-Charles de Ficquelmont, colonel of the guard and Great- chamberlain of

, commanding the cavalry regiment of

then of

. By the end of the 18th century, they had settled in large estates in the then

Austrian Netherlands The Austrian Netherlands nl, Oostenrijkse Nederlanden; french: Pays-Bas Autrichiens; german: Österreichische Niederlande; la, Belgium Austriacum. was the territory of the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire between 1714 and 1797. The pe ...

. Part of the French Ficquelmonts chose to

emigrate Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...

where the family had kept close ties (for instance, Charles de Ficquelmont (1724–1792), had followed Francis I of Lorraine, Holy Roman Emperor at the Imperial Court of

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

when he was 12 and had stayed there ever since serving as colonel of the Imperial guard and (from 1764) Great- chamberlain of

Emperors An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother (em ...

Francis I Francis I or Francis the First may refer to: * Francesco I Gonzaga (1366–1407) * Francis I, Duke of Brittany (1414–1450), reigned 1442–1450 * Francis I of France (1494–1547), King of France, reigned 1515–1547 * Francis I, Duke of Saxe ...

and

Joseph II Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 u ...

) various

estates Estate or The Estate may refer to: Law * Estate (law), a term in common law for a person's property, entitlements and obligations * Estates of the realm, a broad social category in the histories of certain countries. ** The Estates, representa ...

and strong supports all the way to the Habsburgs themselves (for instance,

Archduchess Archduke (feminine: Archduchess; German: ''Erzherzog'', feminine form: ''Erzherzogin'') was the title borne from 1358 by the Habsburg rulers of the Archduchy of Austria, and later by all senior members of that dynasty. It denotes a rank within ...

Marie-Christine personally placed count Joseph de Ficquelmont in

Emperor Leopold II , house =Habsburg-Lorraine , father =Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor , mother = Maria Theresa of Hungary and Bohemia , religion =Roman Catholicism , succession1 =Grand Duke of Tuscany , reign1 =18 Au ...

's care in a letter dated from January 30, 1792). This branch took part of the counter revolutionary's Army of the Princes and Imperial Austrian Army. It is best represented by: * Count Charles Louis de Ficquelmont (Reichsgraf von Ficquelmont), born in the castle of

on March 23, 1777; he became one of the most powerful Austrian

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

and

statesman A statesman or stateswoman typically is a politician who has had a long and respected political career at the national or international level. Statesman or Statesmen may also refer to: Newspapers United States * ''The Statesman'' (Oregon), a n ...

of his time and even succeeded Prince

Klemens von Metternich Klemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar, Prince of Metternich-Winneburg zu Beilstein ; german: Klemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar Fürst von Metternich-Winneburg zu Beilstein (15 May 1773 – 11 June 1859), known as Klemens von Metternich or Prince Metternic ...

as acting

Minister-President A minister-president or minister president is the head of government in a number of European countries or subnational governments with a parliamentary or semi-presidential system of government where they preside over the council of ministers. I ...

of the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central- Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence ...

. He married countess Dorothea von Tiesenhausen, granddaughter of Prince Mikhail Kutuzov, Masrshall of the Russian army and hero of the

Napoleonic wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

. Dorothea and Charles-Louis only had one child: * Elizabeth-Alexandrine, countess de Ficquelmont by birth and

princess Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin '' princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince. Princess as a subs ...

Clary-und-Aldringen by marriage, last countess of the Austrian branch.

Netherlands and Belgium

The last descendants of the Austrian branch had settled in what was

(nowadays Belgium) prior to the

. They had fled the country as it was occupied by the French during the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted France against Britain, Austria, Pruss ...

then integrated into the

Napoleon's Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

. But, following the fall of the

First French Empire The First French Empire, officially the French Republic, then the French Empire (; Latin: ) after 1809, also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental ...

, the

became part of the

United Kingdom of the Netherlands The United Kingdom of the Netherlands ( nl, Verenigd Koninkrijk der Nederlanden; french: Royaume uni des Pays-Bas) is the unofficial name given to the Kingdom of the Netherlands as it existed between 1815 and 1839. The United Netherlands was cr ...

that had just been created by the Treaty of Vienna, and the Dutch Ficquelmonts returned to establish themselves in the newly founded kingdom. This branch had two lines: *The first one, founded by count Antoine-Charles de Ficquelmont (1753-1833), who remained faithful to

King William I of the Netherlands William I (Willem Frederik, Prince of Orange-Nassau; 24 August 1772 – 12 December 1843) was a Prince of Orange, the King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg. He was the son of the last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, who wen ...

following the

Belgian Revolution of 1830 Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct language ...

. That line is extinct since the early 20th century. * The other line, founded by count Florimond Aloïs de Ficquelmont (1763-1818). His grandson took up Belgium nationality in 1884 and therefore entered the

Belgian nobility The Belgian nobility comprises Belgian individuals or families recognized as noble with or without a title of nobility in the Kingdom of Belgium. The Belgian constitution states that no specific privileges are attached to the nobility. History ...

Titles

* Count von Ficquelmont (Austria 1736) (extinct) *

von Ficquelmont personally granted to Jacques-Charles de Ficquelmont,

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

and

Chambellan Chambellan ( ht, Chanbèlan) is a commune in the Jérémie Arrondissement, in the Grand'Anse department of Haiti. It has 16,883 inhabitants. Villages located within the commune include: Babino, Cadette, Grande Plaine, Granger, La Coude La ...

of the Holy Roman Empereur (extinct) * Count van Ficquelmont (Netherlands 1822) for Antoine-Charles-Ignace de Ficquelmont (1753-1833) and his descendants in the Ficquelmont Family (extinct in 1899). * Count van Ficquelmont (Netherlands 1822) for Florimond-Joseph-Ignace de Ficquelmont and his descendants in the Ficquelmont Family (extinct in 1948 in male line and in 1991 in female line).F. de Saint-Simon, Dictionnaire de la noblesse française. * Count (Belgium 1855 for Charles Joseph de Ficquelmont de Vyle and his descendants in the Ficquelmont Family (extinct in 1948 in male line and in 1991 in female line). Furthermore, the Ficquelmonts have been ''

lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or ...

s'' of Ficquelmonts,

Puxe Puxe () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regio ...

, la Tour en Voivre,

, Champcourt,

Bathelémont Bathelémont (before 2011: ''Bathelémont-lès-Bauzemont'') is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Governme ...

Flin Flin () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department found in north-eastern France. See also *Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department The following is a list of the 591 communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department of France. T ...

and others lordships.

Coat of arms

The

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visua ...

of this family

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in it ...

is: ''Or, gules three enhanced pickets, ensigned with a passant wolf sable''. The family's

motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mo ...

is "Nul ne m'atteint"

Extinction of the Ficquelmont family in 1948 and 1991

The Ficquelmont family and the title of count de Ficquelmont became extinct in male line in 1948 with Louis-Charles de Ficquelmont de Vyle and in the female line in 1991 with countess Ghislaine de Ficquelmont de Vyle,Régis Valette, ''Catalogue de la noblesse française'',

Robert Laffont The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

, Paris, 2007. but the name "de Ficquelmont" was transmitted through adoption to Jean d'Albis who was adopted by the countess Ghislaine de Ficquelmont de Vyle and since used the name Jean d'Albis de Ficquelmont.

References

Bibliography

Charles Poplimont,''La Belgique héraldique'', volume IV, 1866, pages 225-232.

Gustave Chaix d'Est-Ange, ''Dictionnaire des familles françaises anciennes ou notables à la fin du XIXe siècle.'', tome XVIII Fel-For. - 1922, pages 126-129.
* Henri Jougla de Morenas, ''Grand Armorial de France'', tome III, 1935 page 289. * Régis Valette, ''Catalogue de la noblesse française'',

, Paris, 2007. * Henri de Woelmont de Brumagne, ''Notices généalogiques'', 7e série, page 340. * Alain Petiot, ''Au service des Habsbourg'', 1999 * Alain Petiot, ''Les Lorrains et l'Empire'', 2005 {{DEFAULTSORT:Ficquelmont Lorraine noble families Austrian noble families Belgian noble families Belgian people of French descent Austrian people of French descent Counts of the Holy Roman Empire Counts of Austria Recipients of the Legion of Honour