The House of Hauteclocque is a French noble family established during the Middle Ages by the lords of the

fief A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an Lord, overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a for ...

of Hautecloque. Its most illustrious member is Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque (1902–1947), leader of the Free French Forces during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and

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 (1 ...

. ''Haulte clocque'' in

Middle French Middle French (french: moyen français) is a historical division of the French language that covers the period from the 14th to the 16th century. It is a period of transition during which: * the French language became clearly distinguished from t ...

means "High Bell"; this explains the familial motto, "On entend loing sonner haulte clocque" (''One can hear from far away the ringing of the high bell'').

History

Members of the House of Hauteclocque served in the Fifth Crusade against Egypt, and again in the

Eighth Crusade The Eighth Crusade was the second Crusade launched by Louis IX of France, this one against the Hafsid dynasty in Tunisia in 1270. It is also known as the Crusade of Louis IX against Tunis or the Second Crusade of Louis. The Crusade did not see ...

of Saint Louis against Tunisia in 1270. They had also fought at the Battle of Saint-Omer in 1340 and the

Battle of Fontenoy The Battle of Fontenoy was a major engagement of the War of the Austrian Succession, fought on 11 May 1745 near Tournai in modern Belgium. A French army of 50,000 under Marshal Saxe defeated a Pragmatic Army of roughly the same size, led by th ...

in 1745. The family survived 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 considere ...

. Three members of the family served in

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 ...

Grande Armée ''La Grande Armée'' (; ) was the main military component of the French Imperial Army commanded by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte during the Napoleonic Wars. From 1804 to 1808, it won a series of military victories that allowed the French Empi ...

'' and a fourth, who suffered from weak health, in the supply train. The youngest of these had a son, who became a noted egyptologist; he, in turn, had three sons: the first and third became officers in the French Army, serving in colonial campaigns before being killed in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

; the middle son, who also served in World War I but survived the conflict and thus inherited the family estate in

Belloy-Saint-Léonard Belloy-Saint-Léonard (; pcd, Belloy-Saint-Lèyonârd) is a commune in the Somme ''département'' in Hauts-de-France, which is situated in northern France. Geography The commune is situated on the D157 road, west of Amiens and south of Abbevi ...

, was Philippe Leclerc's father.Clayton, Anthony (1992). Three Marshals of France. Brassey's. ;

Coat of arms and motto

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hauteclocque French noble families