![Arms_of_the_Duke_of_Berwick_(English_version)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Arms_of_the_Duke_of_Berwick_%28English_version%29.svg)
James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick, 1st Duke of Liria and Jérica, 1st Duke of Fitz-James (21 August 1670 – 12 June 1734) was an Anglo-French military leader, illegitimate son of King
James II of England
James VII and II (14 October 1633 16 September 1701) was King of England and King of Ireland as James II, and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II, on 6 February 1685. He was deposed in the Glorious Re ...
by
Arabella Churchill, sister of the
1st Duke of Marlborough. Berwick was a successful general in the pay of
Louis XIV of France
, house = Bourbon
, father = Louis XIII
, mother = Anne of Austria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
, death_date =
, death_place = Palace of ...
.
Early life
FitzJames was born at
Moulins in France before his father's accession to the throne, and was brought up in France as a
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. He was the son of James and his mistress
Arabella Churchill, sister of the English captain general and statesman
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
General John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, 1st Prince of Mindelheim, 1st Count of Nellenburg, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, (26 May 1650 – 16 June 1722 O.S.) was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reign ...
. He was educated at the Stuarts' expense in the
College of Juilly
The College of Juilly ( French: ''Collège de Juilly'') was a Catholic private teaching establishment located in the commune of Juilly, in Seine-et-Marne (France). Directed by the French Oratorians, it was created in 1638 by the congregationis ...
, the
Collège du Plessis, and the
Jesuit College of La Flèche
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders = ...
. He went into the service of
Charles V, Duke of Lorraine
Charles V, Duke of Lorraine and Bar (french: Charles Léopold Nicolas Sixte; german: Karl V Leopold; 3 April 1643 – 18 April 1690) succeeded his uncle Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine as titular Duke of Lorraine and Bar in 1675; both duchies wer ...
, and was present at the siege of
Buda. FitzJames was created Duke of Berwick, Earl of Tinmouth and Baron Bosworth by his father in 1687. He then returned to Hungary and participated at the
Battle of Mohács
The Battle of Mohács (; hu, mohácsi csata, tr, Mohaç Muharebesi or Mohaç Savaşı) was fought on 29 August 1526 near Mohács, Kingdom of Hungary, between the forces of the Kingdom of Hungary and its allies, led by Louis II, and thos ...
.
Berwick returned to England and was made
Governor of Portsmouth. King James made him a
Knight of the Order of the Garter and appointed him Colonel of The Blues to replace the Protestant
Earl of Oxford. The post had been coveted by his maternal uncle the
Duke of Marlborough
General John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, 1st Prince of Mindelheim, 1st Count of Nellenburg, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, (26 May 1650 – 16 June 1722 O.S.) was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reign ...
, but FitzJames was earmarked for command, as Catholics replaced Anglicans. However, due to the invasion of The
Prince of Orange
Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title originally associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by sovereigns in the Netherlands.
The title ...
and the subsequent
Glorious Revolution, the installation never took place. Berwick in all conscience could not remain with the Colonel of The Blues' Troop he had served since 1682; he refused to betray his old ''patronne''. Officers were required to answer 'three questions' designed by the King to test their loyalty. Berwick was with his father at Salisbury, when key units deserted to the Prince of Orange. King James II was overthrown in December 1688 and Berwick went into exile with him.
In 1689 Berwick accompanied his father to Ireland and fought in the
Irish campaign at the
Siege of Derry
The siege of Derry in 1689 was the first major event in the Williamite War in Ireland. The siege was preceded by a first attempt against the town by Jacobite forces on 7 December 1688 that was foiled when 13 apprentices shut the gates ...
, the
Battle of Cavan
The Battle of Cavan took place in Cavan, Ireland on 11 February 1690 between forces of Williamite and Jacobite troops during the Williamite War in Ireland. It ended in a victory for the Williamites who captured, sacked and burned the town of ...
and the
Battle of the Boyne
The Battle of the Boyne ( ga, Cath na Bóinne ) was a battle in 1690 between the forces of the deposed King James II of England and Ireland, VII of Scotland, and those of King William III who, with his wife Queen Mary II (his cousin and J ...
during which he led a charge, was unhorsed and almost killed in the melee. When his father departed for France after the Boyne, Berwick remained with the
Jacobite Irish Army
The Irish Army, known simply as the Army ( ga, an tArm), is the land component of the Defence Forces of Ireland.The Defence Forces are made up of the Permanent Defence Forces – the standing branches – and the Reserve Defence Forces. The A ...
during the retreat to
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
.
On 2 August he was one of the Generals, with
Patrick Sarsfield
Patrick Sarsfield, 1st Earl of Lucan, ga, Pádraig Sáirseál, circa 1655 to 21 August 1693, was an Irish soldier, and leading figure in the Jacobite army during the 1689 to 1691 Williamite War in Ireland.
Born into a wealthy Catholic famil ...
and
Boisselau who shored up the defences at Limerick awaiting the Williamite assault; thereafter they rode north across the Shannon with a few Guards. On 22 June 1691, Berwick was with the French general the
Marquis de St Ruth
Charles Chalmot de Saint-RuheLecestre, L. (ed.) (1921). ''Memoires de Saint-Simon'', v. 19, Hachette et cie, p. 135 (c. 165012 July 1691) was a French cavalry officer, serving in the armies of Louis XIV.
Despite a long career, Saint-Ruhe is re ...
, at Aughrim, a site of his choosing when General Ginckel appeared over the hill with a superior force of 18,000 Williamites. The defenders were surrounded on one side by peat bog, and on the other Kilcommodon Hill. Berwick was with Sarsfield's corps on the Irish right, who had an uncommitted reserve, when The Blues smashed through the Irish lines on the left, broke the Irish Dragoons, and caused a general panic to ensue. General St Ruth was decapitated by a stray cannonball, but Sarsfield was too late to rescue the situation. He retired with Berwick to the relative safety of Limerick, which Ginckel besieged on 25 August. Under the terms of Treaty of Limerick, signed on 3 October, all Irish contingents were banished to the continent forever. These soldiers became known as the
Wild Geese. James II created Berwick Colonel of the 1st Troop, Wild Geese. Berwick arrived too late at the siege of Cork with 4,000 French troops, but unable to effect a result, he withdrew; Marlborough marched west to Kinsale to deal with 18,000 Frenchmen. It was at this time that he undertook a number of secret visits to England on behalf of the Jacobite cause.
In the service of Louis XIV
After his father's final exile, Berwick served in the French army under Marshal Luxemburg. He fought at the battles of
Steenkerque. Luxemburg fell into William's trap set against superior numbers, but reinforcements failed the English, and the French rallied to send the
Maison Militaire du Roi
The Maison du Roi (, "King's Household") was the royal household of the King of France. It comprised the military, domestic, and religious entourage of the French royal family during the Ancien Régime and Bourbon Restoration.
Organisation
...
infantry downhill. Berwick was in the charge of the division that broke the English lines. They were driven from the field with heavy losses. Berwick was one of Luxemburg's principal officers, and in 1694 commanded the centre of a large French army. After several forced marches to entrap William, they crossed the Meuse again before stopping them near
Neerwinden
Neerwinden is a village in Belgium in the province of Flemish Brabant, a few miles southeast of Tienen. It is now part of the municipality of Landen.
The village gave its name to two great battles. The first battle was fought in 1693 between t ...
. Berwick struggled against the Foot Guards, who forced his men to retreat in the
Landen
Landen () is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the city of Landen proper and the villages of Attenhoven, Eliksem, Ezemaal, Laar, Neerlanden, Neerwinden, Overwinden, Rumsdorp, Wa ...
. He was taken prisoner by his uncle,
Charles Churchill, and ransomed for 30,000 florins; and later was exchanged for a wounded
Duke of Ormonde
The peerage title Earl of Ormond and the related titles Duke of Ormonde and Marquess of Ormonde have a long and complex history. An earldom of Ormond has been created three times in the Peerage of Ireland.
History of Ormonde titles
The earldom ...
. The Irish peer was accused of allowing himself to fall into enemy hands. The scandal swept Whitehall Palace causing angry questions in Parliament.
At the same time a huge number of 400 ships bound for the Smyrna Convoy were taken by the French. Because of his support for his father and service in the French army against England, he was attainted in 1695 by Act of Parliament rendering his British peerages forfeit.
As a soldier, Berwick was highly esteemed for his courage, abilities and integrity. But when Marlborough challenged the French to fight at Liege, Boufflers retreated. In June 1704, Berwick commanded a combined Franco-Spanish army but they did not seriously challenge the enemy, only taking a few of the
Barrier Fortresses. By July 1706 Berwick had established increasing dominance in the north of Spain as the Bourbons' premier general. In August partizans forced the Earl of Galway to evacuate Madrid allowing Berwick into winter quarters. As a result of distinguished service in 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, Phil ...
, he became a French subject and was appointed 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 ( ...
after his successful expedition against
Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...
in 1706.
Louis XIV was in the habit of sending his marshals lengthy orders. In 1707 he wrote the duc de Vendome: "...it will be absolutely necessary for the Duke of Berwick to detach a similar proportion and to send a sufficient number of troops to the Elector of Bavaria..." The French allocated 75 battalions and 140 squadrons to the Rhine front, giving Berwick a comfortable numerical superiority. On 25 April 1707, Berwick won a great and decisive victory at the
Almanza
Almanza () is a municipality located in the province of León, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2009 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 609 inhabitants.
Villages
*Almanza
* Cabrera de Almanza
* Calaveras de Abajo
* C ...
, where an Englishman at the head of a Franco-Spanish army defeated
Ruvigny
Ruvigny () is a commune in the Aube department in north-central France.
Geography
The Barse flows through the commune.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Aube department
The following is a list of the 431 communes of the Aube depart ...
, a Frenchman at the head of an Anglo-Portuguese-Dutch army. Five English, six Dutch, and three Portuguese regiments were captured with all the cannon and regimental colours. The defeat ended Allied hopes of putting the Habsburg candidate on the Spanish throne. Berwick was "the brave English general who had defeated the French" to confused Tories. After Almanza, Berwick was created Duque de Liria y Xérica (
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
: Duke of Liria and Jérica) and
Lieutenant of Aragon by
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 ...
in 1707, and Duc de Fitz-James (
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
:
Duke of Fitz-James Duke of Fitz-James (French: ''duc de Fitz-James'') was a title of nobility in the peerage of France. It was created by King Louis XIV of France in 1710 for James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick, an illegitimate son of King James II of England.
This ...
) in the
Peerage of France
The Peerage of France (french: Pairie de France) was a hereditary distinction within the French nobility which appeared in 1180 in the Middle Ages.
The prestigious title and position of Peer of France (french: Pair de France, links=no) was ...
by
Louis XIV
, house = Bourbon
, father = Louis XIII
, mother = Anne of Austria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
, death_date =
, death_place = Palace of Ver ...
in 1710. But in the meantime in July 1707, Berwick heard the Allies had left Maastricht and sent 34 battalions and 75 squadrons north to meet Prince Eugene's army. In the spring of 1708, a Dutch force raided Berwick's camp at Cenco, killing all the men in their tents, with Berwick expressing shock at the "barbarous" action. By July Berwick had caught up with Vendome's army at
Oudenarde, but was yet to arrive, anticipating Vendome would retreat to join up his force at Gavre six miles away. But Berwick was at Givet on River Meuse when he heard of Vendome's heavy defeat. Berwick rescued 9,000 stragglers using them to garrison Douai, and then moved Lille, where he prepared to be besieged. However, the English arrived there first and managed to dismantle the defensive ramparts before he could reach them. Nonetheless on 3 August, Berwick reckoned a siege was afoot reinforcing the garrison with 20 battalions and 7 squadrons of dragoons with horses. Lille was a heavily defended and fortified town, important to King Louis. Astutely, Berwick realized Marlborough was trying to bring his battered army to battle, despite constant missives from Versailles ordering an immediate attack. On 22 October Marshal Boufflers finally gave up and marched out to Douai. But crucially, Berwick's army remained intact.
Berwick was Marlborough's nephew. Long before he had become a
Marshall of France, he had remained in contact with his uncle's family when they were in exile, when the siege at Lille began. Berwick sent an equerry to purchase some horses from the Allies.
[Duke of Berwick to Marlborough 8 September 1703 in British Library, Add MS 61270, f.1, .] Furthermore, his widowed mother married Colonel Godfrey of the English army. In 1710, the Tories won the election, sweeping away Protestant opposition to a peace with France. Berwick, encouraged by Louis XIV, planned an army to invade England. With Marlborough out of favour, France was saved the indignity of defeat.
Foreign mercenary in exile
The last great event of 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, Phil ...
was the Duke of Berwick's storming of
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, after
a long siege, on 11 September 1714. In that year, he was appointed a
Knight of the Golden Fleece
This article contains a list of knights of the Order of the Golden Fleece.
Knights of the Burgundian Golden Fleece
15th Century
!Year of Induction!!Name!!Born!!Died!!Notes
, -
, rowspan=25, 1430, , Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, , 1396, , ...
. Trying to explain the failure of the
Jacobite Risings
, war =
, image = Prince James Francis Edward Stuart by Louis Gabriel Blanchet.jpg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = James Francis Edward Stuart, Jacobite claimant between 1701 and 1766
, active ...
, the Old Pretender "never forgave his half-brother, The Blues ex-colonel, Berwick, now an experienced and competent commander, for declining to lead his forces". Soon afterwards, Berwick was appointed military governor of the province of
Guienne
Guyenne or Guienne (, ; oc, Guiana ) was an old French province which corresponded roughly to the Roman province of '' Aquitania Secunda'' and the archdiocese of Bordeaux.
The name "Guyenne" comes from ''Aguyenne'', a popular transformation o ...
, where he became friendly with
Montesquieu
Charles Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu (; ; 18 January 168910 February 1755), generally referred to as simply Montesquieu, was a French judge, man of letters, historian, and political philosopher.
He is the princi ...
. In December 1718 he led an army to Spain, against Philip V, in the
War of the Quadruple Alliance
The War of the Quadruple Alliance (1718–1720) was caused by Spanish attempts to recover territories in Italy ceded in the 1713 Peace of Utrecht. Largely focused on Sicily, it included minor engagements in North America and Northern Europe as we ...
, bombarding
San Sebastián and occupying the
districts of Gipuzkoa and Biscay. Many years of peace followed this campaign that ended the following March. The King of Spain sued for peace in January 1720 and Berwick was not called to serve again in the field until 1733. In that year he was chosen to lead the Army of the Rhine in the
War of the 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 European powers widened in pursuit of thei ...
, successfully besieging
Kehl
Kehl (; gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Kaal) is a town in southwestern Germany in the Ortenaukreis, Baden-Württemberg. It is on the river Rhine, directly opposite the French city of Strasbourg, with which it shares some municipal servicesfor exa ...
in 1733. A year later he was decapitated by a cannonball at the
Siege of Philippsburg, on 12 June 1734.
Marriages and children
![Benedetto Gennari - James, Duke of Berwick - Alba Collection](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Benedetto_Gennari_-_James%2C_Duke_of_Berwick_-_Alba_Collection.png)
Berwick had children by both his marriages. His descendants were the French Ducs de Fitz-James and the Spanish Duques de Liria and later the
Dukes of Alba
Duke of Alba de Tormes ( es, Duque de Alba de Tormes), commonly known as Duke of Alba, is a title of Spanish nobility that is accompanied by the dignity of Grandee of Spain. In 1472, the title of ''Count of Alba de Tormes'', inherited by ...
.
Berwick fell in love with General
Patrick Sarsfield
Patrick Sarsfield, 1st Earl of Lucan, ga, Pádraig Sáirseál, circa 1655 to 21 August 1693, was an Irish soldier, and leading figure in the Jacobite army during the 1689 to 1691 Williamite War in Ireland.
Born into a wealthy Catholic famil ...
's 19-year-old pregnant widow. They married in Saint-Germain-en-Laye (Yvelines) on 26 March 1695, two years after Sarsfield's death in the Battle of Landen on 29 July 1693. This was
Honora, Countess of Lucan (formerly known as Lady Honora Burke or Lady Honora de Burgh; b. Portumna Castle, Co. Galway, c. 1675 – d. Pézenas, 16 January 1698), the daughter of
William Burke, 7th Earl of Clanricarde
William Burke, 7th Earl of Clanricarde, PC (Ire) (; ; died 1687), was an Irish peer who fought in his youth together with his brother Richard, 6th Earl of Clanricarde under their cousin, Ulick Burke, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde against the P ...
, an
Anglo-Irish peer. Berwick raised Sarsfield's son,
James Sarsfield, 2nd Earl of Lucan
James Sarsfield, 2nd Earl of Lucan (1693-1719), was a French-born Jacobite of Irish descent.
He was the son of Patrick Sarsfield, 1st Earl of Lucan and his wife Honora Burke. His father was a leading commander of the Jacobite Irish Army durin ...
, who died childless in 1718, as his own. Berwick and the Countess had a son:
#
James Francis Fitz-James Stuart, who inherited the title
Duke of Berwick
Duke of Berwick () ''()'' is a title that was created in the Peerage of England on 19 March 1687 for James FitzJames, the illegitimate son of James II and VII, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland and Arabella Churchill. The title's name ...
on his father's death, or Jacobo Francisco Fitz-James Stuart, 2nd
Duke of Berwick
Duke of Berwick () ''()'' is a title that was created in the Peerage of England on 19 March 1687 for James FitzJames, the illegitimate son of James II and VII, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland and Arabella Churchill. The title's name ...
, 2nd
Duke of Liria and Xerica
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 r ...
(Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Yvelines, 21 October 1696 – Naples, Italy, 2 June 1738). He married
Catalina Ventura Colón de Portugal
Catalina may refer to:
Arts and media
* ''The Catalina'', a 2012 American reality television show
* ''Catalina'' (novel), a 1948 novel by W. Somerset Maugham
* Catalina (''My Name Is Earl''), character from the NBC sitcom ''My Name Is Earl''
...
,
Duchess of Veragua and Duchess of La Vega, a descendant of
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
* lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo
* es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón
* pt, Cristóvão Colombo
* ca, Cristòfor (or )
* la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...
.
After Honora Burke's death just three years later in 1698, Berwick married Anne Bulkeley (d. 12 June 1751), daughter of
Henry Bulkeley
Henry Bulkeley (–1698) was an English courtier and politician.
Bulkeley was the fifth son of Thomas Bulkeley, 1st Viscount Bulkeley and Blanche Coytmore. He was educated at Queens' College, Cambridge and admitted at Gray's Inn in 1654. He w ...
(Master of the Household to James II), in Paris on 18 April 1700. They had eight sons and five daughters: These included
Charles de Fitz-James, the 4th Duke of Fitz-James.
Ancestry
Notes
References
*
*
*
*
*
*
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Honora De Burgo page*
, -
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Berwick, James Fitzjames, 1st Duke Of
1670 births
1734 deaths
17th-century English nobility
18th-century English nobility
Military personnel from Moulins, Allier
French army commanders in the War of the Spanish Succession
French military personnel of the War of the Quadruple Alliance
French military personnel of the War of the Polish Succession
British Life Guards officers
Dukes of Fitz-James
Fitz-James
Illegitimate branches of the House of Stuart
Illegitimate children of James II of England
King's Regiment (Liverpool) officers
Garter Knights appointed by James II
Knights of the Golden Fleece of Spain
Lord-Lieutenants of Hampshire
Marshals of France
Royal Horse Guards officers
University of Paris alumni
FitzJames
The House of FitzJames Stuart, or simply FitzJames, is a noble house founded by James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick. He was the illegitimate son of James II & VII, King of England, Scotland and Ireland, a monarch of the House of Stuart.Ruvigny, ...
Dukes of Berwick
Peers of England created by James II
Peers created by Louis XIV
Generals of the Holy Roman Empire
Montesquieu
Sons of kings