Jean Grusset dict Richardot, knight (1540 – 3 September 1609) was a
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 ...
and
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 ...
from the
Franche-Comté
Franche-Comté (, ; ; Frainc-Comtou: ''Fraintche-Comtè''; frp, Franche-Comtât; also german: Freigrafschaft; es, Franco Condado; all ) is a cultural and historical region of eastern France. It is composed of the modern departments of Doubs, ...
, who held high political office during the
Dutch Revolt
The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) (Historiography of the Eighty Years' War#Name and periodisation, c.1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and t ...
and played an important role in restoring Habsburg rule in the
Southern Netherlands
The Southern Netherlands, also called the Catholic Netherlands, were the parts of the Low Countries belonging to the Holy Roman Empire which were at first largely controlled by Habsburg Spain (Spanish Netherlands, 1556–1714) and later by the A ...
.
Early life and career
Jean Richardot belonged to the network of families from the Franche-Comté that rose to important posts in the administration of the
Habsburg Netherlands
Habsburg Netherlands was the Renaissance period fiefs in the Low Countries held by the Holy Roman Empire's House of Habsburg. The rule began in 1482, when the last House of Valois-Burgundy, Valois-Burgundy ruler of the Netherlands, Mary of Burgu ...
under the patronage of
Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle
Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle (20 August 151721 September 1586), Comte de La Baume Saint Amour, was a Bisontin ( Free Imperial City of Besançon) statesman, made a cardinal, who followed his father as a leading minister of the Spanish Habsb ...
. He was born in
Champlitte
Champlitte is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. The inhabitants of Champlitte are known in French as the Chanitois.
History
During the Roman Era, Champlitte was close to two maj ...
in 1540 as the son of Guillaume Grusset and Marguerite Richardot. His uncle on his mother's side was
François Richardot
François Richardot (Franciscus) (1507-1574), was a celebrated Burgundian-French Catholic preacher, and confessor to Margaret of Parma. He was Bishop of Arras from 1561 to 1574.
He was an Augustinian Hermit, and became titular bishop of Nicopoli ...
, the confessor of
Margaret of Parma
Margaret of Parma (; 5 July 1522 – 18 January 1586) was Governor of the Netherlands from 1559 to 1567 and from 1578 to 1582. She was the illegitimate daughter of the then 22-year-old Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and Johanna Maria van der G ...
, a close collaborator of Granvelle and his successor as
bishop of Arras
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Arras (–Boulogne–Saint-Omer) (Latin: ''Dioecesis Atrebatensis (–Bononiena–Audomarensis)''; French: ''Diocèse d'Arras (–Boulogne–Saint-Omer)'') is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church ...
. François Richardot supervised his nephew's education and furthered his first steps in the Habsburg administration. Whether out of gratitude or calculation, Jean Grusset subsequently adopted his uncle's surname. After his humanities at the Collège Granvelle in
Besançon
Besançon (, , , ; archaic german: Bisanz; la, Vesontio) is the prefecture of the department of Doubs in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The city is located in Eastern France, close to the Jura Mountains and the border with Switzerl ...
, Jean studied law at the universities of
Leuven
Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic ...
, where he established strong ties with one of his professors,
Peter Peckius. He continued his studies in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
and
Padua
Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...
and obtained his doctorate in law from the
University of Bologna
The University of Bologna ( it, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, UNIBO) is a public research university in Bologna, Italy. Founded in 1088 by an organised guild of students (''studiorum''), it is the oldest university in continuo ...
.
Thanks to the patronage of Granvelle,
Philip II Philip II may refer to:
* Philip II of Macedon (382–336 BC)
* Philip II (emperor) (238–249), Roman emperor
* Philip II, Prince of Taranto (1329–1374)
* Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342–1404)
* Philip II, Duke of Savoy (1438-1497)
* Philip ...
appointed Richardot councillor in the
Great Council of Mechelen
From the 15th century onwards, the Great Council of the Netherlands at Mechelen (Dutch: ''De Grote Raad der Nederlanden te Mechelen''; French: ''le grand conseil des Pays-Bas à Malines''; German: ''der Grosse Rat der Niederlände zu Mecheln'') w ...
in 1568. Seven years later he was promoted to the
Privy Council of the Habsburg Netherlands
The Privy Council or Secret Council ( nl, Geheime Raad, french: Conseil Privé) was one of the three "collateral councils" (along with the Council of Finance and Council of State) that together formed the highest government institutions of the Habs ...
, one of the three Collateral Councils that advised the
Governor-General
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
of the Habsburg Netherlands, a post that was at the time held by Don
Luis de Requesens y Zúñiga
Luis de Requesens y Zúñiga (25 August 1528 – 5 March 1576) was a Spanish general, sailor, diplomat and politician. He served as governor of the Duchy of Milan (1572–1573) and as governor of the Spanish Netherlands (1573–1576).
Biography
...
. In the confusion that followed the death of Requesens, Richardot sided with the
Dutch Revolt
The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) (Historiography of the Eighty Years' War#Name and periodisation, c.1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and t ...
and its leader
William the Silent
William the Silent (24 April 153310 July 1584), also known as William the Taciturn (translated from nl, Willem de Zwijger), or, more commonly in the Netherlands, William of Orange ( nl, Willem van Oranje), was the main leader of the Dutch Re ...
. The move earned him an appointment to the Privy Council of the rebels' Governor-General
Archduke Matthias. In that capacity he was sent to
Arras
Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department, which forms part of the regions of France, region of Hauts-de-France; before the regions of France#Reform and mergers of ...
to use his local connections to dissuade the States of
Artois
Artois ( ; ; nl, Artesië; English adjective: ''Artesian'') is a region of northern France. Its territory covers an area of about 4,000 km2 and it has a population of about one million. Its principal cities are Arras (Dutch: ''Atrecht'') ...
from joining the
Union of Arras
The Union of Arras (Dutch: ''Unie van Atrecht'', French: ''Union d'Arras'', Spanish: ''Unión de Arrás'') was an alliance between the County of Artois, the County of Hainaut and the city of Douai in the Habsburg Netherlands in early 1579 during ...
.
Rise to power under Farnese
Richardot would soon follow the example of the States of Artois, Hainaut and Lille, Douai and Orchies and reconcile with the new Governor-General,
Alexander Farnese Alessandro Farnese may refer to:
* Pope Paul III (1468–1549), Roman Catholic Bishop of Rome
*Alessandro Farnese (cardinal) (1520–1589), Paul's grandson, Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal-nephew
* Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma (1545–1592), ...
. He even penned a satirical attack on
William the Silent
William the Silent (24 April 153310 July 1584), also known as William the Taciturn (translated from nl, Willem de Zwijger), or, more commonly in the Netherlands, William of Orange ( nl, Willem van Oranje), was the main leader of the Dutch Re ...
, published anonymously as ''Le Renart decouvert'' (Mons:
Rutger Velpius
Rutger Velpius (around 1540–1614/15) was a 16th- and 17th-century printer and bookseller. He was the first printer in the city of Mons, and later became printer to the court in Brussels. His career coincided closely with the first decades of the ...
, 1580). Farnese was quick to recognize Richardot's talents, confirmed his membership of the Privy Council in 1580 and saw to his appointment as president of the Council of Artois in 1581. One of his first achievements was persuading the States of Artois to accept the return of Spanish units from the
Army of Flanders
The Army of Flanders ( es, Ejército de Flandes nl, Leger van Vlaanderen) was a multinational army in the service of the kings of Spain that was based in the Spanish Netherlands during the 16th to 18th centuries. It was notable for being the longe ...
. Soon thereafter Richardot was knighted by Philip II. On 26 February 1583, he was appointed councillor of the Council of State, the highest of the Collateral Councils and as such in charge of advising on matters of state. Farnese employed Richardot in many of the negotiations that secured the reconciliation of towns in
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...
and
Brabant Brabant is a traditional geographical region (or regions) in the Low Countries of Europe. It may refer to:
Place names in Europe
* London-Brabant Massif, a geological structure stretching from England to northern Germany
Belgium
* Province of Bra ...
. Among these were
Ypres
Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though
the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality co ...
,
Bruges
Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country, and the sixth-largest city of the countr ...
,
Ghent
Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded in ...
,
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
and
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, . He was also put in charge of the delegation that met with the envoys of
Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen".
El ...
at
Bourbourg
Bourbourg (; ) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is situated in the maritime plain of northern France, in the middle of a triangle formed by Dunkirk, Calais, and Saint-Omer.
Population
In 1945 Bourbourg absorbed the for ...
in 1587, in a feigned attempt to end
hostilities
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
between England and Spain. Meanwhile, Farnese sent Richardot twice to the court of Madrid. His mission in 1583-1584 was to obtain more men and money for the war in the Netherlands. In 1589 he was sent to explain Farnese's failure to invade England with the
Spanish Armada
The Spanish Armada (a.k.a. the Enterprise of England, es, Grande y Felicísima Armada, links=no, lit=Great and Most Fortunate Navy) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aris ...
.
The disgrace and death of Farnese in December 1592 put Richardot's career on hold. The acting Governor-General
Count Peter Ernst von Mansfeld even sought means to remove him from the Council of State. Initially, the
Count of Fuentes was no less hostile, though he came to value Richardot's abilities towards the end of his tenure as acting Governor-General.
President of the Privy Council under the Archdukes
Richardot saw his political fortunes restored after
Cardinal-Archduke Albert was installed as the new Governor-General in February 1596. On 15 May 1597 Albert's recommendation ensured his appointment to the post of Chief-President of the Privy Council. From then on Richardot would be the highest ranking and most influential subject of the Habsburg Netherlands serving the Governor-General and subsequently the sovereign Archdukes Albert and
Isabella
Isabella may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Isabella (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Isabella (surname), including a list of people
Places
United States
* Isabella, Alabama, an unincorpor ...
. As a well known supporter of a general pacification in the Netherlands, he was often depicted by those in favor of continuing the
war against the United Provinces and their English and French allies as lacking in loyalty to the Spanish crown. In spite of that opposition, Richardot's policies would gradually prevail.
![The Somerset House Conference 19 August 1604](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/The_Somerset_House_Conference_19_August_1604.jpg)
At every stage Richardot was at the center of the negotiations, as a rule seconded by the archducal ''Audiencier''
Louis Verreycken
Lodewijk Verreycken (in French language sources referred to as Louis Verreycken) (1552 - 23 October 1621), Lord of Impden, Sart, Ruart, Hamme was secretary of the Council of State of the Habsburg Netherlands and audiencier of the Privy Council of ...
. Between February and May 1598, the two of them teamed up with
Juan de Tassis in the talks leading to the
Peace of Vervins
The Peace of Vervins or Treaty of Vervins was signed between the representatives of Henry IV of France and Philip II of Spain under the auspices of the papal legates of Clement VIII, on 2 May 1598 at the small town of Vervins in Picardy, northern ...
between Philip II and
Henry IV of France
Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarc ...
. Two years later, Richardot had to admit defeat when talks held at
Boulogne
Boulogne-sur-Mer (; pcd, Boulonne-su-Mér; nl, Bonen; la, Gesoriacum or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department of Pas-de-Calais. Boulogne lies on the ...
broke up over issues of precedence, thereby wasting the chance to bring an end to the war between Elizabeth I and
Philip III. When the succession of
James I of England
James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland as James I from the Union of the Crowns, union of the Scottish and Eng ...
opened a new window of opportunity, Richardot, Verreycken and
Charles princely count of Arenberg participated between May and August 1604 in the conference at Somerset House that elaborated the
Treaty of London. In an effort to conclude a peace treaty with the
Dutch Republic
The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...
,
Ambrogio Spinola
Ambrogio Spinola Doria, 1st Marquess of Los Balbases and 1st Duke of Sesto (1569-25 September 1630) was an Italian ''condottiero'' and nobleman of the Republic of Genoa, who served as a Spanish general and won a number of important battles. He i ...
and Richardot acted as the chief negotiators in the Habsburg delegation at the conference of The Hague from February to August 1608. Hopes to reach a definitive peace foundered however on irreconcilable issues of religion and trade. Under the mediation of France and England, the parties then settled for the
Twelve Years' Truce
The Twelve Years' Truce was a ceasefire during the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic, agreed in Antwerp on 9 April 1609 and ended on 9 April 1621. While European powers like France began treating the Republic as a sovereign n ...
that was signed in
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, in April 1609.
Death and descendants
Almost immediately after concluding the Truce, the archducal regime was confronted with the
succession dispute over the Duchies of
Jülich
Jülich (; in old spellings also known as ''Guelich'' or ''Gülich'', nl, Gulik, french: Juliers, Ripuarian: ''Jöllesch'') is a town in the district of Düren, in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. As a border region betwe ...
,
Cleves
Kleve (; traditional en, Cleves ; nl, Kleef; french: Clèves; es, Cléveris; la, Clivia; Low Rhenish: ''Kleff'') is a town in the Lower Rhine region of northwestern Germany near the Dutch border and the River Rhine. From the 11th century ...
and
Berg Berg may refer to:
People
*Berg (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name)
*Berg Ng (born 1960), Hong Kong actor
* Berg (footballer) (born 1989), Brazilian footballer
Former states
*Berg (state), county and duchy of the Holy ...
. Soon Henry IV of France and Archduke Albert were sharply divided over how to deal with the crisis. To make matters worse, the
Prince of Condé
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
chose that moment to flee to Brussels with his wife,
Charlotte Marguerite de Montmorency
Charlotte Marguerite de Montmorency (11 May 1594 – 2 December 1650) was an heiress of one of France's leading ducal families, and Princess de Condé by her marriage to Henri de Bourbon. She almost became a mistress of Henry IV of France, bu ...
, thereby hoping to put her out of reach of the French king's amorous attentions. Hoping to avert a war, Richardot travelled to the French Court in August 1609 with instructions to assure Henry IV of Albert's neutrality in both affairs. In a show of displeasure, Henry conducted the audience outdoors, compelling the almost septuagenarian minister to stand bareheaded in the Sun for over an hour. Apparently suffering from the effects of hyperthermia, Richardot died on the way home at the residence of his son and namesake, the Bishop of Arras, on 3 September. He was buried in the chapel of the Most Holy Sacrament of Miracles of the then collegiate church of
St Gudula in Brussels.
In 1568 Jean Richardot married Anne Courcol de Baillencourt, who descended of a noble family from Artois. The couple had twelve children. Among them were:
*Françoise, married
Conrad III Schetz dict van Ursel, created 1st baron of
Hoboken
Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,69 ...
in 1600, first archducal ambassador in England (1604-1609), ancestor of the
Dukes d'Ursel.
*
Jean Richardot the Younger
Jean Richardot the Younger ( Arras 1573 - Cambrai February 1614) was bishop of Arras (1602–1609) and prince-archbishop of Cambrai, duke of Cambrai and count of the Cambrésis (1609–1614). He served the Archdukes Albert and Isabella as a dip ...
,
bishop of Arras
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Arras (–Boulogne–Saint-Omer) (Latin: ''Dioecesis Atrebatensis (–Bononiena–Audomarensis)''; French: ''Diocèse d'Arras (–Boulogne–Saint-Omer)'') is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church ...
(1603-1609) and
prince-archbishop of Cambrai (1609-1614).
*François, lieutenant of a company of cavalry, died in the
Battle of Nieuwpoort
The Battle of Nieuwpoort, was fought on 2 July 1600 during the Eighty Years War and the Anglo-Spanish war in the dunes near Nieuwpoort. The Anglo-Dutch companies met the Spanish veterans head on which, although their left flank nearly broke, we ...
.
*
Pierre
Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...
, abbot of
Echternach
Echternach ( lb, Iechternach or (locally) ) is a commune with town status in the canton of Echternach, which is part of the district of Grevenmacher, in eastern Luxembourg. Echternach lies near the border with Germany, and is the oldest town in L ...
(1607-1628).
*Guillaume Richardot, who was educated in the house of
Justus Lipsius
Justus Lipsius (Joest Lips or Joost Lips; 18 October 1547 – 23 March 1606) was a Flemish Catholic philologist, philosopher, and humanist. Lipsius wrote a series of works designed to revive ancient Stoicism in a form that would be compatible w ...
, styled baron of Lembeek, created count of
Galmaarden
Galmaarden (; french: Gammerages, ) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns of Galmaarden proper, Tollembeek and Vollezele. It is also situated in the Pajottenland. On January 1, 20 ...
(in
French: Gammeranges) in 1623.
*Antoine Richardot, who was also educated in the house of
Justus Lipsius
Justus Lipsius (Joest Lips or Joost Lips; 18 October 1547 – 23 March 1606) was a Flemish Catholic philologist, philosopher, and humanist. Lipsius wrote a series of works designed to revive ancient Stoicism in a form that would be compatible w ...
, captain of a company of cavalry, died of his wounds after an encounter at
Rheinberg
Rheinberg () is a town in the Wesel (district), district of Wesel, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Rhine, approx. north of Moers and south of Wesel.
It comprises the municipal districts of Rheinberg, B ...
.
Footnotes
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richardot, Jean
1540 births
1609 deaths
Diplomats of the Habsburg Netherlands
Presidents of the Privy Council of the Habsburg Netherlands
Burials at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula
Burgundian people of the Eighty Years' War