Louis Phélypeaux, marquis of Phélypeaux (29 March 1643 – 22 December 1727), Marquis of Phélypeaux (1667), Comte de Maurepas (1687), Count of Pontchartrain (1699), known as the ''chancellor de Pontchartrain'', was a French politician.

Biography

Louis Phélypeaux was born on 29 March 1643 as son of

Louis I Phélypeaux de Pontchartrain Louis may refer to: * Louis (coin) * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also Derived or associated terms * Lewis (d ...

, and became an advisor to the Parlement of Paris by request on 11 September 1660. On 16 June 1677, he bought the post of First President of the Parlement of Rennes for the sum of 100,000 francs, replacing François d'Argouges, which on 27 August 1677 was finalised. During revolts in the Duchy of Brittany, Phélypeaux was able to lead a peaceful resolution by helping the return of the Parliament to

Rennes Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...

and meeting with revolters. On 25 April 1687, he was recalled to Paris at request of king Louis XIV to become Controller-General of Finances, which began his career as minister. Between 29 September 1689 and 5 September 1699, Louis was Controller-General, but gained two more ministerial posts in 1690. From 6 November 1690 to 2 July 1714, Louis became Secretary of State of the Maison du Roi (Chief of the King's Household), and from 6 November 1690 to 5 September 1699 became Secretary of State of the Navy. From 13 November 1690 to 27 December 1693, Louis became Perpetual Head, President, and Director of the East India Company.

Career

He conducted a census of the population from 1693 onward, the first since Vauban's of 1678. At court he was an opponent of Fénelon and the Quietists. Phélypeaux served as

Chancellor of France In France, under the ''Ancien Régime'', the officer of state responsible for the judiciary was the Chancellor of Francesometimes called Grand Chancellor or Lord Chancellor (french: Chancelier de France). The Chancellor was responsible for seei ...

from 5 September 1699 to 1 July 1714. Historian

François Bluche François Bluche (17 September 1925 – 28 June 2018) was a French historian. He painted a largely positive portrait of Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , ...

wrote that "he gave the Chancellor's office an importance and authority not seen since the early years of Pierre Séguier." Saint-Simon greatly admired him, writing "There was never a man so quick of understanding, so cheerful and pleasant in conversation, so swift and confident in action, so sure in his judgment of other men, or so clever in outwitting them…his integrity was remarkable, apparent in everything that he did, and, underlying the lightheartedness that remained with him until the end, was much piety, kindness, and let me add, decency.” Pontchartrain was also Secretary of the Royal Households, his discretion was appreciated by Louis XIV. He was made clerk of the prestigious Order of the Holy Spirit in May 1700. He resigned in 1714 for having failed to affix the seals to the decree of 5 July 1714, condemning a document by the Bishop of Metz, Henri-Charles de Coislin, as contrary to the papal bull Unigenitus. He had found it difficult to reconcile his religious beliefs with those of the increasingly authoritarian Louis XIV. He retired to an

Oratorian An Oratorian is a member of one of the following religious orders: * Oratory of Saint Philip Neri (Roman Catholic), who use the postnominal letters C.O. * Oratory of Jesus (Roman Catholic) * Oratory of the Good Shepherd (Anglican) * Teologisk Orator ...

institution where he died in 1727.

Personal life

In 1668 he married Marie de Maupeou. They had one son,

Jérôme Phélypeaux Jérôme Phélypeaux (March 1674 – 8 February 1747), ''comte de'' (count of) Pontchartrain, was a French statesman, son of Louis Phélypeaux. He served as a councillor to the parlement of Paris from 1692, and served with his father as Secr ...

(1674–1747), comte de Pontchartrain.

Legacy

Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana was named after him, as well as the historic Hotel Pontchartrain in New Orleans. In Michigan his name was given to

Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit or Fort Detroit (1701–1796) was a fort established on the north bank of the Detroit River by the French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac and the Italian Alphonse de Tonty in 1701. In the 18th century, Fr ...

(the site of modern-day Detroit), and to Detroit's Hotel Pontchartrain.

Isle Phelipeaux Isle Phelipeaux or Isle Philippeaux – also called Isle Minong – is a phantom island supposedly located in Lake Superior. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, it was believed to be real, and was shown on maps of the era. The island "Phel ...

, Isle Pontchartrain, and Isle Maurepas, which appear on early maps of Lake Superior, were named in his honour by

Pierre François Xavier de Charlevoix Pierre François Xavier de Charlevoix, S.J. ( la, Petrus Franciscus-Xaverius de Charlevoix; 24 or 29 October 1682 – 1 February 1761) was a French Jesuit priest, traveller, and historian, often considered the first historian of New France. He h ...

. It was later determined that Phelipeaux did not actually exist, and it is uncertain whether Pontchartrain and/or Maurepas refer to real islands known today by other names.

Seymour I. Schwartz Seymour I. Schwartz, (January 22, 1928 – August 28, 2020) was the Distinguished Alumni Professor for the Department of Surgery at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. He was one of the most prolific and honored surgeons in Ameri ...

, ''The Mismapping of America''. Rochester N.Y. : University of Rochester Press, 2003. Chapter 5 French Fantasies. 173-213.

Bibliography

* Sara E. Chapman, ''Private Ambition and Political Alliances the Phélypeaux de Pontchartrain Family and Louis XIV's Government, 1650-1715.'' Rochester N.Y. : University of Rochester Press, 2004. .

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phelypeaux, Louis 1643 births 1727 deaths Secretaries of State of the Navy (France) Secretaries of State of Ancien Régime France Chancellors of France Finance ministers of France House of Phélypeaux