Mestre de camp or Maître de camp (; "camp-master") was a

military rank Military ranks are a system of hierarchical relationships, within armed forces, police, intelligence agencies or other institutions organized along military lines. The military rank system defines dominance, authority, and responsibility in a m ...

in the

Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien A ''virelai'' is a form of medieval French verse used often in poetry and music. It is ...

of France, equivalent to

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 of ...

. A mestre de camp commanded a

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

and was under the authority of a

Colonel General Colonel general is a three- or four-star military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, and was a r ...

, who commanded all the regiments in one " arme". The rank also existed in

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a Sovereign state, country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southern Europe, Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes ...

and

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") , i ...

, as ''mestre de campo''. When the role of infantry

colonel general Colonel general is a three- or four-star military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, and was a r ...

was abolished in 1661, the mestre de camp took the title of colonel. The cavalry regiments, on the other hand, remained under the authority of a colonel general, were commanded individually by mestres de camp until 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 consider ...

. The rank of mestre de camp was demonstrated by wearing a pair of

épaulette Epaulette (; also spelled epaulet) is a type of ornamental shoulder piece or decoration used as insignia of rank by armed forces and other organizations. Flexible metal epaulettes (usually made from brass) are referred to as ''shoulder scales' ...

s with gilded or silver fringes. The rank was abolished during the French Revolution and replaced by that of

chef de brigade Chef de brigade was a military rank in the French Royal Artillery and in the revolutionary French armies. Before the revolution ''Chef de brigade'' was equivalent to major in the French Royal Corps of Artillery. Each regiment of artillery was divi ...

Purchase of Mestre de camp rank

Until the late 18th century, certain regiments of the French cavalry could be, with the King's permission, "purchased", i.e. the right to command the regiment could be transmitted from an individual to another, usually with monetary compensation. The buyer, if he had prior service as an officer, was promoted ''ipso facto'' mestre de camp. In certain cases, the King let the regiment pass from father to son, like a patrimonial estate. Consequently, scions of the high aristocracy could gain the rank at a very young age and thus be in a good position to obtain promotions (by seniority) to the rank of

brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In ...

. For example, Jacques FitzJames inherited FitzJames' Regiment at 15 in 1759, allowing him to be promoted Brigadier at 25 in 1769.

Variants of the rank

* ''Mestre de camp commandant'' : when a regiment had several mestres de camp in its staff, the commander of the regiment had the title of ''mestre de camp commandant'' * ''Mestre de camp en second'' : when a regiment had several mestres de camp in its staff, the deputy commander of the regiment had the title of ''mestre de camp en second'' * ''Mestre de camp lieutenant'' : when the King was nominal commander of a regiment, the actual commander had the title of ''mestre de camp lieutenant'' * ''Mestre de camp à la suite'' : when a mestre de camp had no command but was positioned in a regiment's staff, he had the title of ''mestre de camp à la suite'' * ''Mestre de camp réformé'' : mestre de camp without position in the army.

References

Military ranks of France Military history of the Ancien Régime {{mil-rank-stub