François III Maximilien de la Woestyne,
3rd Marquess of Becelaere, Grande of Spain and Lord of Walincourt, died in
Cambrai 12 May 1794
Events
January–March
* January 1 – The Stibo Group is founded by Niels Lund as a printing company in Aarhus (Denmark).
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, was a victim of 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 coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...
.
Family
His father was Maximilien de la Woestyne, heir of the Flemish house of La Woestyne and his mother was Isabella de Ghelinck. He married in 1758 to Marie Eleonore, daughter of count
Johann Karl Philipp von Cobenzl. From this marriage his successor is born: Charles de la Woestyne, 4th Marquess of Becelaere, born in Brussel 1759. Eleonore died in 1771 (or 1776). The marquess remarried his chambermaid, Marguerite Bonnefond. In 1763 he became the 3rd Marquess of Becelaere after the death of his father. He took residence to keep his estate in France, and did not leave. His children did flee the country when the revolution became too dangerous.
Execution
During this time, the Marquess took residence in
Cambrai. The family resided in the Hotel de Becelaer since 1746, where he was arrested on the night of 22
Floréal.
The marquess was sentenced in
Arras as treasoner to the republic and condemned to death on behalf of
Joseph Le Bon. The marquess explained that he renounces his feodal titles, and renounces his old privileges. He explained that he did marry a simple commoner. His judges replied: "''Ce n'est pas la truie qui démarquise, c'est le cochon qui ennoblit''."
The judges have no mercy: both are to be executed by
Guillotine
A guillotine is an apparatus designed for efficiently carrying out executions by beheading. The device consists of a tall, upright frame with a weighted and angled blade suspended at the top. The condemned person is secured with stocks at t ...
.
The abbé Boniface testifies that this execution was horrible: because the knife had executed so many people they had to pull the axe up three times. The people witnessed the Marquess still alive and continuously crying until the end.
Mémoires de la Société d'émulation de Cambrai : agriculture, sciences et arts : séance publique ... Auteur : Société d'émulation de Cambrai. Auteur du texte Éditeur : Impr. A. F. Hurez (Cambrai) Éditeur : Société d'émulation de Cambrai (Cambrai) Date d'édition : 1871–11-19
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However, historical records state that the couple were the only ones executed on that day.
References
{{Europe-noble-stub
People executed by guillotine during the French Revolution
Grandees of Spain