François-Jules-Gaspard de Contades, Vicomte de Contades (29 December 1760 – 3 September 1811) was a French aristocrat and soldier who was known as the Chevalier de Contades.

Early life

Contades was born on 29 December 1760 in

Angers Angers (, , ;) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Duchy of Anjou, Anjou until the French Revolution. The i ...

, the prefecture of the

Maine-et-Loire Maine-et-Loire () is a department in the Loire Valley in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France. It is named after the two rivers, Maine and the Loire. It borders Mayenne and Sarthe to the north, Loire-Atlantique to the west, Indr ...

department. He was the youngest son of Julie Victoire Constantin de La Lorie, Dame du Plantis (1739–1828) and Georges-Gaspard de Contades, Marquis de Contades (1726–1794), a member of the

Académie des sciences The French Academy of Sciences (, ) is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French Scientific method, scientific research. It was at the forefron ...

. Among his siblings were

Erasmus-Gaspard de Contades Erasmus-Gaspard de Contades, comte de Contades et de l'Empire (12 March 1758 – 9 November 1834) was a French aristocrat, politician, and Lieutenant-General of the King's Armies. Early life Contades was born on 12 March 1758 in Angers, the pref ...

and Louis Gabriel de Contades. His paternal grandfather was Louis Georges Érasme de Contades, Marquis de Contades, a prominent battlefield commander during the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...

who was made a

Marshal of France Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...

Career

He served as "Major en second" of the Infantry

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

. In 1791, during the French Revolution, he joined the

Armée des Émigrés The Armée des Émigrés ( English: ''Army of the Émigrés'') were counter-revolutionary armies raised outside France by and out of royalist émigrés, with the aim of overthrowing the First French Republic and restoring the monarchy. These we ...

, a

counter-revolutionary A counter-revolutionary or an anti-revolutionary is anyone who opposes or resists a revolution, particularly one who acts after a revolution has occurred, in order to try to overturn it or reverse its course, in full or in part. The adjective "c ...

armies raised outside France by and out of

royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gove ...

émigré An ''émigré'' () is a person who has emigrated, often with a connotation of political or social exile or self-exile. The word is the past participle of the French verb ''émigrer'' meaning "to emigrate". French Huguenots Many French Hugueno ...

s, with the aim of overthrowing the French Revolution, reconquering France and restoring the monarchy. He served in the campaigns of the

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

of 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 f ...

. In November 1794, he was a Major in the regiment of British

Uhlan Uhlan (; ; ; ; ) is a type of light cavalry, primarily armed with a lance. The uhlans started as Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army, Lithuanian irregular cavalry, that were later also adopted by other countries during the 18th century, including Polis ...

Regiment, of which his brother-in-law, Louis de Bouillé, was Colonel. In 1795, he became Colonel of a Light Infantry regiment known as Talpaches de Rohan, raised by Cardinal Louis-René de Rohan (but owned by his nephew,

Charles Alain, Prince of Guéméné Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was ...

) He later fought in the Régiment de Rohan in the service of

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

, reaching the rank of Major-General.

First French Empire

In 1803, he benefited from the

amnesty Amnesty () is defined as "A pardon extended by the government to a group or class of people, usually for a political offense; the act of a sovereign power officially forgiving certain classes of people who are subject to trial but have not yet be ...

concerning former emigrants, following article 12 of the

Sénatus-consulte A (French language, French translation of ) was a feature of French law during the French Consulate (1799–1804), First French Empire (1804–1814, 1815) and Second French Empire (1852–1870). Consulate and First Empire It was an act voted ...

of 1802. He resided at his family's

Château de Montgeoffroy The Château de Montgeoffroy () is an 18th-century manor house located in the commune of Mazé (Maine-et-Loire), France. History In 1676, Érasme de Contades acquired the property. In 1772, Marshal Louis Georges Érasme de Contades, governor of ...

, which had been the property of the Contades family since 1772.

Personal life

On 9 March 1791, Contades was married, by contract, to Cécile Emilie Céleste Eléonore "Mérote" de Bouillé (1774–1801), a daughter of Marie Louise Guillemette de Bègue and

François Claude Amour, marquis de Bouillé François Claude Amour, marquis de Bouillé (19 November 1739 – 14 November 1800) was a French general and colonial administrator. After distinguishing himself in the Seven Years' War, he was appointed governor of Guadeloupe in 1768. A well-lo ...

, one of King

Louis XVI Louis XVI (Louis-Auguste; ; 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. The son of Louis, Dauphin of France (1729–1765), Louis, Dauphin of France (son and heir- ...

's generals who was a leading conspirator involved in the royal family's failed flight in 1791 (the failure of which forced Bouillé into exile). Together, they were the parents of: * Constance de Contades (1792–1854), who married Jacques-Philippe Bernard de La Barre de Danne. * Jules Gaspard Amour de Contades (1794–1861), a cavalry officer who married Gabrielle Adèle Alexandrine Amys du Ponceau. Contades died on 3 September 1811 in Angers.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Contades, Louis Gabriel De 1760 births 1811 deaths Marquesses of Contades Viscounts of the First French Empire