François Dominique de Barberie de Saint-Contest (26 June 1701 – 14 July 1754) was a French Foreign Minister. Born into an old Norman family that had helped keep the city of

Caen Caen (; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune inland from the northwestern coast of France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Calvados (department), Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inha ...

allied to

Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown. ...

, in 1620, François-Dominique, son of Councilor of State-Claude Dominique Barberie de Saint Contest was named King's attorney at the Chatelet in Paris, 27 November 1721, and advisor to Parliament (1724), master of requests, advisor to the Hotel de Ville (1728), steward of Beam (1737), Caen (1739) and Dijon, from 1740 to 1749. In the 1720s he was a member of the

Club de l'Entresol The Club de l'Entresol (, "Mezzanine Club") was a discussion group and early think tank in Paris, active from 1723 to 1731, created and primarily led by Abbot Pierre-Joseph Alary. Name and background The club's name came from the fact that a ...

, an early modern

think tank A think tank, or public policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governme ...

, together with his father. On 15 July 1749, he was appointed as Ambassador of France in

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

, and like Champeaux, resident in France to Geneva, Switzerland to discuss the contentious issues relating to the territories located in Geneva Gex. Appointed Ambassador of France to

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...

, in the winter 1749, he went to

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

, in September the following year. He soon returned from his embassy at the request of the

Marquise de Pompadour Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour (, ; 29 December 1721 – 15 April 1764), commonly known as Madame de Pompadour, was a member of the French Royal court, court. She was the official maîtresse-en-titre, chief mistress of King Lou ...

, who appointed him, on 11 September 1751, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, on the resignation the Marquis de Puisieux. In this department, he worked to set up against Austria, Russia and England, an alliance comprising France, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Prussia and Turkey. He also blamed later for not maintaining the system, with Marquise de Pompadour, the Marshal de Noailles, the Marquis de Saint-Severin. In the twilight of his life, he was made provost and master of ceremonies of the king's orders, on 12 May 1754.

Family

He married, on 27 September 1735, Monique Jeanne, who had a salon in Dijon. Among their children there: * Margaret Mary-Louise-Victoire Barberie de Saint Contest (born 13 March 1738), married **6 June 1753 to Louis-Henri-Felix du Plessis-Châtillon (1726–1754), Count Châteaumeillan **18 May 1756 Charles-Louis-Joseph-Alexandre de Canouville, Marquis of Raffetot. * Henri-Louis de Barberie de Saint Contest (1708–1772), will be master of requests and steward Champagne, and the initiator of the lovely promenade known sister's name "during Ormesson" in

Châlons-en-Champagne Châlons-en-Champagne () is a city in the Grand Est region of France. It is the capital of the Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne, despite being only a quarter the size of the city of Reims. Formerly called Châlons ...

Notes

Bibliography

* ''Biographie universelle, ancienne et moderne, ou Histoire, par ordre alphabétique, de la vie publique et privée de tous les hommes qui se sont fait remarquer par leurs écrits, leurs actions, leurs talents, leurs vertus ou leurs crimes, ..', Joseph Fr Michaud, Louis Gabriel Michaud, Paris, 1825, vol. 38, p. 534-536 * ''Biographie universelle ancienne et moderne: histoire par ordre alphabétique de la vie publique et privée de tous les hommes...'' published at direction of M. Michaud, Paris, vol. 37, p. 265-266 {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint-Contest, Francois Dominique De Barberie De 1701 births 1754 deaths Foreign ministers of France Ambassadors of France to Switzerland Ambassadors of France to the Netherlands 18th-century French diplomats