Léon d'Ymbault de Vanthay (also: ''Leon d'Ymbault'', ''Leon d'Imbault'', ''Leon von Imbolt'', ''Leon Imbo''; c. 1700 in Dragomesti, now

Astakos Astakos (, meaning "lobster") is a town and a former municipality in Aetolia-Acarnania, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Xiromero, of which it is a municipal unit.

Chernivtsi Chernivtsi (, ; , ;, , see also #Names, other names) is a city in southwestern Ukraine on the upper course of the Prut River. Formerly the capital of the historic region of Bukovina, which is now divided between Romania and Ukraine, Chernivt ...

) was the last Moldavian mayor of Czernowitz before the annexation of the

Bukovina Bukovina or ; ; ; ; , ; see also other languages. is a historical region at the crossroads of Central and Eastern Europe. It is located on the northern slopes of the central Eastern Carpathians and the adjoining plains, today divided betwe ...

by Austria in 1775.

Origin

Léon d'Ymbault was an offspring of low French nobility, from the family of

Maltese knights The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, and commonly known as the Order of Malta or the Knights of Malta, is a Catholic lay religious ...

''Ymbault de Manthay''. Nothing is known about his parents. Ymbault was born in the then Venetian city of Dragomesti (at present

() in the Greek prefecture

Aetolia-Acarnania Aetolia-Acarnania (, ''Aitoloakarnanía'', ) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the geographic regions of Greece, geographic region of Central Greece (geographic region), Central Greece and the administrative regions of Greece, ...

), around the year 1700. The exact date of birth is unknown.

Career

Ymbault got his education in the years 1721–1726 in the Capucine Monastery of Pera (the European quarter of

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

). In 1730 he became a position as

Dragoman A dragoman was an Interpreter (communication), interpreter, translator, and official guide between Turkish language, Turkish-, Arabic language, Arabic-, and Persian language, Persian-speaking countries and polity, polities of the Middle East and ...

(interpreter) at the French legation of Constantinople. In 1734 he was sent as interpreter to Candia (

Crete Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...

) and in 1735 to

Morea Morea ( or ) was the name of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. The name was used by the Principality of Achaea, the Byzantine province known as the Despotate of the Morea, by the O ...

(Peloponnese). His good knowledge of Slavonic languages urged his further career. In 1739 the Principality of

Moldavia Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially in ...

was temporarily occupied by Russian troops. Since 1740 Ymbault worked as dragoman for the Princes of Moldavia and travelled several times in charge of diplomatic tasks to Slavonic neighbour countries (Poland, Russia). According to passes still existing in the family records he was in 1740/41 in Kiev, in 1749 in Cracow and in 1769 in Saint Petersburg. His last travel was made in 1775. Ymbault was in May 1757 appointed Captain of the important frontier fortress of

Soroca Soroca is a city and municipality in northern Moldova, situated on the Dniester River about north of Chișinău. It is the administrative center of the Soroca District. History It is known for its well-preserved stronghold, established by t ...

(now Moldova) and acquired the title of ''Mare Paharnic'' (Great Cup-Bearer). In 1768 he was appointed

Starosta Starosta or starost (Cyrillic: ''старост/а'', Latin: ''capitaneus'', ) is a community elder in some Slavic lands. The Slavic root of "starost" translates as "senior". Since the Middle Ages, it has designated an official in a leadersh ...

Czernowitz Chernivtsi (, ; , ;, , see also other names) is a city in southwestern Ukraine on the upper course of the Prut River. Formerly the capital of the historic region of Bukovina, which is now divided between Romania and Ukraine, Chernivtsi serv ...

, where he built a house near the Parascheva Church (Czernowitz cadastral no. 352), that is still existing, though strongly changed by later renovations in the 19th century as the Palace Hurmuzachi-Logothetti.

During the Russian occupation of Czernowitz (1771–1773) he was replaced by Ilie Herescul. In 1773 he was reimposed in his position of Starosta. According to some sources he should have been deposed as Starosta in the summer of 1773 because of secret contacts with Vincenz von Barco, General of the occupying Austrian army.Raimund Friedrich Kaindl, ''Geschichte von Czernowitz von den ältesten Zeiten bis zur Gegenwart''. Czernowitz 1908 (Reprint Tscherniwzi, Verlag Selena Bukowyna 2008), p. 34 If this is correct, is not certain as no new Starosta had been installed in his place. Ymbault had to retreat anyway as Starosta after the final decision in 1775 that the

should be ceded by the Ottoman Empire to Austria. Nevertheless, Ymbault travelled in 1775 once more to Saint Petersburg, presumably to seek help for his former sovereign

Grigore III Ghica Grigore III Ghica (1724 – 12 October 1777) was a prince of Moldavia and of Wallachia. Biography He was the son of Alexandru Matei Ghica, with the position of dragoman, who was beheaded by the Sublime Porte and nephew of Grigore II Ghica's b ...

at the Russian court. After the execution of Ghica on 11 October 1777 Ymbault retired to his manors. It seems that Ymbault was not among the noblemen who held on 12 October 1777 the new sovereign of the Bukovina, Empress

Maria Theresa of Austria Maria Theresa (Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was the ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position in her own right. She was the sovereig ...

. He stayed, however, loyal towards the new sovereign during the rest of his life, e.g. by paying border troopers. On 19 February 1781 Ymbault made his last will in which he bequeathed his possessions in Ober-Scheroutz (now Горішні Шерівці/Horishni Sherivtsi) and Waschkoutz (jetzt Вашківці/

Vashkivtsi Vashkivtsi (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city in Vyzhnytsia Raion of Chernivtsi Oblast (province) of Ukraine. It is located in the historical region of Bukovina. It hosts the administration of Vashkivtsi urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Popul ...

) to his daughter and her children. When the last will was registered on 30 May 1781 his wife was already a widow. Thus Ymbault must have died in March or April 1781.

Family

Ymbault married in 1758, presumably in

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...

with Anna Adreanna Voutsina (Vuczin, Wutschin, 1719–1809) from a Greek family of

Phanariotes Phanariots, Phanariotes, or Fanariots (, , ) were members of prominent Greek families in Phanar (Φανάρι, modern ''Fener''), the chief Greek quarter of Constantinople where the Ecumenical Patriarchate is located, who traditionally occupied ...

. They had only one child, a daughter Ekatarina d'Ymbault, born 27 November 1759 in Bucharest. She married with the Greek noble from

Zakynthos Zakynthos (also spelled Zakinthos; ; ) or Zante (, , ; ; from the Venetian language, Venetian form, traditionally Latinized as Zacynthus) is a Greece, Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands, with an are ...

James Count Logothetti (1741–1802). Ekatarina died 23 November 1785. From this marriage all American, Austrian, Hungarian, Moravian and Romanian members of the count's family ''Logothetti'' are descendants.

Literature

* ''Familienarchiv Logothetti 1734-1945'', now: Moravský zemský archiv, Brno (Czech Republic), fond G 195. * Wilken Engelbrecht: ''Rod Logothettiů''. In: ''Genealogické a heraldické informace'' 3, 1998, , p. 17–27. * Alina Felea: ''Câteva date despre familia Imbault''. In: ''Tyragetia'' N. S. 2 = 17, 2008, , p. 137–140
online (PDF; 214 KB)
* Raimund Friedrich Kaindl, ''Geschichte von Czernowitz von den ältesten Zeiten bis zur Gegenwart''. Czernowitz: Pardini Verlag 1908 (Reprint Tscherniwzi, Verlag Selena Bukowyna 2008). * Daniel Werenka: ''Bukowinas Entstehen und Aufblühen: Maria Theresias Zeit I''. In: ''Archiv für österreichische Geschichte'' 78, 1892, p. 99-296.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ymbault, Leon D 1781 deaths 18th-century Moldavian people Bukovina Greek people of French descent Romanian people of French descent Politicians from Chernivtsi Year of birth unknown