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

military rank Military ranks is a system of hierarchy, hierarchical relationships within armed forces, police, Intelligence agency, intelligence agencies, paramilitary groups, and other institutions organized along military organisation , military lines, such ...

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 ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, equivalent to

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), 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 colon ...

. A mestre de camp commanded a

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

and was under the authority of a

Colonel General Colonel general is a military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically General officer#Old European system, general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, ...

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

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

and

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, as ''

maestre de campo ''Maestre de campo'' was a rank created in 1534 by the Emperor Charles I of Spain, inferior in rank only to the '' capitán general'' and acted as a chief of staff. He was chosen by the monarch in the Council of State, and commanded a ''tercio'' ...

'' or ''mestre de campo''.Potter, David.
Renaissance France at war: armies, culture and society, c.1480-1560
'. United Kingdom, Boydell Press, 2008. 50. When the role of infantry

colonel general Colonel general is a military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically General officer#Old European system, general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, ...

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 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'' ( English: Brigade chief) was a French military rank. It was used as the equivalent of the rank of major in the French Royal Army's artillery units and colonel in the French Revolutionary Army. Before the revolution ''Chef ...

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 (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...

. 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