Albert de Gondi

Albert de Gondi (1522 - 1602) lord of the Perron, count, then marquis of Beautiful-Isle (1573), and in 1581, duke of Retz, Marshal of France, was born with Florence, the November 4th 1522.

September 4th, 1565, he marries Claude Catherine of Clermont-Thunder, baroness of Retz and baroness of Dampierre, girl of Claude of Clermont-Thunder, baron de Dampierre (+1545), with which he has 10 children of which Jean-François de Gondi, 1st Archbishop of Paris, the uncle of famous the Cardinal of Retz.

He appeared at the court of Henri II, with his advent with the crown, in 1547; and had about 1550, a company of Chevau-légers.

August 13rd, 1554, II was used with the Bataille as Renty. Henri II did it soon after gentleman of the room and Master of the wardrobe of Charles of France (since Charles IX). He continued to exert these loads under the kings Charles IX and Henri III.

In 1555, it was acquired much reputation in Italy, with the seats of Ulpiau, Coni and with the catch of Verceil. It was also useful with much distinction in forwardings which one made in Piedmont and in Corsica.

August 10th, 1557, II took part in the battles of Saint-Quentin and on July 13rd, 1558 with the battle of Gravelines.

Named, in 1559, captain of a company of gendarmes, it fought in Saint-Denis, on November 10th, 1567; in Jarnac, on March 13rd, 1569; and in Moncontour, the next on October 3rd.

Is chosen it to carry to the king, in Tours, the news of this last victory. He was named, in this same October, captain of 50 men-at-arms. Created knight about the king, it obtained a place of to advise State.

Employed as ambassador at the court of Vienna, in 1570, for the marriage of Charles IX with Elisabeth of Austria, he married this princess, in the name of the king, on October 22nd. With died of the marshal of Vieilleville, the count de Retz was established governor and general lieutenant with the Messin country, and governor of the town of Metz, by provisions given to Duretal, on November 30th, 1571.

One did it captain of the first company of the gentlemen of the house of the king, after the death of the Duc of Roannois, by provisions of the in December of the same year. It was charged, on the end of the year 1572, of a mission near Elisabeth, Queen of England. It succeeds in preventing the arrival of the helps which the Protestants awaited from England.

At the beginning of 1573, returned from London, the count de Retz ordered a squadron and forced the count of Montgomery to give up Beautiful-Isle. The king set up this city in marquisat, and gave it to the count de Retz, who left then for the seat of the La Rochelle, where it was wounded.

He was equipped with a load of Marshal of France, vacant by the death of the Maréchal of Tavanes by state given to the Château of Boulogne, on July 6th, 1573 (1), recorded with the connétablie, on August 2nd, 1574. One provided it with the government of Provence, by provisions given to the same place and the same day, July 6th, 1573: they were enregitrées at the Parliament of Provence, on August 22nd, 1574.

The marshal of Retz dislocated government of the Messin country then. He accompanied Henri III, Duc of Anjou in Poland, returned to France with him, and represented the constable with the sacring of this prince, who admitted it with his secret council. He dislocated his company of the 100 gentlemen, in the month of January 1575. Commander-in-chief the army of Provence, it submitted to the king the cities and castles that the factious ones were due to it, and gave under the obedience of the pope the town of Menerbe.

Provided with the government with the city and castle of Nantes, and with general lieutenancy to the Nantes country, on February 12th, 1578, it dislocated government of Provence, the next on June 1st. Created knight of the orders of the king on December 31st of the same year, it obtained, on June 24th, 1579, the load of general of the galères, for Charles de Gondi, marquis of Beautiful-Isle, his oldest son, with a commission of the same day to exert this load during the minority of his son.

In 1580, the spirit of discord having divided the general governor of the marquisat Saluces, and the particular governors of the places of this government, the marshal of Retz was sent there with a full powers, gone back to Fontainebleau, on September 27th, to pacify, adapt, and even to reduce by force the particular governors in all the country, to relieve them of them, put others, to make new liftings, to assemble an army; finally to do and carry out all that would be appropriate best for the service of the king. He answered the idea that one had his talents, managed to bring together these governors, and, after having returned the calm one with this province, he was allocated to the court. The king set up in his favor, for him and his descendants, the county of Retz in Duchy-peerage, by letters given to Paris, in the month of November 1581; recorded at the Parliament of Paris, on March 20th, and with that of Rennes, on April 20th, 1582. It was accepted in this quality, and that of advising honor, at the Parliament of Paris, on March 20th of the same year. It préta oath the same day for the load of Marshal of France.

In 1594, with the sacring of Henri IV, it represented the Count de Toulouse. April 25th, 1598, one granted to his second wire the survival of the load of general of the galères. The marshal dislocated government of Nantes, and general lieutenancy of the Nantais county. He was, on October 16th, 1596, in Rouen, following the king, at the time of the opening of the assembly of notable that this monarch had joined together in this city. He served this prince with fidelity until his death which has occurred on April 21st, 1602.

Posterity

Of Claude Catherine of Clermont-Thunder, it had:

Charles (1569 - 1596), marquis of Beautiful-Isle, general of Galères de France;
Claude-Marguerite (1570 - 1650), which marries Florimond, marquis de Piennes (+ 1592);
Francoise which marries Lancelot Grognet de Vassé;
Gabrielle which marries Claude de Bossut, lord of Escry;
Hyppolite (+ 1646) which marries Léonor de Magdelaine marquis de Ragny;
Henri de Gondi, cardinal of Retz (1572 - 1622), bishop of Paris.
Louise (1572 - 1661), nun;
Madelaine (+ 1662), nun;
Philippe-Emmanuel (1581 - 1626), count de Joigny, marquis of Beautiful-Isle, baron de Montmirel, general of Galères de France, which marries Francoise de Silly (+ 1625), lady of Commercy, girl of Antoine, count of Rochepot.
Jean-François de Gondi, cardinal of Retz (1584 - 1654), First archbishop of Paris.

References

military Chronology, Tom. II, pag. 322; Genealogical history of the house of Gondi, History of the Large Officers of the Crown, Thou, and Moréri.

(1) This act is brought back in the genealogical history of the house of Gondi, Tom. II, pag. 360; in the accounts of ordinary of the wars and in the registers of the connétablie. Moréri and the historian of the Large Officers of the Crown is thus mistaken, when they date this nomination, the first of 1567, the second of 1574.

House of Gondi on web.genealogy

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