House of Roquefeuil-Blanquefort

The House of Roquefeuil-Blanquefort account among oldest and most famous families of Languedoc. It is resulting from a line which goes back to more than thousand years. It is today represented with the Association of mutual aid of the French nobility.

Origins of the House of Roquefeuil-Blanquefort

The first lords of Roquefeuil appear about year 900. They would result from a branch of powerful Maison of the Counts de Barcelone, marquis d' Espagne (Hispanic cf Marche and Liste of the marquis d' Espagne), which will go up on the throne of Aragon. They had as of this time of the considerable goods in the current departments of Aveyron, of Gard and Herault and were entitled barons de Roquefeuil and Viscounts of Creyssels. Spicilège de Dom Magnan speaks about Roquefeuil, lord considerable of the time of Hugues Capet. There exists an old title in the shape of codicil, of February 21st, 1002, under the reign of Robert the Piles, by which Henri de Roquefeuil founded the hospital of Notre Dame of Happiness, on the mountain of Espérou. In 1032, Séguin de Roquefeuil gave to the abbey of Saint-Guilhem-of-desert, diocese of Lodève, several grounds which it had in the counties of Lodève and Rouergue. One still finds, in 1080, a donation made with this same abbey by Raymond de Roquefeuil. In Cartulaires of the abbeys of Sylvanès and Vabres, it is often mentioned several lords of this House who contributed to the equipment of these monasteries. This first House remained to Geoffroy de Roquefeuil who had only one girl, Adélaïde, married in 1129 in Bertrand d' Anduze, lord of Went, in the condition that the children to be born from this marriage would bear to perpetuity the name and arm with Roquefeuil.

The second wire of this union, Raymond, inherited the grounds of his mother and were the author of the second House of Roquefeuil . Raymond de Roquefeuil-Anduze married Guillemette of Montpellier, girl of Mathilde of Burgundy, back-small-girl of the King de France Robert the Piles, wire of Hugues Capet. Its sons continued the House of Roquefeuil and his/her daughter Isabeau de Roquefeuil made a marriage not less considerable by marrying Hugues IV of Rodez (cf Liste of the counts de Rodez).

It is known that Anduze was a powerful dynasty established in the Cevennes. Studies which remain to confirm advance the assumption that it would be a branch of the family of the counts de Toulouse. Like Anduze, Roquefeuil, their cousins, beat currency with the workshop of Sommières about 1236.

Many members of this second House illustrated themselves during the war of the Albigensians, with the seventh crusade and during the One hundred Year old war. Arnaud III of Roquefeuil, in particular, was a faithful knight of King Jean II the Good and fought the English in Resident of Agen. This same Arnaud III is also known to have carried out a war against king de Majorque responsible for died for one of his sons. With the head of its men, it would have attacked and beaten the troops of the Kingdom of Majorque close to Montpellier. The Pope Clément VI arbitrated the conflict but did not completely give reason to Roquefeuil which, disillusioned and superb, declared " the honor remains me, that suffit". This famous sentence remained the currency of Roquefeuil.

In 1258, Guillaume de Roquefeuil is, in the name of King d' Aragon, the signatory of the Treaty of Corbeil. A branch of this House sticks in 1263 to the service of King d' Aragon. Its members illustrate themselves at the time of the " reconquista" from Spain on the Moors. Known beyond the Pyrenees under the name of Roccaful, they became Grands of Spain and counted several viceroys: of Majorque (1587), of Peru (1682), a Governor of the Netherlands and a large Master about Malta (Ramon Perellos there Roccaful: 1697-1720).

The elder ones of Roquefeuil-Anduze died out in their turn at the time of the marriage of Catherine de Roquefeuil, their heiress, with Jean, lord of Blanquefort and Pujols who took the name of Roquefeuil. Thus the appeared third House of Roquefeuil .

Here arises a difficulty nowadays still unsolved. According to certain genealogists (Courcelles and of Hozier) Jean de Blanquefort would have been substituted for the name and the weapons of Roquefeuil-Anduze while according to others, more still (the Viscount of Bonald, Chesnaye-Desbois, Justel and other historians of Languedoc…), Jean de Blanquefort was itself a junior by Roquefeuil-Anduze which had taken the name of Blanquefort, one of his seigneureries, and which, after its marriage with the heiress of the elder branch of Roquefeuil-Anduze, took again the name of Roquefeuil that it did not carry any more in a usual way.

This second thesis proposes that the seigneurery of Blanquefort belonged to Roquefeuil-Anduze dice 1227, as testifies the marriage contract to it of March 1st, 1227 between Arnaud de Roquefeuil and Béatrix d' Anduze (Guillaume the Jordan, notary with Montpeyroux). This seigneurery was then given to one of wire of Arnaud and of Béatrix, which took according to the use of time, to be distinguished, the name of its seigneurery and was called Blanquefort. Many holding of this thesis make the point that in several acts and his marriage contract, its grandson was made name " Hugues de Roquefeuil, lord of Blanquefort". Hugues married in 1380 Catherine de Madaillan, rams of Rauzan and Pujols and was the father of Jean, lord of Blanquefort and Pujols, which married Catherine de Roquefeuil, heiress of the elder branch.

Jean de Blanquefort-Pujols thus appears to be a junior by the house of Roquefeuil-Anduze and it is not surprising only the father of Catherine de Roquefeuil, having only girls, chose to perpetuate its race one of his parents. The obligation to bear the name of Roquefeuil which it puts as condition of its liberalities explains well and is only to incite Jean de Blanquefort to take again the true name of its House. Thus is also explained a remark made by several historians and chroniclers of time mentioning that " the marriage of Catherine de Roquefeuil with Jean de Blanquefort did not make pass the goods of Roquefeuil in a étrangère" family;.

Roquefeuil-Blanquefort

The end of the 15th century sees the apogee of Roquefeuil of which fields, although parcelled out and disparate, extend from the areas of the Cevennes in the Mediterranean and Gard in the Dordogne. Berenger de Roquefeuil watch power of its line by building the Castle of Bonaguil (Batch and the Garonne).

Roquefeuil take part, sometimes with the head of their own regiment, all the wars and campaigns of the XVI and XVIIe centuries and undergo the royal policy of lowering of the nobility.

In 1618, in reward of the services rendered by this House, Louis XIII sets up Roquefeuil in marquisat.

Alliances of this House are then among most prestigious of the kingdom: House of Bourbon, Aragon, Austria and Bragance; Houses of Toulouse, of Rodez, of Armagnac, of Albret, Crussol, Comminges, Entraigues, Turenne, Séverac, Sabran, Tournel, Combret, Gourdon, Clermont-Lodève, Arpajon, Peyre, Thémines, Durfort, the Rock-Fontenilles, Montpezat, Rabastens, Cardaillac, the Tower of Auvergne, Terrides, Esclars, Rochechouart, Coligny, Alegre, the Tower and Taxis, Hesterhazy, Colbert etc…

At the 18th century, the elder branch dies out but the branches juniors will serve the Bourbon with honor. One will count in their rows a great number of general officers and admirals.

Jacques Aymar de Roquefeuil and of Bousquet (1665/1744), Chief of Squadron, general Lieutenant of the naval armies, is illustrated in an exceptional series of naval actions (the Orkneys, Lauwick, Bressey sound, Béveziers). The files of the Navy report that, throughout its career, it ran with the combat more than 20 vessels and took 14 ship of the lines to the Dutch or English enemy including three with the boarding (in particular: powerful the " Grafton" , vessel of 70 guns, taken on May 11th, 1707).

His/her oldest son, Aymar Joseph de Roquefeuil and of Bousquet (1714/1782), Vice-admiral of France, ordering the Fleet of the West and the place of Brest, near to the Dukes of Choiseul then of Praslin, are the craftsman of the restoration of the Royal Navy at the end of the reign of Louis XV.

Several Roquefeuil Blanquefort also took part in the Guerre of independence of the United States of America and are received members of the Company of Cincinnati founded in 1783 by George Washington.

At the end of the 18th century, they are used in the royal armies: a regiment of Roquefeuil is raised in the army of the Princes and three Roquefeuil take part in the unloading of Quiberon. François de Roquefeuil, only survivor, is the right-hand man of Cadoudal in Brittany.

At the 19th century Roquefeuil are numerous to be useful in the army of all the modes, of the first Empire to the second while passing by those of the Restoration and the monarchy of July. Twenties and one of them fight in 1870.

Camille de Roquefeuil-Cahuzac, former Royal naval officer, ordering the ship " Bordelais" of the Balguérie ship-owner of Bordeaux makes a round the world tour in thirty-six month (1816/1819: the first French round the world tour after the interruption of the Empire) to open new shopping streets with the Aquitanian metropolis. The account which it makes of its voyage is a " best-seller" time.

Amédée de Roquefeuil de Bars is appointed in 1849 and number of Roquefeuil is town councilors.

Felix de Roquefeuil-Cahuzac, adviser with the Court of Auditors is with Albert de Mun the principal leader of the work of the Working Catholic Cercles and had a real influence in the design of the social Doctrine of the catholic Church expressed by the encyclical " Rerum novarum ". His/her Robert son is the first president of the Catholic Association of the Youth of France and is one of the craftsmen of the rallying of the catholics to the Republic.

At the 20th century, they continue to provide many town councilors. The military tradition also remains and several Roquefeuil are killed with the combat at the time of the two world wars then during the wars of decolonization. At the beginning of the 21e century, three of them reach simultaneously the rank of general officer: Jean-nickel silver of Roquefeuil and Bousquet is brigadier general of the Army, Pierre de Roquefeuil is rear-admiral and Henry de Roquefeuil is lieutenant-general of air army. The House of Roquefeuil-Blanquefort counts in 2007 eight family branches (branches of Bousquet, Anduze, Pradt, Montpeyroux, Amber, Bars, Bessière and Cahuzac).

Lastly, as opposed to what it could be alleged because of quasi homonymy of the name, there are no family ties proven between the members of the House of Roquefeuil-Blanquefort and the American Family of the Rockefeller whose origins are known in Germany (area of Palatinat) dice 1590.

Bibliographical independent sources

Genealogies of the House of Roquefeuil:

Genealogy of Roquefeuil by Moreri.
Genealogy of Roquefeuil by Chesnaye of Wood.
Genealogy of Roquefeuil by Barrau.
Genealogy of Roquefeuil by Borel drawn from the directory of the nobility of France 1898.
Genealogy from Roquefeuil Cahuzac, Versols & Peralada by Bonald.
Genealogy of Roquefeuil in Rouergue by Chérin- National library; Chérin 214 D3552.

Seals of Roquefeuil-Anduze:

Treated of Corbeil 1258: seal of Guillaume de Roquefeuil Large Adelantado de Murcie - Public records n° 3441.
Jean de Roquefeuil Large Adelantado de Murcie - 13th century - Public records n° 70.
Arnaud II of Roquefeuil Comtor de Nant, Governor of Montpellier, Lieutenant Général of Low-Languedoc - 13th century - Public records n° 7938.

Currencies of Roquefeuil-Anduze:

"Feudal currencies françaises" of Mr. Poey of Before Volume II Pages 297 and 298: Roquefeuil mite struck with the Workshop of Sommières - 1226.

Maintained of Roquefeuil-Blanquefort Nobility:

Maintained of Nobility of Louis, Baron de Pinet and of Bousquet - Pellot, Intendant of Guyenne - Cherin 178 and Nouveau of Hozier 290 - 5/4/1668.
Maintained of Nobility of Jean de Roquefeuil, Lord of Milhas - Pellot, Intendant of Guyenne - Public records M 525 - 5/14/1668.
Maintained of Nobility for 16 lords of Roquefeuil, the branches of the Room, Crouzette, Saint-Marcel, of Campetz, Bousquet, Nussac, Arthès, Clairac, Lavaur, Puy de Bar and Prat de Roul - Bazin de Bezons, intendant of Languedoc - National library New FR 32.552 of Hozier 290 - 12/17/1668.
Maintained of Nobility of Jacques de Roquefeuil, Lord of Montvert - Bernage Intendant of Limoges - Public records MM693 - 10/28/1697.
Maintained of Nobility of Jean de Roquefeuil, Lord of Bessière - Furrier Intendant of Montauban - National library BN FR 32296 AD 82C95 - 5/30/1699.
Maintained of Nobility of Jean de Roquefeuil, marquis of Bousquet - the Son-in-law Intendant of Montauban - National library BN FR 32296 AD 82C95 - 7/8/1701.
Maintained of Nobility of Jacques-Aymar, Count de Roquefeuil and of Bousquet (future Defect Admiral de France) and of Rene, Innocent, Adrien Maurice de Roquefeuil - Room of reformation of the Parliament of Brittany Recorded with Carhaix, Departmental records AD 29 2B19 and AD 35 1 Bi Folio 165 with mention of Compulsaire of the stops of the Parliament - 8/20/1768.

Honors of the Court for the House of Roquefeuil-Blanquefort:

"Mister the Marquis de Roquefeuil and of Bousquet" - Clairambault - Public records MM813 - 4/19/1755.
" Mister the Viscount of Roquefeuil" - Public records MM817 - 3/26/1771.
" Madam the Marchioness of Roquefeuil" - Public records o1 829 - 1773.
" Mister the Marquis de Roquefeuil" - Public records o1 829 - 1777.
" Madam de Roquefeuil" - Memories of the Duke of Luynes.

Other Roquefeuil-Blanquefort sources:

Will of Antoine Ier de Roquefeuil December 1st, 1416 - Public records T1176/2
Letter of remission for the benefit of Jean de Roquefeuil for the war of the Public property - Public records JJ 203 - fol.41 - Year 1477

Heraldic of the House of Roquefeuil-Blanquefort

Weapons of Roquefeuil of the branches of Bousquet (elder), Pradt, Montpeyroux:

Of azure with nine gold cordelières posed 3,3 and 3.

Weapons of Roquefeuil of the branch of Cahuzac: Fascé against-fascé gold and mouths of 4 parts, each fasce charged with a cordelière of the one in the other.

External bond

Official site of the house of Roquefeuil-Blanquefort

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