Rene de Froulay de Tessé

Rene III of Froulay, count de Tessé (Mans, May 14th 1648 - † with Yerres in residence at the Camaldule S of Large-Wood, the March 30th 1725), lieutenant-general for the provinces of Maine, the Pole and Laval, Marshal of France, general of the galères of France, first rider of Dauphine and the Large of Spain, knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece, was general officer of Louis XIV and diplomat under Regency.

The man of war

Great-grandson of Jean de Beaumanoir (1551-1614), wire of Rene II of Tessé and Madeleine de Maugé († 1682), Tessé was useful as aide-de-camp of the marshal of Créquy in 1669 then fought during the Guerre of Holland.

With the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1685), it took share under the orders of the duke of Noailles to the Dragonnades in Roussillon as a colonel of the Dragons (it obtained the rank of marshal of the camps in this weapon in 1688, then of general Colonel 1692).

During the War of the league of Augsburg, under the orders of the general of Montclar and with the assistance of Ezéchiel de Mélac, he played a leading role in the devastation of the Palatinat, ordered by Louvois (January-févier 1689). In the last months of the war, it successfully supported the seat of the fort of Pignerol in Valteline (1693). At the time of the War of succession of Spain in 1702, it defended Mantoue besieged and accepted three wounds. It obtained the distinction of Marshal of France in 1703 and was named general-in-chief of the armies of Spain the following year to replace Berwick. At this station, its first order was of raising the seat of Gibraltar, operation expensive which, to the beginning of the year 1705, had not borne any fruit. The made share of the indolence of the marquis de Villadarias, the problem was due to the perpetual supply of besieged by the English fleet: Tessé concludes from it that Gibraltar could fall only following one terrestrial and maritime action combined. However, the destruction of the French squadron dispatched for this purpose the March 21st 1705 at the time of the Bataille of Cabrita put a term at its company. Tessé decided the abandonment of the seat at the end of April.

It then endeavoured to push back the Anglo-Portuguese invasion directed by Henri de Massue. Tessé left ground to the invaders, then overcame them with Badajoz and Alcántara.

In 1706 it was devoted to the seat of Barcelona, city encircled by sea by the squadron of the Count de Toulouse. In spite of an unsuited firepower, the French managed to practice three breaches in the fortifications. But before Tessé decided to attack the city, a fleet of help ordered by John Leake was announced, causing the escape of the squadron of the count de Toulouse on May 10th. Tessé promptly raised the seat in the night from May 11th to 12th, on the spot giving up casualties, guns, and cases of ammunition. This fold was severely blamed by the ministry and Tessé was raised of its command (for the anecdote, an eclipse of the sun took place the day of the abandonment of the city).

But in 1707, it held in failure Eugene of Savoy-Carignan with the Siège of Toulon (1707). The Austrian généralissime had crossed the VAr on July 11th and, in spite of the dilettantism of Victor Amédée II of Savoy, had reached Fréjus the 16, making its junction with the Shovell English and the English fleet. But the wait-and-see policy of the duke of Savoy again slows down the progression towards the arsenal of the Mediterranean, and left with the troops of the marshal of Berwick, stationed in Spain, sufficient time to support the marshal of Tessé before the arrival of the attackers (on July 26th). August 14th, Tessé took again the heights of Holy-Catherine, that the Imperial ones had taken the previous week; prince Eugene, seeing his backs close being crossed and carrying out the distance which remained to be crossed to besiege Toulon, did not have any more that to give up his offensive (August 22nd), and passed by again the VAr, losing 10.000 men in this equipped. The only benefit of this countryside was the scuttling of 50 vessels, that the French had undertaken for fear the enemy does not seize this fleet, which put for a long time a term at their influence in the Mediterranean.

In 1712, Rene de Tessé was named general of the galères, load of which it dislocated in 1716 to enter to the council of the Navy.

The diplomat

Between 1693 and 1696 it held with Victor Amédée II of Savoy of the secret talks which led to the treated of Turin (August 29th 1696), and to the marriage of the duke of Burgundy with Marie-Adelaide of Savoy.

In 1708 it was named ambassador with Rome, then in 1723 in Spain, where it persuaded the former king Philippe V of Spain to go up on the throne, his son and successor Louis of Spain has just died. Rene de Tessé dislocated himself the following year of his load of ambassador in favor of his son.

Family

See also: Family of Froulay

Rene III of Froulay de Tessé marries on June 10th 1674 Marie Francoise Auber d' Aunay (founder of the royal abbey Our-Lady-with Aunay in Normandy); they had 7 children:

Rene-Mans , count de Tessé, Viscount of Beaumont, Frenoy and marquis de Lavardin, Large of Spain, sergeant in January 1707, Brigadier in 1707, lieutenant génaral on March 8th 1718.
Rene-Louis, the marquis de Tessé (X X. Castan , 1 child: Casimire , born in August 1714)
Rene-François , abbot of Aunay ; sergeant on February 1st 1719.
Marie-Francoise Philiberte Damaris , Maria, still minor, in 1697 with Claude II marquis of the Game preserve , baron of Holy-Suzanne and governor of the Arrow. This one having died on February 23rd 1699, it remaria in 1714 with Jean-François de Briqueville count of the Alfalfa, which will be named in 1733 captain and governor of the city and the castle of the Arrow.
Gabrielle
Henriette-Marthe wife on January 25th 1698 François Edouard, marquis of Maulévrier (° 1675 † April 1st 1706).
Francoise-Gabrielle , abbess of the Trinity of Caen 1720 - 1729.

Charles Louis de Froulay , Bishop of Mans, chairs in 1726 the transfer of the body of Rene III to Vernie: on Monday, March 25 1726, we Charles Louis de Froullay, by the grace of God and ordination apostolic, bishop of Mans, adviser of the King in all the councils of the King, of state and deprived, count de Lyon, made in the vault of the castle of Varnished, the transport and the burial of the body of very high and very powerful lord Monseigneur Rene lord de Froulay, count de Tessé, marquis de Lavardin, baron d' Ambrières and of Aunay, Marshal of France, large of Spain, ambassador extraordinire and plenipotentiary with the Court of Rome and that of Savoy, general of the galères, first and Master of the Horse of the Queen, knight of the Orders of the King and Golden Fleece, general colonel of the dragons of France, governor of Ypres, general lieutenant of the province of Maine, deceased in its maisondes Calmadules, close Paris, on March 30th 1725, 77 years old. Signed: CH de Froulay, bishop of Mans .

External bond

Act of burial of Rene de Tessé with [[the Beaumont-on-Sarthe].]

Random links: