Duke of Gesvres
Encyclopedia
The Duke of Gesvres was a title in the peerage of France
from 1670 to 1794, named after Gesvres
in northwestern France
.
. In 1670, René Potier's son, Léon Potier (who became Duke of Tresmes in 1669) changed the name of the title to "Duke of Gesvres". Thereafter, the Dukes of Gesvres were sometimes known as the "Duke of Tresmes and Gesvres" and the eldest son of the Duke of Gesvres sometimes used the title "Duke of Tresmes" as a courtesy title
and the younger sons sometimes used "Count of Tresmes". The title was abolished at the time of the French Revolution
when the last Duke of Gesvres was guillotined.
Peerage of France
The Peerage of France was a distinction within the French nobility which appeared in the Middle Ages. It was abolished in 1789 during the French Revolution, but it reappeared in 1814 at the time of the Bourbon Restoration which followed the fall of the First French Empire...
from 1670 to 1794, named after Gesvres
Gesvres
Gesvres is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France.-See also:*Communes of the Mayenne department*Parc naturel régional Normandie-Maine...
in northwestern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Background
The title of Baron of Gesvres first came to the Potier family with the marriage of Jacques Potier to Françoise Cueillette,daughter of Jean, seigneur de Freschines et de Gesvres. Their son, Louis Potier inherited this title. From 1608, however, Louis Potier was known as the Count of Tresmes, and his son, René Potier succeeded in elevating the title to Duke of TresmesDuke of Tresmes
The Duke of Tresmes was a title in the peerage of France from 1648 to 1670, at which point the title was changed to Duke of Gesvres...
. In 1670, René Potier's son, Léon Potier (who became Duke of Tresmes in 1669) changed the name of the title to "Duke of Gesvres". Thereafter, the Dukes of Gesvres were sometimes known as the "Duke of Tresmes and Gesvres" and the eldest son of the Duke of Gesvres sometimes used the title "Duke of Tresmes" as a courtesy title
Courtesy title
A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility used for children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer. These styles are used 'by courtesy' in the sense that the relatives do not themselves hold substantive titles...
and the younger sons sometimes used "Count of Tresmes". The title was abolished at the time of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
when the last Duke of Gesvres was guillotined.
List of Dukes of Gesvres
| From | To | Duke of Gesvres |
|---|---|---|
| 1670 | 1704 | Léon Potier |
| 1704 | 1739 | François-Bernard Potier |
| 1739 | 1774 | Louis-Léon Marie Potier |
| 1774 | 1794 | Louis-Joachim Paris Potier |