Grand Falconer of France
Encyclopedia
The Grand Falconer of France was a position in the King's Household
in France
from the Middle Ages
to the French Revolution
. The position first appeared in 1250 as "Master Falconer of the King" ("Maître Fauconnier"); the title was changed to Grand Falconer in 1406, although the title "First Falconer" ("Premier Fauconnier") was sometimes also used. The Grand Falconer was responsible for organizing the royal falcon hunt
and for caring for the king's hunting birds. The position was one of the "Great Offices of the Maison du Roi".
From the reign of Louis XIV
, the position became purely honorific, as the kings had stopped hunting with birds of prey. This notwithstanding, Louis XIV maintained an aviary of hunting birds, located (from 1680 on) in Montainville
, as a symbol of power. Falcon
s were presented to the king at the start of each year in the Galerie des Glaces of the château of Versailles, generally in the presence of foreign ambassadors. Only northern kings and the Grand Falconer had the right to pose a falcon on the hand of the king.
The coat of arms
of the Grand Falconer featured two lures in blue and fleur-de-lys placed below and to each side of the shield.
Maison du Roi
The Maison du Roi was the name of the military, domestic and religious entourage around the royal family in France during the Ancien Régime and Bourbon Restoration; the exact composition and duties of its various divisions changed constantly over the Early Modern period...
in 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...
from the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
to 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...
. The position first appeared in 1250 as "Master Falconer of the King" ("Maître Fauconnier"); the title was changed to Grand Falconer in 1406, although the title "First Falconer" ("Premier Fauconnier") was sometimes also used. The Grand Falconer was responsible for organizing the royal falcon hunt
Falconry
Falconry is "the taking of wild quarry in its natural state and habitat by means of a trained raptor". There are two traditional terms used to describe a person involved in falconry: a falconer flies a falcon; an austringer flies a hawk or an eagle...
and for caring for the king's hunting birds. The position was one of the "Great Offices of the Maison du Roi".
From the reign of Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
, the position became purely honorific, as the kings had stopped hunting with birds of prey. This notwithstanding, Louis XIV maintained an aviary of hunting birds, located (from 1680 on) in Montainville
Montainville, Yvelines
Montainville is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France....
, as a symbol of power. Falcon
Falcon
A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
s were presented to the king at the start of each year in the Galerie des Glaces of the château of Versailles, generally in the presence of foreign ambassadors. Only northern kings and the Grand Falconer had the right to pose a falcon on the hand of the king.
The coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of the Grand Falconer featured two lures in blue and fleur-de-lys placed below and to each side of the shield.
Grand Falconers
- c.1250: Jean de Beaune (until 1406 the title was Master Falconer of the King)
- c.1274: Étienne Granché
- dates?: Simon de Champdivers
- c.1313: Pierre de Montguignard
- c.1325: Pierre de Neuvy
- c.1317: Jean Candavenes
- c.1338: Philippe Danvin
- c.1351: Jean de Serens
- c.1354: Jean de Pisseleu
- c.1367: Eustache de Chisy
- c.1371: Nicolas Thomas
- c.1372: André d'Humières
- 1381: Enguerrand Dargies
- 1385: Enguerrand de Laigny
- 1394: Jean de Sorvilliers
- 1406: Eustache de Gaucourt "Rassin" (†c.1415) (henceforth, the title was Grand Falconer of the King, except where indicated)
- 1415: Jean V Malet de Granville et de Montagu († after 1441)
- 1416: Nicolas de Bruneval
- 1418: Guillaume Després
- 1428: Jean de Lubin (First Falconer of the King)
- 1429: Philippe de La Châtre
- c.1441: Arnoulet de Caves (First Falconer of the King)
- 1455: Georges de La Châtre
- 1468: Olivier Salart, seigneur de Bonnel
- c.1480: Jacques Odart, seigneur de Cursay
- c.1514: Raoul Vernon, seigneur de Montreuil-Bonin
- c.1521: René de Cossé, seigneur de Brissac (also Grand PanetierGrand PanetierThe Grand Panetier of France was one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France, a member of the Maison du Roi , one of the Great Offices of the Maison du Roi, and functional chief of the " paneterie" or bread department.-French history:Originally the...
) - c.1549: Louis Prévost de Sansac (First Falconer of the King)
- c.1550: Charles I de Cossé, comte de Brissac (also Grand PanetierGrand PanetierThe Grand Panetier of France was one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France, a member of the Maison du Roi , one of the Great Offices of the Maison du Roi, and functional chief of the " paneterie" or bread department.-French history:Originally the...
, Marshal and Grand Master of the Artillery) - c.1563: Timoléon de Cossé, comte de Brissac (also Grand Panetier and Marshal)
- 1569: Charles II de Cossé, comte and then duc de Brissac (also Grand Panetier and Marshal)
- dates?: Robert de La Vieuville, baron de Rugles et d'Arzillières
- 1610: Charles de La Vieuville
- 1612: André de Vivonne, seigneur de la Béraudière
- dates?: Nicolas de La Rochefoucauld
- 1616: Charles d'AlbertCharles de LuynesCharles d'Albert, Duke of Luynes , was constable of France.He was the first son of Honoré d'Albert , seigneur de Luynes, who was in the service of the three last Valois kings and of Henry IV of France.Charles was brought up at court and attended the dauphin, later Louis XIII...
(1578-1621), duc de Luynes (also Constable of FranceConstable of FranceThe Constable of France , as the First Officer of the Crown, was one of the original five Great Officers of the Crown of France and Commander in Chief of the army. He, theoretically, as Lieutenant-general of the King, outranked all the nobles and was second-in-command only to the King...
) - 1622: Claude de LorraineClaude, Duke of ChevreuseClaude de Lorraine , also called Claude de Guise, was a French noble and husband of Marie de Rohan. He was the Duke of Chevreuse, a title which is today used by the Duke of Luynes.-Biography:...
(1578-1657), prince de Joinville, duc de Chevreuse (also Grand ChambellainGrand Chamberlain of FranceThe Grand Chamberlain of France was one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France, a member of the Maison du Roi , and one of the Great Offices of the Maison du Roi during the Ancien Régime...
) - 1643: Louis Charles d'Albert de Luynes (1620-1699), duc de Luynes, duc de Chevreuse
- 1650: Nicolas Dauvet, baron de Boursault
- 1672: Henry François Dauvet, marquis de Saint-Phalle († 1688)
- 1688: François Dauvet, baron de Boursault († 1718)
- 1717: François Louis Dauvet, baron de Boursault
- 1748: Louis César de La Baume Le BlancLouis César de La Baume Le BlancLouis César de La Baume Le Blanc, duc de Vaujours, duc de La Vallière was a French nobleman, bibliophile and military man...
, duc de La Vallière (1708-1780) - 1762: Louis Gaucher de Châtillon (1737-1762)
- 1780: Joseph Hyacinthe François de Paule de Rigaud, Comte de Vaudreuil (1740-1817)
External links
- Grand Falconer Heraldry (in French)