Jean-François Joseph Geffrard de La Motte, count de Sanois
Encyclopedia
Jean-François Joseph Geffrard de La Motte, Comte de Sanois (1723-1799), was a French
nobleman and army officer. In his later years his wife committed him unjustly to the Asylum of Charenton under a lettre de cachet
, an incident which because it illustrated the despotic and arbitrary nature of the legal system of the ancien régime became a cause célèbre
known as the Affaire Sanois on the eve of the Revolution
, in the course of which the count also became increasingly well-known for his many political pamphlets.
in Brittany
into an old aristocratic family, whose properties included the fief of Sanois in Annet-sur-Marne
, and Pantin
. In 1745, he joined the prestigious regiment of the Gardes Françaises
and shortly afterwards was present at the Battle of Fontenoy
. Soon after his marriage in 1761, he left military service and withdrew to his estates. His wife, however, the only daughter of a rich counsellor of the Parlement de Paris, was not happy at the prospect of a quiet country life. Despite some legacies which made the couple relatively wealthy, they nevertheless fell into debt, which caused many domestic disputes and eventually a public drama.
In 1785, in despair at his financial position and crippled by illness, de Sanois fled to Lausanne
. Under the mistaken impression that he had taken with him what remained of their fortune, his wife obtained a lettre de cachet
from Lenoir, lieutenant-general of police, under which a police inspector was authorised to follow him and force him to return, whereupon he was imprisoned in the Asylum of Charenton. Ceaselessly protesting his innocence, he was finally released after nine months and immediately began proceedings against his wife to compel her to abandon her request for separation and to clear his good name and reputation.
In 1786 the Sanois Affair (Affaire Sanois) erupted into a extremely tense social climate which transformed what would otherwise have been a banal private case into a headline-grabbing lawsuit. There was huge public indignation over the principle of the lettre de cachet, a symbol of despotism, and there was sympathy for the unfortunate old man whom his unnatural wife had had thrown into Charenton. The business thus lent itself to media exploitation by ambitious and talented lawyers like Pierre Louis de Lacretelle
, the new champion of individual freedoms.
De Lacretelle dashed off his Memoir for the Comte de Sanois which denounces in passing the abusive use of the lettre de cachet. Exempt from censorship, the legal memoir (mémoire judiciaire or factum
) had become a fashionable literary genre. Initially a straightforward working document written by lawyers for the judges, it had now become a means of communication of frightening power which circulated among the salons and the coffee houses. Thanks to this currency of the legal memoir, readers could easily become engaged in famous cases such as the Affair of the Diamond Necklace
or the Kornmann case.
The press also played a decisive part in provoking the curiosity of the public. Among the publications which revealed the background and details of topical affairs, one of the most reliable is certainly the "Mémoires secrets
", an anonymous serial published over many years Various authors have been credited with contributing to it, among them a certain Mouffle d’Angerville, to whom are attributed no less than thirty-four articles favourable to the Comte de Sanois. In 1788, the count assembled these articles and amplifed them with his own comments in a work entitled Mon honneur finalement justifié ("My honour finally justified"). Although he rectifies some errors, generally his tone is highly enthusiastic before the authenticity of these chronicles:
"Sirs, you have reproduced this scene with such exactitude that there is not a comma to remove here, nor a point to be added there."
The defence of the countess was undertaken by the lawyer Tronson du Coudray. In 1787, the lawsuit concluded in a compromise: Mme de Sanois was to keep the totality of the couple's goods but agreed to pay an income to her husband and acknowledged that her charges against him were unfounded.
De Sanois then went into exile again, this time at Neuchâtel, where he hoped to publish the full account of his misfortunes with the Société Typographique de Neuchâtel. But apparently he encountered some difficulties. It was with joy that he learnt the news of the convocation of the Estates-General
in 1789 and returned to Paris to make his voice heard against the lettres de cachets and ministerial despotism.
He was initially closely aligned to the patriots who were demanding reforms, and full of enthusiasm published booklet after booklet in support of the Revolution. Although he was the feudal lord of Pantin
(near Paris), he even had printed the cahiers de doléances
("lists of grievances") of his own parish, accompanied by his own annotations.
As Lacretelle observed, "He initially turned to the ideas of freedom: but soon, the abuses that were made of it turned him against them".
Faithful to the king and religion, he was then imprisoned as a counter-revolutionary. Although arrested twice, he escaped the guillotine and died in Paris on the 24 pluviôse in year VII, or 12 February 1799.
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...
nobleman and army officer. In his later years his wife committed him unjustly to the Asylum of Charenton under a lettre de cachet
Lettre de cachet
Lettres de cachet were letters signed by the king of France, countersigned by one of his ministers, and closed with the royal seal, or cachet...
, an incident which because it illustrated the despotic and arbitrary nature of the legal system of the ancien régime became a cause célèbre
Cause célèbre
A is an issue or incident arousing widespread controversy, outside campaigning and heated public debate. The term is particularly used in connection with celebrated legal cases. It is a French phrase in common English use...
known as the Affaire Sanois on the eve of the 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...
, in the course of which the count also became increasingly well-known for his many political pamphlets.
Biography
The Comte de Sanois was born in 1723 near VitréVitré, Ille-et-Vilaine
Vitré is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in north-western France.Vitré, a sub-prefecture until 1926, is the seat of a canton of around 17,000 inhabitants . It lies on the edge of Brittany, near Normandy, Maine, and Anjou...
in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
into an old aristocratic family, whose properties included the fief of Sanois in Annet-sur-Marne
Annet-sur-Marne
Annet-sur-Marne, , is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-External links:* * *...
, and Pantin
Pantin
Pantin is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe. Its post code is 93500.Pantin was once the site of Motobecane's operations...
. In 1745, he joined the prestigious regiment of the Gardes Françaises
Gardes Françaises
The Gardes Françaises was one of the two non-ceremonial infantry regiments in the "Maison du Roi" of the French Army under the Ancien Régime. The other regiment was the Gardes Suisses, which made the Gardes Françaises the only one recruited from France.-History:The regiment was created in 1563 by...
and shortly afterwards was present at the Battle of Fontenoy
Battle of Fontenoy
The Battle of Fontenoy, 11 May 1745, was a major engagement of the War of the Austrian Succession, fought between the forces of the Pragmatic Allies – comprising mainly Dutch, British, and Hanoverian troops under the nominal command of the Duke of Cumberland – and a French army under Maurice de...
. Soon after his marriage in 1761, he left military service and withdrew to his estates. His wife, however, the only daughter of a rich counsellor of the Parlement de Paris, was not happy at the prospect of a quiet country life. Despite some legacies which made the couple relatively wealthy, they nevertheless fell into debt, which caused many domestic disputes and eventually a public drama.
In 1785, in despair at his financial position and crippled by illness, de Sanois fled to Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
. Under the mistaken impression that he had taken with him what remained of their fortune, his wife obtained a lettre de cachet
Lettre de cachet
Lettres de cachet were letters signed by the king of France, countersigned by one of his ministers, and closed with the royal seal, or cachet...
from Lenoir, lieutenant-general of police, under which a police inspector was authorised to follow him and force him to return, whereupon he was imprisoned in the Asylum of Charenton. Ceaselessly protesting his innocence, he was finally released after nine months and immediately began proceedings against his wife to compel her to abandon her request for separation and to clear his good name and reputation.
The Sanois Affair
Pierre Louis de Lacretelle
Pierre Louis de Lacretelle was a French lawyer, politician and writer.He was born in Metz, the elder brother of Jean Charles Dominique de Lacretelle....
, the new champion of individual freedoms.
De Lacretelle dashed off his Memoir for the Comte de Sanois which denounces in passing the abusive use of the lettre de cachet. Exempt from censorship, the legal memoir (mémoire judiciaire or factum
Brief (law)
A brief is a written legal document used in various legal adversarial systems that is presented to a court arguing why the party to the case should prevail....
) had become a fashionable literary genre. Initially a straightforward working document written by lawyers for the judges, it had now become a means of communication of frightening power which circulated among the salons and the coffee houses. Thanks to this currency of the legal memoir, readers could easily become engaged in famous cases such as the Affair of the Diamond Necklace
Affair of the diamond necklace
The Affair of the Diamond Necklace was a mysterious incident in the 1780s at the court of Louis XVI of France involving his wife, Queen Marie Antoinette. The reputation of the Queen, which was already tarnished by gossip, was ruined by the implication that she had participated in a crime to defraud...
or the Kornmann case.
The press also played a decisive part in provoking the curiosity of the public. Among the publications which revealed the background and details of topical affairs, one of the most reliable is certainly the "Mémoires secrets
Mémoires secrets
The Mémoires secrets pour servir à l'histoire de la République des Lettres en France depuis 1762 jusqu'à nos jours is an anonymous chronicle of events that occurred between 1762 and 1787. Goodman thinks it started as a manuscript newsletter emanating from Paris...
", an anonymous serial published over many years Various authors have been credited with contributing to it, among them a certain Mouffle d’Angerville, to whom are attributed no less than thirty-four articles favourable to the Comte de Sanois. In 1788, the count assembled these articles and amplifed them with his own comments in a work entitled Mon honneur finalement justifié ("My honour finally justified"). Although he rectifies some errors, generally his tone is highly enthusiastic before the authenticity of these chronicles:
"Sirs, you have reproduced this scene with such exactitude that there is not a comma to remove here, nor a point to be added there."
The defence of the countess was undertaken by the lawyer Tronson du Coudray. In 1787, the lawsuit concluded in a compromise: Mme de Sanois was to keep the totality of the couple's goods but agreed to pay an income to her husband and acknowledged that her charges against him were unfounded.
De Sanois then went into exile again, this time at Neuchâtel, where he hoped to publish the full account of his misfortunes with the Société Typographique de Neuchâtel. But apparently he encountered some difficulties. It was with joy that he learnt the news of the convocation of the Estates-General
Estates-General of 1789
The Estates-General of 1789 was the first meeting since 1614 of the French Estates-General, a general assembly representing the French estates of the realm: the nobility, the Church, and the common people...
in 1789 and returned to Paris to make his voice heard against the lettres de cachets and ministerial despotism.
He was initially closely aligned to the patriots who were demanding reforms, and full of enthusiasm published booklet after booklet in support of the Revolution. Although he was the feudal lord of Pantin
Pantin
Pantin is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe. Its post code is 93500.Pantin was once the site of Motobecane's operations...
(near Paris), he even had printed the cahiers de doléances
Cahiers de doléances
The Cahiers de Doléances were the lists of grievances drawn up by each of the three Estates in France, between March and April 1789, the year in which the French Revolution began...
("lists of grievances") of his own parish, accompanied by his own annotations.
As Lacretelle observed, "He initially turned to the ideas of freedom: but soon, the abuses that were made of it turned him against them".
Faithful to the king and religion, he was then imprisoned as a counter-revolutionary. Although arrested twice, he escaped the guillotine and died in Paris on the 24 pluviôse in year VII, or 12 February 1799.
Works
The Comte de Sanois was an original personality, unrepentant, as a litigant confident of his own right and good faith, but became inebriated by the notoriety he acquired in 1786. He took advantage of the contemporary wind of reform to present his ideas and by the time of his death had produced about fifty political booklets strewn with many autobiographical testimonies.Literary references
- Lacretelle, P.L. de, nd: Œuvres, vol. 1, pp. viij and xij; vol. 2, pp. 99ff., pp. 218ff., pp. 276ff., pp. 446ff.; vol. 3, ppp. 77ff., p. 399ff.
- Maza, Sarah: "Domestic Melodrama as Political Ideology, The Case of the Comte de Sanois" in The American Historical Review, vol. 94, 1989
- Maza, Sarah, 1993: Private Lives and Public Affairs : the Causes Celebres of Pre-Revolutionary France
- Richard, Hélène-Claire, Caroff, André, 2006: Le comte de Sanois, Paris, Ed. Paradigme