Jean Louis Barthelemy O’Donnell
Encyclopedia
Comte Jean Louis Barthelemy O'Donnell
(1783–1836), was born in Maine-et-Loire
, France, and was a Hiberno-French count
who survived the French Revolution
, campaigned in Italy and Spain under Napoleon Bonaparte, and played a prominent role in local government in France. He was also a member of the Conseil d’État and the Légion d'honneur
.
On 15 April 1817, he married Élisa-Louise Gay (1800–1841), daughter of Jean Sigismond Gay (1768–1822) in Paris, and adopted by the latter's second wife, Marie Françoise Sophie Nichault de la Valette (1776–1852), who came from a family ruined by the Revolution. With Élisa-Louise, Comte O’Donnell had two sons, Gustave Anatole O’Donnell (1818–1824), and Sigismond Anatole O’Donnell (1823–1879), who married Jeanne Marthe Marie de Pechpeyrou Comminges de Guitaut, of the Marquis
d’Époisses
. His mother-in-law, known also as Sophie Gay or Mme. Sigismond, held salons for the rising elite of the "Restauration", frequented by France's greatest writers and artists. She lived at Villiers-sur-Orge
, just south of Paris, in the Maison-Rouge
, where they moved in 1813, and where Élisa-Louise and Sophie's own three children grew up. This was also where Comte O’Donnell courted Élisa-Louise, and established their family, after his military service. She was also a correspondent of Honoré de Balzac
, sending him poems that she had coaxed her half-sister Delphine to write.
campaign, where French forces defeated the Austrian army on 14 June 1800, forcing them to withdraw from Italy west of Ticino
. His later political and administrative education flourished as a student of Alexandre Theodore Victor, Comte de Lameth, with whom he formed a very close friendship. Lameth was a young nobleman who served in the American Revolutionary War
of Independence, became a French revolutionary but later aligned with Napoleon under the Empire, and the Bourbons under the French Restoration.
Nominated in 1809, O’Donnell was appointed Auditeur to the Conseil d’État on 19 January 1810, with special responsibility for bridges and highways. As an auditeur in extraordinary service, he was sent on mission to the French army in the north of Spain from 1811 to 1813, and was sent as intendant to Vittoria. He became successively super-intendant of the provinces of Alava
, Biscay
, and Guipúzcoa in the Basque region of northern Spain, and later in Valladolid
. He was promoted to auditeur 1st class in 1812. After the return of the French army from Spain, he was recalled to the general staff of the Emperor
, and remained in service in France until the abdication of Emperor Napoleon at Fontainebleau
.
He was a career military man, and later Mâitre des Requêtes
in the Conseil d’État, and a conseiller (counselor) in the Cour des Comptes, where he brought democratic constitutional principles inculcated under Lameth, and true to which he remained throughout his life. He fell from favour under the ultra-Royalist administration of the Jean-Baptiste, comte de Villèle, the Prime Minister of France
from 1821–1828, and during which time largely he concentrated on local government, being Maire (Mayor) of Villiers-sur-Orge for seven years from 1820 to 1826, and was one of the founders of the l'Ecole d'enseignement mutuel (primary school) in Montlhéry
, where using his own resources, he had several young pupils educated. During his administration he accomplished an extension of the communal road network to rejoin the main Orléans
-Paris road. After the revolution of 1830, he was restored to his former post as a Mâitre des Requêtes in the Conseil d’État. Comte O’Donnell published a seminal work on the Code Vicinal, in 1836 .
His biographers characterized him as energetic, and firm, yet without being rigorous, but rather flexible with the unknown. He undertook his frequently arduous duties with moderation and humanity, qualities of fine character, and his service amongst the notables of the Conseil d’État was marked as particularly distinguished.
(1804–1855), a literary figure, like her mother, and also close to the famous Madame De Staël
during the Napoleonic Empire
, and a prolific poetess, one of whose poems "La Tour du Prodige" was dedicated to her nephew Gustave O’Donnell, Comte O’Donnell's first-born son, who died aged six, and another "Le Retour" to her half-sister, Comtesse O’Donnell.
O'Donnell
O'Donnell , which is derived from the forename Domhnaill were an ancient and powerful Irish family, kings, princes, and lords of Tír Chonaill in early times, and the chief allies and sometimes...
(1783–1836), was born in Maine-et-Loire
Maine-et-Loire
Maine-et-Loire is a department in west-central France, in the Pays de la Loire region.- History :Maine-et-Loire is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. Originally it was called Mayenne-et-Loire, but its name was changed to Maine-et-Loire in 1791....
, France, and was a Hiberno-French count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
who survived 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...
, campaigned in Italy and Spain under Napoleon Bonaparte, and played a prominent role in local government in France. He was also a member of the Conseil d’État and the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
.
On 15 April 1817, he married Élisa-Louise Gay (1800–1841), daughter of Jean Sigismond Gay (1768–1822) in Paris, and adopted by the latter's second wife, Marie Françoise Sophie Nichault de la Valette (1776–1852), who came from a family ruined by the Revolution. With Élisa-Louise, Comte O’Donnell had two sons, Gustave Anatole O’Donnell (1818–1824), and Sigismond Anatole O’Donnell (1823–1879), who married Jeanne Marthe Marie de Pechpeyrou Comminges de Guitaut, of the Marquis
Marquis
Marquis is a French and Scottish title of nobility. The English equivalent is Marquess, while in German, it is Markgraf.It may also refer to:Persons:...
d’Époisses
Époisses
Époisses is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France, located around halfway between Dijon and Auxerre.The village is most famous for its namesake cheese, Époisses de Bourgogne, a pungent unpasteurized cows-milk cheese. This cheese is one of several well-known French...
. His mother-in-law, known also as Sophie Gay or Mme. Sigismond, held salons for the rising elite of the "Restauration", frequented by France's greatest writers and artists. She lived at Villiers-sur-Orge
Villiers-sur-Orge
Villiers-sur-Orge is a commune in the Essonne department in suburban Paris, France.Inhabitants of Villiers-sur-Orge are known as Villiérains.-Sites of interest:* Town hall* Saint-Claude chapel* Stade Christophe-Lavallade* Childhood centre...
, just south of Paris, in the Maison-Rouge
Maison-Rouge
Maison-Rouge is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne département in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-External links:* * *...
, where they moved in 1813, and where Élisa-Louise and Sophie's own three children grew up. This was also where Comte O’Donnell courted Élisa-Louise, and established their family, after his military service. She was also a correspondent of Honoré de Balzac
Honoré de Balzac
Honoré de Balzac was a French novelist and playwright. His magnum opus was a sequence of short stories and novels collectively entitled La Comédie humaine, which presents a panorama of French life in the years after the 1815 fall of Napoleon....
, sending him poems that she had coaxed her half-sister Delphine to write.
Career
At the age of sixteen, he joined the staff command of General Clarck, upon the departure of Napoleon Bonaparte, then First Consul, for the MarengoMarengo
Marengo may refer to:* The Battle of Marengo, in 1800 in northern Italy* French ship Marengo* Chicken Marengo, a food dish* Marengo , a genus of jumping spiders* Marengo , Napoleon's horse...
campaign, where French forces defeated the Austrian army on 14 June 1800, forcing them to withdraw from Italy west of Ticino
Ticino
Canton Ticino or Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. Named after the Ticino river, it is the only canton in which Italian is the sole official language...
. His later political and administrative education flourished as a student of Alexandre Theodore Victor, Comte de Lameth, with whom he formed a very close friendship. Lameth was a young nobleman who served in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
of Independence, became a French revolutionary but later aligned with Napoleon under the Empire, and the Bourbons under the French Restoration.
Nominated in 1809, O’Donnell was appointed Auditeur to the Conseil d’État on 19 January 1810, with special responsibility for bridges and highways. As an auditeur in extraordinary service, he was sent on mission to the French army in the north of Spain from 1811 to 1813, and was sent as intendant to Vittoria. He became successively super-intendant of the provinces of Alava
Álava
Álava is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Álava. Its capital city is Vitoria-Gasteiz which is also the capital of the autonomous community...
, Biscay
Biscay
Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
, and Guipúzcoa in the Basque region of northern Spain, and later in Valladolid
Valladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
. He was promoted to auditeur 1st class in 1812. After the return of the French army from Spain, he was recalled to the general staff of the Emperor
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
, and remained in service in France until the abdication of Emperor Napoleon at Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the arrondissement of Fontainebleau...
.
He was a career military man, and later Mâitre des Requêtes
Master of Requests
The Master of Requests was a Great Officer of State in Scotland.The office first appeared in the reign of James V. Its functions in Scotland included that of receiving petitions from subjects and presenting them for consideration by the Privy Council...
in the Conseil d’État, and a conseiller (counselor) in the Cour des Comptes, where he brought democratic constitutional principles inculcated under Lameth, and true to which he remained throughout his life. He fell from favour under the ultra-Royalist administration of the Jean-Baptiste, comte de Villèle, the Prime Minister of France
Prime Minister of France
The Prime Minister of France in the Fifth Republic is the head of government and of the Council of Ministers of France. The head of state is the President of the French Republic...
from 1821–1828, and during which time largely he concentrated on local government, being Maire (Mayor) of Villiers-sur-Orge for seven years from 1820 to 1826, and was one of the founders of the l'Ecole d'enseignement mutuel (primary school) in Montlhéry
Montlhéry
Montlhéry is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France. It is located from Paris.Inhabitants of Montlhéry are known as Montlhériens.-History:...
, where using his own resources, he had several young pupils educated. During his administration he accomplished an extension of the communal road network to rejoin the main Orléans
Orléans
-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
-Paris road. After the revolution of 1830, he was restored to his former post as a Mâitre des Requêtes in the Conseil d’État. Comte O’Donnell published a seminal work on the Code Vicinal, in 1836 .
His biographers characterized him as energetic, and firm, yet without being rigorous, but rather flexible with the unknown. He undertook his frequently arduous duties with moderation and humanity, qualities of fine character, and his service amongst the notables of the Conseil d’État was marked as particularly distinguished.
Society
In his own right he was also literary figure, and well-connected in the literary, social, and court circles of the day. His sister-in-law was Delphine, renowned as Mme. de GirardinDelphine de Girardin
Delphine de Girardin , pen name Vicomte Delaunay, was a French author.She was born at Aachen, and christened Delphine Gay. Her mother, the well-known Madame Sophie Gay, brought her up in the midst of a brilliant literary society...
(1804–1855), a literary figure, like her mother, and also close to the famous Madame De Staël
Anne Louise Germaine de Staël
Anne Louise Germaine de Staël-Holstein , commonly known as Madame de Staël, was a French-speaking Swiss author living in Paris and abroad. She influenced literary tastes in Europe at the turn of the 19th century.- Childhood :...
during the Napoleonic Empire
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
, and a prolific poetess, one of whose poems "La Tour du Prodige" was dedicated to her nephew Gustave O’Donnell, Comte O’Donnell's first-born son, who died aged six, and another "Le Retour" to her half-sister, Comtesse O’Donnell.