Montesquiou family

The de Montesquiou family is an old French noble family from Montesquiou in Gascony whose documented filiation traces back to circa 1190.[1] In the 18th Century, the family was recognized as coming in the 11th century from the Counts of Fezensac (extinct in the 12th Century). The Montesquiou family split into several branches, of which only the d'Artagnan branch now remains.

Origins

The first ancestor of proven genealogy is Raimond-Aimeri de Montesquiou, crossed knight around 1190.[1]

In the proceedings of the cartulary of Auch (copies from the 13th Century), Raymond-Aimeri, first baron of Montesquiou is described around 1096 as the younger brother of Guillaume Astanove Count of Fezensac.[2]

In 1777, the Montesquiou family was recognized as descending from the counts of Fezensac and Louis XVI allowed them to change their name to "de Montesquiou-Fezensac".[3]

The Montesquiou illustrated themselves in the Third Crusade, the French war of religions, and as commanders of the musketeers. The Montesquiou family produced one field marshal (and two in the de Montluc family with which the link as a branch is contested by some author[4]), one admiral, one cardinal, one archbishop, several generals, bishops, diplomats and one minister.

In 2011 certain members of the d'Artagnan branch changed their name to de Montesquiou-Fezesensac d'Artagnan.

The famous d'Artagnan, who inspired the Three Musketeers novel, was not a member of this family, but a member of the de Batz de Castelmore family and his mother was a Montesquiou.

Titles

Titles of the now extinct Marsan line:

  • Baron of the Empire (1809)[5]
  • Count of Montesquiou (1817)[6])
  • Duke of Fezensac in 1821 and 1832. The title died out in 1913 with Philippe André, third duke of Fezensac[6])

Titles of the d'Artagnan line:

  • Count of the Empire (1809 and 1810)[5]
  • Baron of the Empire (1809 and 1810)[5]
  • Baron-pair (1824)[5]

Notable members

References
  1. Almanach de Gotha, 1895, p. 383.
  2. Jean-Baptiste Pierre Jullien de Courcelles, Histoire généalogique et héraldique des pairs de France, 1827, p. 25.
  3. Almanach de Gotha, 1907, p. 329.
  4. Borel d'Hauterive, Revue historique de la noblesse, volume 2, 1841, p.173
  5. Vicomte Albert Révérend "Armorial du premier empire: titres, majorats et armoiries concédés" volume 3, pages 266 à 271.
  6. Jougla de Morenas, Grand Armorial de France, tome V page 93.
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