The Cappel family was a French family which produced distinguished jurists and theologians in the 15th and 16th centuries. The family also took the Latin name Tillaeus based on the fief le Tilloy.
In 1491, Guillaume Cappel, as Rector (academia), rector of the University of Paris, protested against a tithe which Pope Innocent VIII claimed from that body. His nephew, Jacques Cappel (''Johannes Tillaeus'' in Latin; died 1541), the real founder of the family, was himself advocate-general at the parlement of Paris. In a celebrated address delivered before the court in 1537, against the emperor Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, he claimed for King Francis I of France, Francis I the counties of Artois, Flanders, and Charolais (county), Charolais. He left nine children, of whom three became Protestants. The eldest, Jacques (1529–1586), sieur du Tilloy-et-Bellay, Tilloy, wrote several treatises on jurisprudence. Louis Cappel, Louis (1534–1586), sieur de Moriambert, the fifth son, was a most ardent Protestant. In 1570 he presented a confession of faith to King Charles IX of France, Charles IX in the name of his co-religionists. He disputed at Sedan, France, Sedan before the duc de Bouillon with the Jesuit, Jean Maldonat (1534–1583), and wrote in defence of Protestantism. The seventh son, Ange (1537–1623), seigneur du Luat, was secretary to King Henry IV of France, Henry IV, and enjoyed the esteem of Maximilien de Béthune, duc de Sully, Sully. Among those who remained Catholic Church, Catholic should be mentioned Guillaume, the translator of Machiavelli. The eldest son Jacques also left two sons, famous in the history of Protestantism:
Jacques (1570–1624), pastor of the church founded by himself on his fief of le Tilloy and afterwards at Sedan, where he became professor of Hebrew language, Hebrew, distinguished as historian, philologist and exegetical scholar; and Louis Cappel, Louis.
He also used his latinized name Jacobus Tillaeus.
''Acta Eruditorum'': Jacques Cappel also known as Jacobus Tillaeus
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On the protest of Guillaume Cappel, see Jean du Bellay, Du Bellay, ''Historia Universitatis Parisiensis'', vol. v. On the family, see the sketch by another Jacques Cappel, ''De Capellorum gente'', in the ''Commentarii et notae criticae in Vetus Testamentum'' of Louis Cappel, his father (Amsterdam, 1689).
References
*Eugene and Emile Haag, ''La France protestante'', vol. iii. (new edition, 1881).
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cappel Family
17th century in France
French families
French noble families