The House of La Fayette was a French family of Nobles of the Sword, from the province of

Auvergne Auvergne (; ; oc, label= Occitan, Auvèrnhe or ) is a former administrative region in central France, comprising the four departments of Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal and Haute-Loire. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Au ...

, established during the Middle-Age by the lords of the

fief A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form ...

of La Fayette held by the senior branch of the Motier family.

History and members

Its most illustrious members are: *

Gilbert Motier de La Fayette Gilbert Motier de La Fayette (1380 – 22 February 1463) Seigneur of La Fayette, Pontgibaud, Ayes, Nébouzac, Saint-Romain and Montel-de-Gelat was a Marshal of France, namesake of and relation to Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette. ...

(1380–1464): Lord of La Fayette,

Marshal of France Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished ( ...

during the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagen ...

. *

François Leclerc du Tremblay François Leclerc du Tremblay (4 November 1577 – 17 December 1638), also known as Père Joseph, was a French Greyfriar, confidant and agent of Cardinal Richelieu. He was the original ''éminence grise''—the French term ("grey eminence") ...

(1577–1638), also known as Père Joseph: a French

Capuchin friar The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. O.F.M. Cap.) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of Three " First Orders" that reformed from the Franciscan Friars Minor Observant (OFM Obs., now OFM ...

, confidant and agent of

Cardinal Richelieu Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu (; 9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a French clergyman and statesman. He was also known as ''l'Éminence rouge'', or "the Red Eminence", a term derived from the ...

, son of Marie Motier de La Fayette. Pere-joseph

Louise de La Fayette Louise Angélique Motier de la Fayette (8 November 1618 – 11 January 1665) was a French courtier and close friend and confidante of King Louis XIII. She later left the court and entered a convent. She was known for her influence upon the mo ...

(1618–1665):

favourite A favourite (British English) or favorite (American English) was the intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. In post-classical and early-modern Europe, among other times and places, the term was used of individuals delegated s ...

Louis XIII of France Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crow ...

* Madame de La Fayette (1634–1693): author of La Princesse de Clèves, France's first historical novel and one of the earliest novels in literature.

* Michel du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (1731–1759) French soldier and father of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette *

Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (, ), was a French aristocrat, freemason and military officer who fought in the American Revoluti ...

(1757–1834): important participant in the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

, the 1789 French Revolution and the 1830 French Revolution. La Fayette by Weyler

Adrienne de La Fayette Marie Adrienne Françoise de Noailles, Marquise de La Fayette (2 November 1759 – 25 December 1807), was a French marchioness. She was the daughter of Jean de Noailles and Henriette Anne Louise d'Aguesseau, and married Gilbert du Motier, Marq ...

(1759–1807): wife of above. Marie Adrienne Francoise de Noailles, French School 18th century copy

* Georges Washington de La Fayette (1779–1849): a French soldier and politician, son of the two above

Marquisate de La Fayette

The fief La Fayette was raised to a marquisate by

Letters patent Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, tit ...

in about 1690. ''Brigadier des armées'' René-Armand Count and Marquis de La Fayette (1659–1694), son of Madame de La Fayette (1634–1693), and François Motier, comte de La Fayette (1616–1683), died on 12 September 1694 of an illness in

Landau Landau ( pfl, Landach), officially Landau in der Pfalz, is an autonomous (''kreisfrei'') town surrounded by the Südliche Weinstraße ("Southern Wine Route") district of southern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a university town (since 1990 ...

during the

Nine Years' War The Nine Years' War (1688–1697), often called the War of the Grand Alliance or the War of the League of Augsburg, was a conflict between Kingdom of France, France and a European coalition which mainly included the Holy Roman Empire (led by t ...

. In his will of 11 May 1692, he bequeathed to his sixth cousin Charles Motier Champétières,

Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or kn ...

de Vissac (though an 11th generation descendant of their common

patrilineality Patrilineality, also known as the male line, the spear side or agnatic kinship, is a common kinship system in which an individual's family membership derives from and is recorded through their father's lineage. It generally involves the inheritan ...

ancestor Pons Motier de La Fayette, a

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

of the Seventh Crusade) and his male descendants; the name and property of the house of La Fayette, as the substitute for his brother Louis, Abbot of Notre-Dame de Valmont, and his daughter Marie-Madeleine, but leaves the enjoyment of the land of La Fayette to her. He did this to continue the name and title. Edward Motier de La Fayette, Seigneur de Champétières, marquis de Vissac (1669–1740) takes the name of "La Fayette", pursuant to the substitution made in favor of his father (Charles Motier Champétières, Baron de Vissac). Marie-Madeleine Motier de La Fayette (1691–1717) daughter of René-Armand and wife of

Charles Louis Bretagne de La Trémoille Charles Louis Bretagne de La Trémoille (15 March 1683 – 9 October 1719), 6th duke of Thouars, was the son of Charles Belgique Hollande de La Trémoille and Madeleine de Créquy, daughter and heiress of Charles III de Créquy. He became duke o ...

Prince of Taranto,

Duke of Thouars The first viscounts of Thouars appeared at the end of the 9th century, somewhat earlier than those of Châtellerault, Lusignan, etc. They represented the count of Poitou (also the duke of Aquitaine) in the territory he had enfeoffed to them. Th ...

peer of France The Peerage of France (french: Pairie de France) was a hereditary distinction within the French nobility which appeared in 1180 in the Middle Ages. The prestigious title and position of Peer of France (french: Pair de France, links=no) was ...

, by will of 3 July 1717, transmits the land of Lafayette to her 6 years old cousin Jacques-Roch Motier (son of Edward Motier de La Fayette), as the representative of the Champétières branch of the family already substituted by her father in the name and title of the Seigneur of La Fayette. Jacques-Roch Motier de La Fayette (1711–1734) passed marquisate de La Fayette to his brother, Michel du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (1731 –1759), upon Jacques-Roch's death on 18 January 1734 while fighting the Austrians at

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...

in the

War of Polish Succession The War of the Polish Succession ( pl, Wojna o sukcesję polską; 1733–35) was a major European conflict sparked by a Polish civil war over the succession to Augustus II of Poland, which the other regional power, European powers widened in p ...

. On 1 August 1759, Michel du Motier de Lafayette died by being struck by a cannonball while fighting a British-led coalition at the

Battle of Minden The Battle of Minden was a major engagement during the Seven Years' War, fought on 1 August 1759. An Anglo-German army under the overall command of Prussian Field Marshal Ferdinand of Brunswick defeated a French army commanded by Marshal of Fr ...

Westphalia Westphalia (; german: Westfalen ; nds, Westfalen ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has an area of and 7.9 million inhabitants. The territory of the regio ...

, the marquisate de La Fayette went to his son,

(1757–1834).

Descendants of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette and Marie Adrienne Françoise de Noailles

Georges Washington de La Fayette in Le serment de La Fayette a la fete de la Federation 14 July 1790 French School 18th century

married Marie Adrienne Françoise de Noailles (2 November 1759 – 24 December 1807), the daughter of Jean-Paul-François, 5th duc de Noailles, and Henriette Anne Louise d'Aguesseau. They had four children: Henriette (1776–1778), Anastasie Louise Pauline du Motier (1777–1863), Georges Washington Louis Gilbert du Motier, (1779–1849), and Marie Antoinette Virginie du Motier (1782–1849). Georges de Lafayette married Emilie de Tracy, daughter of the Comte de Tracy, in 1802; they had three daughters and two sons: Natahlie, who married Adolphe Périer; Mathilde, who married Maurice de Pusy (1799–1864, son of Jean-Xavier Bureau de Pusy); Clementine, who married "Gustave" Auguste Bonnin de La Bonninière de Beaumont; Oscar Gilbert Lafayette (1815–1881), liberal politician; and Edmond (1818–1890) also a liberal politician. Mathilde and Maurice had a son, Octave Bureaux de Pusy (1832–1889). Nathalie and Adolphe had a daughter, Octavie Périer(1826–1876), who married Sigismond Pourcet de Sahune (1810–1903). A 6 February 1892 presidential decree authorized the great-great-grandsons of the general, Paul Pourcet de Sahune (1861–1926), Gaston Pourcet de Sahune (1855–1942) and Gilbert Bureaux de Pusy(1871–1950), to add to their respective names "du Motier de Lafayette." Virginia La Fayette

Virginie married Louis de Lasteyrie on 20 April 1803. They had four children: Pauline, who married

Charles de Rémusat Charles François Marie, Comte de Rémusat (, 13 March 1797 – 6 June 1875), was a French politician and writer. Biography He was born in Paris. His father, Auguste Laurent, Comte de Rémusat, whose family came from Toulouse, was chamber ...

, Mélanie, who married Francisque de Corcelle (a friend of

de Tocqueville Alexis Charles Henri Clérel, comte de Tocqueville (; 29 July 180516 April 1859), colloquially known as Tocqueville (), was a French aristocrat, diplomat, political scientist, political philosopher and historian. He is best known for his works ...

), in 1831, Octavie, and their son, Adrien Jules de Lasteyrie (1810–1883) married Olivia de Rohan-Chabot (1813–1899), the daughter of the émigré Louis de Rohan, Vicomte de Chabot, and Lady Charlotte Fitzgerald, daughter of the second Duke of Leinster. Mélanie and Francisque had a daughter Marie Henriette Hélène ''Marthe'' Tircuy de Corcelle (6 June 1832, Paris – 17 November 1902, Paris), who married Charles Adolphe Pineton de Chambrun (10 August 1831, Marjevols – 13 September 1891, New York), a lawyer from New York, at the Église de la Madeleine on 8 June 1859. Adrien Jules and Olivia had a son, Louis de Lasteyrie who married Olivia Mills Goodlake; they had two children, Gui de Lasteyrie (b. 1878), and Louis de Lasteyrie (1881–1955). Louis married Louise Chodron de Courcel, in 1908. Just Charles César de Faÿ de La Tour-Maubourg

Just Charles César de Faÿ de La Tour-Maubourg

Juste-Charles de la Tour-Maubourg (Motte-Galaure,

Drôme Drôme (; Occitan: ''Droma''; Arpitan: ''Drôma'') is the southernmost department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. Named after the river Drôme, it had a population of 516,762 as of 2019.

8 June 1744, 28 May 1831), married Anastasie de Lafayette; they had two children: Célestine Louise Henriette de Fay de La Tour-Maubourg (1799 – 16 July 1893), and Jenny de Fay de La Tour-Maubourg (6 September 1812 – 15 April 1897). He was a French soldier and politician during the French Revolution, and the

First French Empire The First French Empire, officially the French Republic, then the French Empire (; Latin: ) after 1809, also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental E ...

. His father was Claude Florimond du Faÿ (1712–1790) and his mother was Marie Françoise de Vacheron de Bermont (b.1712). His younger brother,

Marie Victor de Fay, marquis de Latour-Maubourg Marie-Victor-Nicolas de Faÿ, Marquis de La Tour-Maubourg (22 May 1768 – 11 November 1850) was a French cavalry commander under France's Ancien Régime before rising to prominence during the First French Empire. Under the Restoration, he ser ...

, was a Cavalry Corps commander, survived the Russian Campaign and was wounded at the

battle of Leipzig The Battle of Leipzig (french: Bataille de Leipsick; german: Völkerschlacht bei Leipzig, ); sv, Slaget vid Leipzig), also known as the Battle of the Nations (french: Bataille des Nations; russian: Битва народов, translit=Bitva ...

. They had two daughters, Célestine, who married the Baron de Brigode, (who was mayor of Mayor of

Annappes Annappes () is a village and former commune of the Nord Department of France, on the river Marque. In 1970, it was merged with the communes of Ascq and Flers-lez-Lille to form the new commune of Villeneuve d'Ascq.comte Hector Perrone di San-Martino (12 January 1789 – 29 March 1849), on 2 February 1833. His father was Carlo Giuseppe Perrone di San Martino, and his mother was Paola d'Argentero-Bersezio.

Henry Clay Henry Clay Sr. (April 12, 1777June 29, 1852) was an American attorney and statesman who represented Kentucky in both the United States Senate, U.S. Senate and United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives. He was the seven ...

attended the wedding.

Ettore Perrone di San Martino Ettore Perrone, Conte di San Martino (12 January 1789 in Turin – 29 March 1849) was an Italian politician and military leader. French military service He enlisted as a volunteer soldier, in the infantry in 1806, in the "Legion du Midi". He gr ...

graduated from Saint-Cyr in 1806, was wounded at the

Battle of Wagram The Battle of Wagram (; 5–6 July 1809) was a military engagement of the Napoleonic Wars that ended in a costly but decisive victory for Emperor Napoleon's French and allied army against the Austrian army under the command of Archduke Charles ...

, and three times at the

Battle of Montmirail The Battle of Montmirail (11 February 1814) was fought between a French force led by Emperor Napoleon and two Allied corps commanded by Fabian Wilhelm von Osten-Sacken and Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg. In hard fighting that lasted until eveni ...

. He was mortally wounded at the Battle of Novara in the Piedmont, Italy, on 22 March 1849, where he commanded the left division. Jenny and Ettore had two sons, Paolo Luigi Perrone di San Martino (1834–1897), and Roberto Perrone di San Martino (1836–1900), and a daughter, Luisa Perrone di San Martino (1 October 1838 – 14 November 1880), who married Count Félix Rignon (1829–1914). Luisa and Félix Rignon had two children, Édouard Rignon (1861–1932), and Maria Rignon (15 March 1858 – 27 March 1950). Édouard Rignon married Marie Nicolis de Robilant (24 March 1870 – 5 October 1960). One of their daughters, Carolina Rignon (17 February 1904 – 20 September 1975) married Charles VII, Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. They had seven children, among whom: Maria (b. 1935, married to Archduke Joseph Árpád of Austria, with issue), Josephine (b. 1937, married to Prince Alexander of Liechtenstein, with issue), Christiane (b. 1940, married to Archduke Michael of Austria, Joseph Árpád's brother, with issue), Aloys-Konstantin IX, Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (b. 1941, married to Princess Anastasia of Prussia, daughter of

Prince Hubertus of Prussia Prince Hubertus Karl Wilhelm of Prussia (30 September 1909 – 8 April 1950) was the third son of Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany and Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and member of the princely House of Hohenzollern. Biography He joine ...

, with issue), and Lioba (b. 1946, married to Moritz Eugen, Prince of Oettingen-Oettingen and Oettingen-Wallerstein, with issue). Koning Filip van België

Maria Rignon married Count Augusto Gazelli di Rossana e di Sebastiano. They had a daughter, Luisa Gazelli (19 May 1896 – 27 April 1989), who married Don Fulco Ruffo di Calabria (12 August 1884 – 23 August 1946) in 1919, and were parents to Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria (11 September 1937–). Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria married Albert II of Belgium (6 June 1934–) at St. Goedele Cathedral in Brussels on 2 July 1959. Their son King

Philippe of Belgium Philippe or Filip ( nl, Filip Leopold Lodewijk Maria ; french: Philippe Léopold Louis Marie ; born 15 April 1960) is King of the Belgians. He is the eldest child of Albert II of Belgium, King Albert II and Queen Paola. He succeeded his father upo ...

(15 April 1960 -) became king on his father's abdication in 2013. Count Jean-François Pineton de Chambrun, the third husband of Raine Spencer, Countess Spencer, is also a descendant of Gilbert and Adrienne Motier de La Fayette.Ancestors of Jean-François Pineton de Chambrun

Heraldry, and motto

Family tree

, - , style="text-align: left;", Notes: Based on sources: * * * , - , style="text-align: left;", style="border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" - descent adoption - marriage 1, 2 spouse order , - , style="text-align: left;", Notes:

References and notes

External links

''Généalogie de Carné'', Alain de Carné en novembre 2006Neil Jeffares, ''Dictionary of pastellists before 1800'', Noailles Iconographical GenealogyMarie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette Collection, Library of CongressGenealogie des Lafayette
{{DEFAULTSORT:La Fayette French noble families French marquesses People from Auvergne Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette