Jacques Henri de Durfort, Duke of Duras (9 October 1625 – 12 October 1704) was

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 ( ...

Life

Jacques Henri was the oldest son of Guy Aldonce de Durfort (1605–1665), marquis of Duras, count of Rozan and of Lorges, maréchal de camp and of Élisabeth de La Tour d'Auvergne, sister of Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, better known as

Turenne Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, vicomte de Turenne (11 September 161127 July 1675), commonly known as Turenne , was a French general and one of only six Marshals to have been promoted Marshal General of France. The most illustrious member of the ...

. His brother, Guy Aldonce de Durfort de Lorges, was also a

. He served first under his uncle,

, and under Condé ; he distinguished himself at Mergentheim, and

Alerheim Alerheim is a municipality in the district of Donau-Ries in Bavaria in Germany. Mayor In January 2022 Alexander Joas was elected mayor. He succeeded Christoph Schmid, who had been in office since 2008. Sons and daughters of the community * J ...

. In 1651, he followed Condé into rebellion, but came back into the service of the king in 1657, with the title of lieutenant-general. He played a major part in the conquest of Franche-Comté ; and was named by

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Ver ...

governor of that province and marshal in 1675. In 1689, he took part in the destruction of the Palatinate during the

War of the Grand Alliance 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 ...

. The Duc de Saint-Simon, who married his niece, speaks highly of him in his memoirs and notes that he was in such favour with

that he " could more or less say what he pleased."Norton, Lucy (ed.) Duc de Saint-Simon " Memoirs " Prion Books London 1999 Vol.1 p.126

Marriage and Children

He married Marguerite Félice de Lévis, daughter of Charles de Lévis,

Duke of Ventadour Duke of Ventadour ( Fr.: ''duc de Ventadour'') was a noble title in the peerage of France granted to Gilbert de Lévis de Ventadour by Henry IV of France in 1589. It is named after the Château de Ventadour. List of Dukes of Ventadour, 1589—1 ...

and Marie de La Guiche. Marguerite Félice was the sister in law of Charlotte de La Mothe Houdancourt and aunt of the

Duchess of Rohan-Rohan References and notes {{reflist Duchesses of Rohan-Rohan Dukes of Rohan-Rohan House of Rohan Rohan ...

.. With her he had at least four children: * Jacques Henri II of Durfort, 2nd Duke of Duras (1670–1697); * Felice Armande de Durfort (1672–1730), married Paul Jules de La Porte, duc Mazarin, son of Armand Charles de La Porte de La Meilleraye and

Hortense Mancini Hortense Mancini, Duchesse de Mazarin (6 June 1646 – 2 July 1699), was a niece of Cardinal Mazarin, chief minister of France, and a mistress of Charles II, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. She was the fourth of the five famous Mancini s ...

; * Louise Bernardine de Durfort (1675–1703), married Jean-François Paul de Blanchefort-Créquy (1678–1703), 5th Duke of Lesdiguières, Comte de Sault, Pair de France; * Jean-Baptiste de Durfort, 3rd Duke of Duras (1684–1770), Marshal of France.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Durfort De Duras, Jacques Henri 1625 births 1704 deaths 1 Marshals of France Converts to Roman Catholicism from Calvinism French military personnel of the Nine Years' War French military personnel of the Franco-Dutch War