De Mercy is a
French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
locational surname
A toponymic surname or habitational surname or byname is a surname or byname derived from a place name, , derived from places called
Mercy
Mercy (Middle English, from Anglo-French , from Medieval Latin , "price paid, wages", from Latin , "merchandise") is benevolence, forgiveness, and kindness in a variety of ethical, religious, social, and legal contexts.
In the social and le ...
in
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.
[''Dictionary of American Family Names'']
"Mercy Family History"
Oxford University Press, 2013. Retrieved on 21 January 2016.
Origins
The De Mercy family rose to increasing power during the Middle Ages in the region of what is now southern
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
,
Lorraine
Lorraine, also , ; ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; ; ; is a cultural and historical region in Eastern France, now located in the administrative region of Grand Est. Its name stems from the medieval kingdom of ...
and
Luxembourg
Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
. By the fifteenth century Jean de Mercy was lord of Clémarais (1422); in 1477, Roger de Mercy ("the Valiant") was appointed Captain and Provost of
Longwy
Longwy (; older , ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Departments of France, French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle, Lorraine, administrative region of Grand Est, northeastern France.
The inhabitants are known as ''Longoviciens''.
In ...
by
René II, Duke of Lorraine
René II (2 May 1451 – 10 December 1508) was Count of Vaudémont from 1470, Duke of Lorraine from 1473, and Duke of Bar from 1483 to 1508. He claimed the crown of the Kingdom of Naples and the County of Provence as the Duke of Calabria ...
.
The family progressively expanded their domain, incorporating parts of Aix-sur-Cloie, Battincourt and Piémont. A castle named Claimaraix is mentioned in a document dated 3 March 1612, as a possession of Anne de Landres, widow of Jean de Mercy. By the sixteenth century they owned substantial land near Esch, including the castle at Mittenthal and the important mill at
Bergem
Bergem (, ) is a town in the commune of Mondercange, in south-western Luxembourg. , the town has a population of 1,575 inhabitants.
In close proximity to the town is the confluence of the Alzette and Mess
The mess (also called a mess deck abo ...
.
People
*
Count Claudius Florimund de Mercy (1666-1734), French general
*
Eugène-Guillaume Argenteau
Eugène-Guillaume-Alexis, comte de Mercy d'Argenteau or Eugen Gillis Wilhelm Graf Mercy d'Argenteau or Eugen Gillis Alexis Argenteau (30 December 1743 – 4 May 1819) joined the Austrian army in 1760 and fought in the Seven Years' War. In 1784 he ...
, comte de Mercy (1743–1819), Austrian general
*
Florimond Claude, comte de Mercy-Argenteau
Florimond Claude, comte de Mercy-Argenteau (20 April 1727 – 25 August 1794) was an Austrian diplomat, statesman of French noble ancestry, in the service of the Holy Roman Empire.
Early life
He was born in Liège, Prince-Bishopric of Lie ...
(1727–1794), Austrian diplomat
*
(1837–1890), Belgian noblewoman
References
*
{{surname
French-language surnames