Philippe, Marquis de Villette-Mursay: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Revision as of 19:59, 16 January 2007

Philippe, Marquis de Villette-Mursay, (1627 - 1707) was a French naval commander.

Biography

He was the son of Benjamin Le Valois de Villette (1582 - 1661) and Louise Arthémise d’Aubigné.
Françoise d'Aubigné , the future marquise de Maintenon and second wife of Louis XIV was his cousin.
She lived in his parent's house, the Château de Mursay, and received a Calvinist upbringing until the age of seven.

After a disappointing career in the Army, Villette-Mursay chose a career in the young French Navy under Colbert. In 1672 he was promoted to captain and received in 1674 command of his own ship : l'Apollon.

He first distinguished himself on January 8, 1676 in the Battle of Stromboli against De Ruyter commanding L'Assuré.
He again fought in pitched battle a few months later near Agosta.

In 1680 he sails to the Caribbean Sea as captain of Les Jeux (36) in the fleet of Jean II d'Estrées. At his return in March 1681 , he learns , to his fury , that his children have been converted to Catholicism under influence of Madame de Maintenon.
He himself remains Huguenot, which did his career no good.

Finally , the pressure becomes to great and Villette-Mursay converts to Catholicism, with immediate consequences.
In 1686 he is promoted to squadron-leader and in 1689 to lieutenant-general. In 1697 he receives the order of Saint-Louis.

In the War of the Grand Alliance, he commands a squadron in the Battle of Beachy Head where he finished off nine or ten beached Dutch ships.

In the Battles of Barfleur and La Hogue he commands as vice-admiral a division of 6 ships : L'Ambitieux, Le Courageux, La Couronne, Le Maure, Le Henry and Le Fort.
He was forced to burn them all to avoid capture.

His last battle was the Battle of Malaga were his ship Le Fier caught fire, but was saved.

Marriage and Children

In 1662, he married Marie-Anne de Chateauneuf, who died in 1691.
In 1695 he married the twenty-years-old Marie-Claire Deschamps de Marsilly, who died in 1750.

He had four children with his first wife :

Constance, married 1724 Jean-Baptiste, Marquis de Montmorin-Saint Hérem.
Philippe II (1667 - 1706), Marquis De Mursay de Villette , married 1695 Marie-Louise Le Moyne de Villiers, killed in the Siege of Turin.
Henri-Benjamin (1670 - 1692), married Madeleine de Beaumont de Gibaud, died of his wounds after the Battle of Steenkerque.
Marthe (1673 - 1729), Marquise de Caylus, married 1686 Anne, Comte de Caylus.

He wrote his memoirs :

MES CAMPAGNES DE MER SOUS LOUIS XIV - AVEC UN DICTIONNAIRE DES PERSONNAGES ET DES BATAILLES (TALLANDIER,1991)

Links

His memoirs (in French)

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 '''Philippe, Marquis de Villette-Mursay''', ([[1627]] - [[1707]]) was a French naval commander.
+== Biography ==
 He was the son of Benjamin Le Valois de Villette (1582 - 1661) and [[Madame de Villette|Louise Arthémise d’Aubigné]].<br>[[Françoise d'Aubigné, marquise de Maintenon|Françoise d'Aubigné]] , the future marquise de Maintenon and second wife of [[Louis XIV]] was his cousin.<br> She lived in his parent's house, the Château de Mursay, and received a Calvinist upbringing until the age of seven.
+After a disappointing career in the Army, Villette-Mursay chose a career in the young French Navy under [[Jean-Baptiste Colbert|Colbert]]. In 1672 he was promoted to captain and received in 1674 command of his own ship : ''l'Apollon''.
-In the [[War of the Grand Alliance]], he commanded a squadron in the [[Battle of Beachy Head (1690)|Battle of Beachy Head]] and again in the [[Battles of Barfleur and La Hogue]].
+He first distinguished himself on January 8, 1676 in the [[Battle of Stromboli]] against [[De Ruyter]] commanding ''L'Assuré''. <br>He again fought in pitched battle a few months later near [[Battle of Agosta|Agosta]].
+In [[1680]] he sails to the [[Caribbean Sea]] as captain of ''Les Jeux'' (36) in the fleet of [[Jean II d'Estrées]]. At his return in March 1681 , he learns , to his fury , that his children have been converted to [[Catholicism]] under influence of [[Madame de Maintenon]].<br> He himself remains [[Huguenot]], which did his career no good.
+Finally , the pressure becomes to great and Villette-Mursay converts to Catholicism, with immediate consequences.<br>
+In 1686 he is promoted to squadron-leader and in 1689 to lieutenant-general.
+In 1697 he receives the [[order of Saint-Louis]].
+In the [[War of the Grand Alliance]], he commands a squadron in the [[Battle of Beachy Head (1690)|Battle of Beachy Head]] where he finished off nine or ten beached Dutch ships.
+In the [[Battles of Barfleur and La Hogue]] he commands as vice-admiral a division of 6 ships :
+''L'Ambitieux'', ''Le Courageux'', ''La Couronne'', ''Le Maure'', ''Le Henry'' and ''Le Fort''.<br> He was forced to burn them all to avoid capture.
+His last battle was the [[Battle of Malaga]] were his ship ''Le Fier'' caught fire, but was saved.
+== Marriage and Children ==
-In 1662, he married Marie-Anne de Chateauneuf, who died in 1691.<br>In 1695 he married the twelve-years-old Marie-Claire Deschamps de Marsilly, who died in 1750.
+In 1662, he married Marie-Anne de Chateauneuf, who died in 1691.<br>In 1695 he married the twenty-years-old Marie-Claire Deschamps de Marsilly, who died in 1750.
 He had four children with his first wife :
 *Constance, married 1724 Jean-Baptiste, Marquis de Montmorin-Saint Hérem.
-*Philippe II (1667 - 1706), Marquis De Mursay de Villette , married 1695 Marie-Louise Le Moyne de Villiers.
+*Philippe II (1667 - 1706), Marquis De Mursay de Villette , married 1695 Marie-Louise Le Moyne de Villiers, killed in the [[Siege of Turin]].
-*Henri-Benjamin (1670 - 1692), married Madeleine de Beaumont de Gibaud.
+*Henri-Benjamin (1670 - 1692), married Madeleine de Beaumont de Gibaud, died of his wounds after the [[Battle of Steenkerque]].
 *[[Marquise de Caylus|Marthe]] (1673 - 1729), Marquise de Caylus, married 1686 Anne, Comte de Caylus.