François de Montmorency, sieur de La Rochepot
French military commander, governor and diplomat (1496/8–1551) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
François de Montmorency, sieur de La Rochepot (1496/8, Paris–20 August 1551 Péronne) was a French noble, military commander, courtier, and governor during the latter Italian Wars of François I. A younger son of Guillaume de Montmorency and Anne Pot, La Rochepot's career was elevated by the meteoric rise in royal favour that was enjoyed by his elder brother Anne de Montmorency. Starting out in 1515 La Rochepot served as the captain of Beauvais in Picardie. He served as a hostage to England for the treaty that saw the return of Tournai to France in 1518. His first sign of royal favour came in 1520 when he was made a gentilhomme de la chambre du roi (gentleman of the king's chamber) granting him a degree of privileged access to the king. La Rochepot accompanied the vanguard for the French invasion of Italia in late 1524, and was present at the disastrous Battle of Pavia at which the royal army was destroyed, and the king made captive. La Rochepot was likewise made captive, but was able to raise his ransom quickly and returned to France to inform the Paris Parlement of the king's condition. The Parlement granted him authority in the Île de France.
François de Montmorency | |
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sieur de La Prune au Pot sieur de La Rochepot | |
Born | c. 1496 Paris |
Died | 20 August 1551 Péronne |
Noble family | Montmorency |
Spouse(s) | Charlotte d'Humières |
Father | Guillaume de Montmorency |
Mother | Anne Pot |
The Parlement was dissatisfied with the state of affairs by which Picardie, a border province, lacked a governor who was present in the province at this time of crisis. Therefore, first the comte de Brienne (count of Brienne) and then La Rochepot were appointed as deputy governor of the province in 1531. Around this time he also became bailli du Palais (bailiff of the royal palaces) and received the honour of the Ordre de Saint-Michel (Order of Saint-Michel). In Picardie he shared responsibilities for administration with the duc de Vendôme (duke of Vendôme) until Vendôme's death in 1537. At this time, with Vendôme's son too young to immediately succeed to the office, La Rochepot was temporarily granted the responsibility of governing Picardie as a full governor. He held this office through the royal campaign in the area, before the new duc de Vendôme succeeded to the role in 1538. Relieved of his authority, La Rochepot was compensated with the governate of the Île de France while he returned to the position of deputy governor in Picardie. In 1541 he and his brother were disgraced by the king, and removed from their governates. Until the end of François' reign he would hold only his captaincy of Beauvais. With the ascent of Henri II he returned to favour, and was restored to his governate and deputy governate responsibilities. He had a central role to play in the efforts to recover Boulogne from the English occupation, both in the raising of troops for the military recovery of the town, and when this did not work out, the diplomatic efforts that eventually brought about its ceding). La Rochepot died on 20 August 1551, and was succeeded as governor of the Île de France by his nephew Admiral Coligny