Claude de Bauffremont
French noble and commander (1546–1596) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Claude de Bauffremont, baron de Sennecey (c. 1546–c. 1596)[1] was a French noble, governor, military commander and courtier during the latter French Wars of Religion. Born in 1546 into one of the most prominent noble families of Bourgogne, he was the son of Nicolas de Bauffremont and Denise Patarin. He acquired the roles of gentilhomme de la chambre du roi (gentleman of the king's chamber), bailli (bailliff) of Chalon-sur-Saône and second captain of the company of the duc de Guise (duke of Guise). As a client of the Guise, upon the death of the king's brother Alençon in 1584, he was among the founders of the second Catholic Ligue (League) that opposed the prospect of the king's distant Protestant cousin the king of Navarre ascending to the throne upon Henri's death. However, in the war between the ligue and the crown in 1585, Sennecey claimed illness, and remained largely inactive. He would play an important role in the negotiations between the crown and ligue that brought about the very favourable Treaty of Nemours in July of that year, in which Henri capitulated to the ligue and outlawed Protestantism.
Claude de Bauffremont | |
---|---|
baron de Sennecey | |
Born | c. 1546 |
Died | c. 1596 |
Noble family | Maison de Bauffremont |
Father | Nicolas de Bauffremont |
Mother | Denise Patarin |
In November of that year, the people of Auxonne overthrew their ligueur governor Jean de Saulx. Sennecey was tasked with bringing Guise's protests about the situation to Henri, and made a good impression on the king, and was likewise impressed by Henri's attitude to the situation. Henri decided to establish Sennecey as governor to replaced Saulx, who was clearly unacceptable to the population. The leaders of Auxonne refused to accept another ligueur (leaguer) like Sennecey either however, and a stand off of several months followed until Sennecey was established as governor of Auxonne in August. Auxonne was a key strategic border city and its control was keenly desired by Sennecey's patron the duc de Guise. In 1588 Sennecey served as speaker for the nobility at the Estates General of 1588 and in the civil war that engulfed the kingdom following Henri's decision to assassinate the duc de Guise in December, Sennecey fought with the ligue around the Lyonnais. The new leader of the ligue the duc de Mayenne, brother to the deceased duc de Guise had a disagreement with the lieutenant-general of his government of Bourgogne, and had him arrested. He selected Sennecey as his replacement. Sennecey was not however a reliable ligueur and entertained discussions with the Protestant Navarre, who now styled himself Henri IV on the death of Henri III. From late 1594 he prepared to defect, and secured not only the preservation of his governorship of Auxonne, but also the lieutenant-generalcy of Bourgogne. He died in 1596 and was succeeded by his brother.