de Franquetot Family, Comtes et Ducs de Coigny, France

Three brothers of the Guillotte family bought the fiefdom of Franquetot, on the Cotentin peninsula in Normandy, France, in 1528. Their descendents took the surname de Franquetot, bought the neighbouring fiefdom of Coigny in 1577, and built a chateau there in 1598. The chateau de Franquetot was renovated and enlarged by the Marquis de Coigny in the 1720s.

Seven generations of the de Franquetot family had prominent military or governmental careers. Antoine de Franquetot (d 1643), seigneur of Franquetot and Coigny, was President à Mortier to the Parlement de Rouen from 1629. His younger son Robert de Franquetot (d 1666) succeeded his father as President in 1637. The lordship of Coigny passed to Antoine's elder son, Jean Antoine de Franquetot (d 1652), Comte de Franquetot. His military career began in 1618, and ended with his death at the battle of Faubourg Sainte Antoine. He was succeeded by his son Robert Jean Antoine (1652-1704), whose estate at Coigny was raised to a Comté by King Louis XIV as a mark of his father's service. The Comte de Coigny entered the Mousquetaires [Musketeers] in 1667 and had a distinguished military career up to his death at Koenigsmacker, Alsace, in August 1704. In 1680 he had been appointed Governor of Caen, he was Lieutenant-General of Louis XIV's armies in 1693, and Director-General of Cavalry in 1694.

Robert's son, François de Franquetot (1670-1759), known as the Marquis de Coigny until succeeding as Comte in 1704, was also a soldier. He was appointed as Marshal of France in 1735, and was raised to the title of Duc de Coigny in 1747 as a reward for his impressive military service. His son, Jean Antoine François de Franquetot (1702-1748), Marquis or Comte de Coigny, was killed in a duel with the Prince de Dombes in 1748. The dukedom therefore passed to Jean's son Marie François Henri de Franquetot (1737-1821). Appointed as 1st equerry to King Louis XVI, he was a friend of Queen Marie Antoinette. In 1789 he was the deputy of the nobility of Caen who attended the Estates General. The French Revolution forced the Duc de Coigny to emigrate in 1792. He entered the Portuguese military service to fight against Napoleon, and returned to France on Napoleon's overthrow in 1815. The following year, he was appointed as Governor of Les Invalides in Paris, and Marshal of France.

The 2nd Duc de Coigny was succeeded by his grandson, Augustin Louis Joseph Casimir Gustave de Franquetot (1788-1865). He was brought up in France, and joined the army in 1805. He lost part of his arm during the 1812 Russian campaign. His younger daughter and co-heir, Georgine Jane Elizabeth Fanny de Franquetot (d 1910) married Sydney William Herbert Pierrepont, 3rd Earl Manvers (1825-1900), in 1852. Her mother was Henrietta Dundas, only daughter and heiress of Sir Hew Dalrymple-Hamilton, 4th Baronet.

From the guide to the Papers of the de Franquetot Family, Comtes and Ducs de Coigny, France, 1488-c.1984, 1488-1984, (GB159 The University of Nottingham)