Grand Huntsman of France

In the ancien régime was the Office of the United huntsman of France ( Grand Veneur de France) is one of the major offices of the household of the king of France; the task of capacity were the royal hunts, especially the deer hunts, as hunting with birds of prey and wolf hunting was responsible to the grand fauconnier de France or the grand Louvetier de France.

The Office was established in 1413 by King Charles VI. twist, yet vautrait with that of the grand fauconnier and the capitaine you. The Grand Veneur was responsible for a pack of around 100 hounds. The time of King Charles VIII of Great Jägermeister commanded nine grooms ( Ecuyers ), nine hunters ( Veneurs ), two assistants, six staff for the sniffer dogs and one for the dogs for fox hunting. The importance of the office grew among the kings Francis I and Henry II, but it had its greatest importance under King Henry IV: in 1596 were under the United Jägermeister 182 people: lieutenants, sub- lieutenants, nobles, servants for the sniffer dogs for the in the hunt on horseback dogs used for the normal dogs and not to forget a doctor and a pharmacist.

In the 16th century, the house of Guise presented five major Jägermeister. The house Rohan followed them in the 17th century with three incumbents. At the beginning of the 18th century King Louis XIV appointed his illegitimate son, Louis -Alexandre de Bourbon, comte de Toulouse, who in turn passed the job on to his son Louis Jean Marie de Bourbon, duc de Penthièvre.

From the 16th century, most of Jägermeister with 1,200 livres a comparatively modest sum was paid annually. Here, however, " grants " of about 10,000 livres, and additional bonuses are to be added. The value of the office can best be gauged from the information derived from Saint -Simon. Then the Duke of La Rochefoucauld sold the task in 1714 for 500,000 livres.