Peerage of France
The title Pair ( peerage de France French from Latin par 'equal' ) has been known since the 13th century politically privileged and high nobles in France. The English form is peer. The status of a peer of France was the highest in the French nobility and was awarded by the king. The title was abolished in 1789 at the beginning of the French Revolution for the first time, but re-introduced during the restoration of the Bourbons with the Charter of 1814. 1831, the hereditary title was abolished, but there was a peerage during the lifetime of the holder continues until the title was finally abolished in the February 1848 revolution.
History
Originally the term rewrote pares the totality of all vassals of a feudal lord, whatever their rank and their actual power. In France the early Kapetingerkönige the vassals of the Crown acquired an almost sovereign prince same position against the monarchy and stood outside the royal jurisdiction. As, however, in the second half of the 12th century began to enforce in France the monarchy over the feudal structures and vassals could now be cited before the Royal High Court, claimed the most powerful of the royal vassals a legal special treatment that significantly from the less powerful had to distinguish " low " needle.
It formed the grouping of pares regni ( Pairs of royalty ) or Franciae pares ( peers of France). As such, for the first time in 1180, the Count of Champagne was called. The prominent position of these pairs was made clear, among others, by the transfer of specific tasks at coronations, and this was one of their most important features by the end of the ancien régime. Another early task was their function as assessor in Lehnsgericht the French kings.
To 1216 there were nine pairs. These were the Archbishop of Reims, as well as the bishops of Langres, Beauvais, Chalons-en -Champagne and Noyon. The peerage of these individuals was not due to their spiritual dignity, but at the same time by their perceived secular offices as counts of their dioceses. These counties they received as a fief from the crown. The other pairs were the Dukes of Normandy, Burgundy and the Guyenne / Aquitaine, and Count of Champagne.
Came a few years later (in 1228 ) three pairs added what their number increased to twelve. Often, they were compared with the twelve " paladins " of Charlemagne from the chansons de geste, which were very popular at that time. In fact, these stories were so taken with the rank of peer of France in connection that people thought for a long time, he was from the time of Charlemagne. The three pairs that were added before 1228, were the Bishop of Laon and the counts of Flanders and Toulouse.
Once until the later 13th century three secular Pair Title (French peerage ) (Normandy, Toulouse and Champagne) were merged into the crown, were in 1297 with Artois, Anjou and Brittany created three new pairs to replace them. In the following centuries the limit of 12 Pairs accounted for until they reached a total of 25. Between the 12 " old" and the 13 "new" titles Pair a distinction was made. Only the old had specific tasks at the coronation.
From 1814 to 1848, the members of the first chamber were Pairs ( Chambre des Pairs ) of the French Parliament.
The rates in the following year figures for the termination of membership of the peers of France need not necessarily coincide with the extinction of the corresponding title of nobility.
The "old" Pairs
The "new" Pairs (1259-1789)
13th Century
14th Century
15th Century
16th century
17th Century
18th century
The pairs of the Restoration period (1814-1848)
- Charles Pierre François Augereau
- Claude Victor- Perrin
- Emmanuel de Grouchy
- Emmerich Joseph von Dalberg
- Étienne André François de Paule Fallot de Beaumont de Beaupré
- Jacques MacDonald
- Étienne- Maurice Gérard
- François- Etienne Kellermann
- Henri Clarke d' Hunebourg
- Honoré Théodore Maxime Gazan de la Peyrière
- Jacques -Henri Wustenberg
- Jean -Baptiste Jourdan
- Jean -Denis Lanjuinais
- Jean Jacques Pelet (1777-1858), lieutenant general and military writer
- Charles Frederic, Comte Reinhard
- Laurent de Gouvion Saint- Cyr
- Louis -Nicolas Davout
- Michel Ney
- Nicolas Jean -de- Dieu Soult
- Philippe -Louis -Marc -Antoine de Noailles
- Pierre- Simon Laplace
- Roger Ducos ( yet to be named by Napoleon )
- Mathieu Dumas (1753-1837) (Lieutenant - Général, War Minister, Director - Géneral, military historian ) 1831