Jacques Nompar de Caumont, 1st Duke of La Force


Jacques Nompar de Caumont, 1st Duke of La Force was a Marshal of France and Peer of France.

Life

Caumont was the son of a Huguenot, Francois de Caumont, lord of Castelnau, and Philippe de Beaupoil. He survived the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre in 1572, but his father and older brother Armand were killed. As marquis de La Force, Caumont served Henry IV, whose confidence he enjoyed. He was governor of Béarn from 1593 to 1621 and then viceroy of Navarre. After the assassination of Henry IV in 1610, Caumont fought with the Huguenots against Louis XIII. He plotted with Henri de Rohan and participated in the successful defence of Montauban in 1621, after an 86-day siege by the king, although he was reconciled with Louis XIII the following year.
Caumont was made a marshal of France on 27 May 1622, to be employed as the Lieutenant-General of the Army of Piedmont. He campaigned in Piedmont in 1630, during the War of the Mantuan Succession, taking Pinerolo as well as Saluzzo and defeated the Spaniards at Carignano. In 1631, Caumont served in the Languedoc and between 1631 and 1634 he invaded Lorraine, and took La Mothe after a siege of 141 days in which Turenne first distinguished himself and Caumont's grandson Jacques was killed. He raised the siege of Philippsburg in Baden in 1634, during the Thirty Years' War, and captured the general Colloredo. In the following year, Caumont relieved Heidelberg and took Speyer.
Caumont was created Duc de La Force and a peer on 3 August 1637. In 1638 he besieged Saint-Omer in Flanders, but was defeated by Thomas Francis, Prince of Carignano. It was his last battle. Caumont died in Bergerac on 10 May 1652 and was buried in Milandes. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Armand-Nompar. His memoirs were published in 1843.

Marriages and issue