Montfalcon family


The Montfalcon family is a noble lineage from Savoy, originally from the Albanais region.
According to the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland, the Montfalcon family established in Compesières traces its origins to Novalaise, which distinguishes it from the Savoyard Montfalcon family. However, some authors regard it as a branch that settled in Geneva. The family name has at times been confused with in Franche-Comté, as well as with the title of Montfalcon in Dauphiné, which belonged to the de Brosses family.

History

Origins and early members

Montfalcon is located in the present-day commune of La Biolle in Savoy.
The family owned the, from which it derived its name. The castle occupied a strategic position controlling the road linking Annecy, in the Genevois region, to Chambéry in Savoy, passing through Albens and Rumilly, as well as the routes leading toward Lake Bourget. It served as the seat of a castellany that included the present-day communes of La Biolle, Albens, Saint-Germain-la-Chambotte, and Saint-Girod, along with the castles of, Flaxieu, and Vhitry.
The earliest known reference to the Montfalcon family dates to 1084, at the foundation of the priory of Saint-Innocent on Lake Bourget. This event records a donation made by “Gautier de Montfalcon, vir nobilis,” with the consent of his wife Bulgrade and their sons. In 1092 and 1112, Bonpair, son of Gautier and lord of Montfalcon, also made donations to the Abbey of Aulps in Chablais.
As vassals of the Counts of Maurienne, members of the family continued to appear in regional records; Willelme, a knight, is mentioned as a witness to Count Humbert III in a charter confirming privileges to the in Bugey around 1149.
On January 12, 1252, Bernard Farguil de Montfalcon transferred his rights and properties of the lordship of Montfalcon to Béatrice of Savoy. By 1286, the House of Savoy had acquired rights over the lordship, while the family maintained possession of a fortified residence near the castle.
The family formed several branches: Montfalcon-Flaxieu, Montfalcon-Roasson, Montfalcon-Saint-Pierre, and Montfalcon-Novalaise.

Flaxieu branch

The Flaxieu branch of the Montfalcon family originated in the 14th century with the acquisition of the lordship of Flaxieu near Belley in Bugey. Historian Andenmatten described this branch as being in a period of ascent, particularly due to its marriage alliances. Guillaume de Montfalcon’s marriage to Marguerite of the influential family facilitated the rise of their descendants to episcopal positions.
Genealogists Guichenon and La Chesnaye Des Bois proposed that the Montfalcon family of Bugey descended from Pierre de Montfalcon, knight and lord of Bourgoing in Dauphiné, who was allegedly a member of the Montfaucon family,, although both noted the lack of evidence supporting this claim.

Lordship of Cevins

In the 14th century, Emeric de Montfalcon married Bernarde de Cevins, the sole heiress of her line, who later appears to have married Ogier, the natural son of Count Aymon of Savoy, after 1364.
The title of Cevins passed through the marriage of Antoinette de Montfalcon, Lady of Cevins and Miolans, to Amédée de Crescherel. It later returned to the Montfalcon family when Charles-François de Montfalcon married Françoise Hyéronime Seyssel, Lady of Cevins, in 1683.
The lineage concluded when Françoise Hyéronime de Montfalcon de Saint-Pierre married Victor-Prosper de Carelly de Bassy in 1754, whose title of Count of Cevins lapsed during the French Revolution.

Titles

The lords of Montfalcon held the following titles at various periods:

Offices

Family members served as castellans of:

Filiation

Genealogist detailed the complete lineage of the Montfalcon-Flaxieu family, along with the Montfalcon-Roasson and Montfalcon-Saint-Pierre branches, and also mentioned a branch established in Novalaise.
The Historical Dictionary of Switzerland states that the Montfalcon family established in Compesières originated from Novalaise but does not indicate a connection with the earlier branch. According to a genealogy compiled by Auguste de Montfalcon, the Compesières family descends from the Novalaise branch identified by de Foras.
According to Deonna :
  • Gaspard, noble.
  • * François.
  • ** Pierre, advisor and secretary to Prince Thomas of Savoy; died without issue.
  • ** Etienne, founder of the Novalaise branch.
  • ** Charles, founder of the Geneva branch.
Montfalcon de Flaxieu Branch:
  • Henry de Montfalcon, knight, married N.N., acquiring the lordship of Flaxieu by marriage.
  • * Anthoine, lord of Flaxieu, married Marguerite de Saleneuve.
  • ** Jeanne, married Antoine de Rivoire, knight.
  • * François, knight, lord of Flaxieu, married Alix de Verboz; their children included:
  • ** Guillaume, knight, lord of Flaxieu, La Balme-sur-Assens, and the Tower of Châtel, married Marguerite. They had ten children, including:
  • *** Hugonin, lord of Mécoras and Flaxieu, counselor and chamberlain to the Duke of Savoy, married Françoise de ; their son:
  • **** François, baron of Flaxieu, lord of La Balme and Terreaux, married Philiberte de Lugny; died without issue.
  • *** Georges, lord of Terreaux, Prangin, Rochax, Silans, Fernex, bailiff of Bugey;
  • **** One daughter married Claude de Mareste, and he had two natural sons.
  • *** François, lord of Mécoras, married Jacqueline de Pierre-Charne de Rougemont, Lady of Pierre-Charne and La Rochette, acquiring La Pesse by marriage. Nine children included:
  • **** Pierre, lord of Pierre-Charne.
  • **** Jacques, lord of Rougemont.
  • ****, bishop of Lausanne.
  • **** Pernette/Perronette, married Jean X .
  • **** Jeanne, married Ancelin, lord of Boëge.
  • **** Jeanne the Younger, married Philibert de Clermont, lord of Vaulserre, Méraut, baron of Virville.
  • **** Claude,.
  • *** Louis, baron of Flaxieu, lord of Terreaux and Martignat, married Pernette de Montfalcon, Lady of Chitry. Four children included:
  • **** Marin, baron of Flaxieu, lord of Terreaux, Martignat, and Fernex, married Antoinette de Clermont; many descendants including:
  • ***** Jacques, baron of Flaxieu.
  • ****** Rolland-Claude, legitimized natural son, baron of Flaxieu, married Claudine de Vignod, Jeanne de Moyra.
  • ***** Jean, baron of Flaxieu, lord of Martignat, Chitry, and La Balme, governor of Savoy, married Andréanne de Breuil; three daughters including:
  • **** Pierre-Marc, prior of Aiglefort.
  • **** Madeleine, nun.
  • ** François de Clermont, appointed heir, required to adopt the Montfalcon name.
  • *** Pierre, .
  • *** Aymon/Aimé, bishop of Lausanne, diplomat and poet.
  • *** Jean, canon of Belley.
  • *** Alix, married Claude, lord of Montferrand.
  • *** Catherine, married Guillaume de Mareste, knight.
  • ** Antoine, clergyman.
  • ** Jeanne, married Guillaume de La Balme, knight, lord of Terreaux.
Geneva Branch:
  • Charles de Montfalcon, farmer, married Elisabeth Morel; seven children included:
  • * Louis, magistrate, married Jeanne-Marie Pacthod, sister of an Empire general.
  • ** Louis-Apollonie, lawyer, deputy to the Grand Council, and mayor of Compesières.
  • *** Johannès, politician, heir of the Montfalcon general.
  • * Louis-Apollonie, military doctor.
  • *, French general during the Revolution and the Empire.

Notable figures

Laity

  • François Philibert de Montfalcon, Count of Saint-Pierre, State Counselor, and First President of the .
  • Louis, magistrate.
  • Louis-Apollonie, military doctor.
  • , French general during the Revolution and the Empire.

Clergy