La
Licorne
de
Montmorency
The last Earl
of Bokhoven from the house of Van
Immerseel having died childless on 11 July 1741, the succession of the property became a question for the
Court of Brussels. It had been listed on the roll for judgment on 8 February
1753. However, at the midnight before the court decision would be taken, the parties
involved came to a settlement on their own, implying Bokhoven be allocated to Anne-Louis-Alexandre de Montmorency,
(*Paris 25-1-1724, +Paris 19-10-1812), .
The said new
Earl of Bokhoven was married with Anne-Mauricette
de Montmorency-Luxembourg on 26 February 1745. Two sons were born who both
died at an early age. One in 1749 and the second in 1753. The sad events led to
tensions in the marriage and Louis to concentrate on his duties in the army,
which implied long absences from home. Filled with grief Mauricette tried to
divert her mind by joining a local theater group, a step at the time considered
to be beyond the margins of decency for noble ladies. Even though it didn't
help since she passed away on 4 July 1760 at the age of thirty.
On 3 March 1761
Louis married for the second time with Emilie-Alexandrine
de la Rochefoucauld. The latter died on 29 januari 1814 after a happy
marriage but without off-spring. Finding himself without son or daughter on 21
September 1811 Louis appointed as his sole heir his nephew Anne-Adrien-Pierre de Montmorency-Laval.
|
Anne-Mauricette de Montmorency-Luxembourg |
Anne-Louis-Alexandre de Montmorency o) |
Emilie-Alexandrine de la Rochefoucauld |
Anne-Adrien-Pierre de Montmorency-Laval |
o) Notice
the images of his father (r), first wife (l) and two children (below)
Besides
from being Earl of Bokhoven Adrien
enjoyed titles such as: Prince de Robecq, Duke and Prince de Laval, Grand
d’Espagne de la première classe, Duke of San Fernando-Luis, Pair
de France, pair de France, chevalier des ordres du roi et de la Toison d'or,
chevalier de St-Louis. He served
as Ambassador of the King of France in Madrid, Rome, Vienna and London. Born in
Paris on 29 October 1768 he engaged in marriage on 17 March 1788 with Bonne-Charlotte de Montmorency-Luxembourg.
In the trail of his benefactor Louis the couple stayed for some time in Bokhoven
around 1792/4. Out of this a son was born. In the turmoil of the French
Revolution Adrien managed to set foot in England, where he met the later King George as well as the later Louis XVIII, Roi de France. It is worthy
noticing how Bokhoven's upcoming Master was on friendly terms with the Kings of
England and France alike. Actually Adrien took possession of Bokhoven on 14
March 1814.
On 20 August
1823, at the brink of his assignment as Ambassador of France to the Holy Sea,
the residing Pope Pie VII became to expire his last breath.
The active role of Adrien around the Pope's decease and the ensuing election of
a successor is a story on its own. The same can be said for the event that took
place near the end of his term in Rome five years later. As it happened on 26
March 1828 excavations in the Catacombs underneath the Saint-Cyriaque Church
had revealed the relics of Saint Félicité
one of the martyrs of the first hour. Having a grand child bearing
the same name Adrien begged the Pope for a piece of bone. The Pope bestowed the
entire find to him.
After his
service Adrien drew up his will on 21 March 1837. On June six of the same year
he passed away in the arms of his beloved Bonne Charlotte.
Though filled
with grief on the 2nd of June 1838 mother and daughters set out to
the division of his goods. Charlotte-Adèlaïde acquired the Earldom
of Bokhoven together with the title of "La Grandesse de 1-ère
classe", as well as the title of Duke of San Fernando-Luis. *)
So the reign of
the house of de Montmorency ended to
be followed by that of the house of de
Lévis Mirepoix.
*) In
het archief van de parochie van Bokhoven wordt onder no. 188 nog de akte
bewaard, waarbij de graaf en de gravin, een jaar voor de dood van de graaf,
afstand doen ten gunste van het kerkbestuur van Bokhoven van hun rechten op de
zogenaamde "Graafse Kapel", waarin de graftombe van Engelbert van
Immerselle en Hélène de Montmorency staat, en bovendien een
schenking doen van 200 gulden voor het herstel van deze kapel.
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