Ennoblement and the control of grants of arms in sixteenth-century Lorraine
Résumé
From the end of the 14th century, following the example of the King of France, the Dukes of Bar and Lorraine ennobled their most zealous servants. Later, under the dukes of Lorraine of the house of Anjou, the number of ennoblements increased. But it was under the reigns of René II (1473-1508), Antoine (1508-1544) and above all Charles III (1545-1608) that the number of ennoblements increased remarkably.
From the very beginning, the new elite distinguished itself from the original nobility by means of a different coat of arms. Nevertheless, the taxonomic role played by the latter was not enough. From then on, Lorraine's sovereigns had their coats of arms distinctly listed. Émond du Boullay, herald from 1543 to 1550, thus undertook a first compilation. However, the renewed protests of the old lineages, as well as abuses affecting ducal taxation, led Charles III to legiferate. The Chambre des Comptes de Lorraine had to register the letters of ennoblement. In the meantime, the herald Didier Richier was commissioned to initiate a inquiry on nobles.
In ducal Lorraine, the princely state, concerned with its own interests, scrupulously monitored the promotion of nobility and the attribution of the main emblems that manifested it: the coat of arms.
Domaines
Sciences de l'Homme et Société
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