François de Coligny

Coligny was born on 28 April 1557 at Châtillon-Coligny. He was the son of Admiral Gaspard II de Coligny (1519–1572) and, his first wife, Charlotte de Laval (1530–1568). From his parents' marriage, his siblings were Louise de Coligny (wife of Charles de Téligny and William I of Orange),{{sfn|Walsby|2007|p=190}} and Charles de Coligny, Marquis d'Andelot, a Lieutenant General in Champagne. After his mother's death in 1547, his father married Jacqueline de Montbel d'Entremont, the Countess d'Entremont and Launay-Gelin, in 1571. From his father's second marriage, he had a younger half-sister, Béatrice de Coligny, who married Count Claude-Antoine d'Albon de Montauban de Meuillon d'Entremont.{{cite book |first=Malcolm |last=Walsby |title=The Counts of Laval: Culture, Patronage and Religion in Fifteenth and Sixteenth-Century France |publisher=Ashgate Publishing Limited |year=2007 }}

Coligny came of a noble family of Burgundy. His family traced their descent from the 11th century, and in the reign of Louis XI, were in the service of the King of France. His paternal grandparents were Louise de Montmorency (sister of Anne de Montmorency) and Gaspard I de Coligny, known as the 'Marshal of Châtillon', who served in the Italian Wars from 1494 to 1516 and was created Marshal of France in 1516.{{sfn|Walsby|2007|p=123}} Among his extended family were uncles Odet de Coligny,{{sfn|Walsby|2007|p=123-124}} and François de Coligny d'Andelot,{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} who both played an important part in the first period of the Wars of Religion.{{sfn|Walsby|2007|p=123-124}}

He first saw action at the defence of Montpellier during the Sixth War of Religion from 1576 to 1577. First he razed the citadel, guarded by royal soldiers. Then, when the situation became difficult, he made a sortie across the Cévennes to Bergerac to recruit reinforcements and fought his way back into the town.{{Cite book|title=Les Guerres de religion|last=Miquel|first=Pierre|publisher=Club France Loisirs|year=1980|isbn=2-7242-0785-8|pages=326}}

At the start of the war of the Catholic League, when king Henry III had practically no other support, he beat the Duke of Mayenne near Chartres in 1589.{{Cite book|title=Les Guerres de religion|last=Miquel|first=Pierre|publisher=Club France Loisirs|year=1980|isbn=2-7242-0785-8|pages=353}}

He distinguished himself at the Battle of Arques in September 1589, where his arrival at the head of 500 arquebusiers allowed the victory of Henry IV to be expanded upon.{{Cite book|title=Les Guerres de religion|last=Miquel|first=Pierre|publisher=Club France Loisirs|year=1980|isbn=2-7242-0785-8|pages=366}}

On 18 May 1581, he married Marguerite d'Ailly (d. 1604), daughter of Charles d'Ailly Lord of Seigneville, and Françoise de Warty. Together, they had four children:

• Henri de Coligny (d. 1601), Count of Coligny and Lord of Châtillon; who died in 1601 during the assault on Ostend.
• Gaspard III de Coligny (1584–1646), Count then Duke of Coligny, Marshal of France; he married Anne de Polignac in 1615.{{cite web |title=Previously attributed to Ferdinand Elle (1570-1637) - Anne de Polignac, Maréchale de Châtillon (1598-1651) |url=https://www.rct.uk/collection/404752/anne-de-polignac-mareacutechale-de-chacirctillon-1598-1651 |website=www.rct.uk |publisher=Royal Collection Trust |access-date=1 November 2024 |language=en}}
• Charles de Coligny, Lord of Beaupont.
• Françoise de Coligny (d. 1637), who married René de Talensac, Lord of Londrières, in 1602.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}

Coligny died on 8 October 1591.{{cite book |title=Revue nobiliaire héraldique et biographique |date=1871 |publisher=J. B. Dumoulin. |page=324 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JgqIK3p6nAcC&pg=PA324 |access-date=1 November 2024 |language=fr}}

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{{EB1911|wstitle=Coligny, Gaspard de|volume=6|page=683}}

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Category:French people of the French Wars of Religion

Category:People from the Orléanais

Category:French generals

Category:French nobility

Category:1557 births

Category:1591 deaths

Francois