Philippe, Marquis de Villette-Mursay
Encyclopedia
Philippe Levieux
Valois
, Marquis de Villette-Mursay (1627 – 1707) was a French naval commander.
as the son of Benjamin Levieux Le Valois de Villette (1582–1661) and Louise Arthémise d’Aubigné
.
Françoise d'Aubigné
, the future marquise de Maintenon and second wife of Louis XIV, was his cousin.
She lived in his parents' house, the Château de Mursay, and received a Calvinist upbringing until the age of seven.
After a disappointing career in the Army, Villette-Mursay chose a career in the young French Navy under Colbert
. In 1672 he was promoted to captain and received in 1674 command of his own ship : l'Apollon.
He first distinguished himself on January 8, 1676 in the Battle of Stromboli
against De Ruyter
commanding L'Assuré.
He again fought in a pitched battle a few months later near Agosta
.
In 1680 he sailed to the Caribbean Sea
as captain of Les Jeux (36) in the fleet of Jean II d'Estrées
. On his return in March 1681 , he learned, to his fury, that his children had been converted to Catholicism
under influence of Madame de Maintenon.
He himself remained Huguenot
, which did his career no good.
Finally, the pressure became too great and Villette-Mursay converted to Catholicism, with immediate consequences.
In 1686 he was promoted to squadron-leader and in 1689 to lieutenant-general. In 1697 he received the order of Saint-Louis.
In the War of the Grand Alliance
, he commanded a squadron in the Battle of Beachy Head
where he finished off nine or ten beached Dutch ships.
In the Battles of Barfleur and La Hogue he commanded as vice-admiral a division of 6 ships :
L'Ambitieux, Le Courageux, La Couronne, Le Maure, Le Henry and Le Fort. He was forced to burn L'Ambitieux and Le Fort to avoid capture.
His last battle was the Battle of Malaga
were he commanded the vanguard in direct confrontation with Cloudesley Shovell
. Villette's ship Le Fier caught fire, and had 100 killed and wounded, but was finally saved.
In 1695 he married the twenty-years-old Marie-Claire Deschamps de Marsilly, who died in 1750.
He had four children with his first wife :
He wrote his memoirs -: Mes campagnes de mer sous Louis XIV — avec un dictionnaire des personnages et des batailles (Tallandier, Paris, 1991)
Levieux
Levieux is a surname of French Breton origin linked to a natural branch of the old House of Valois. The name is literally translated as "the Old" or "the Elder" in medieval times it was a representative term of the leader of a clan or a dynastic house; today the term is utilised in many...
Valois
Valois
Valois is a district, in the city of Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada. It was once a separate village, many years ago, but was then merged with Pointe-Claire....
, Marquis de Villette-Mursay (1627 – 1707) was a French naval commander.
Biography
He was born in NormandyNormandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
as the son of Benjamin Levieux Le Valois de Villette (1582–1661) and Louise Arthémise d’Aubigné
Madame de Villette
Louise Arthemise d'Aubigné was a daughter of Agrippa d'Aubigné and Suzanne de Lusignan de Lezay....
.
Françoise d'Aubigné
Françoise d'Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon
Françoise d'Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon was the second wife of King Louis XIV of France. She was known during her first marriage as Madame Scarron, and subsequently as Madame de Maintenon...
, the future marquise de Maintenon and second wife of Louis XIV, was his cousin.
She lived in his parents' house, the Château de Mursay, and received a Calvinist upbringing until the age of seven.
After a disappointing career in the Army, Villette-Mursay chose a career in the young French Navy under Colbert
Jean-Baptiste Colbert
Jean-Baptiste Colbert was a French politician who served as the Minister of Finances of France from 1665 to 1683 under the rule of King Louis XIV. His relentless hard work and thrift made him an esteemed minister. He achieved a reputation for his work of improving the state of French manufacturing...
. In 1672 he was promoted to captain and received in 1674 command of his own ship : l'Apollon.
He first distinguished himself on January 8, 1676 in the Battle of Stromboli
Battle of Stromboli
The naval Battle of Stromboli took place on 8 January 1676 during the Franco-Dutch War between a French fleet of 20 ships under Abraham Duquesne and a combined fleet of 19 Dutch and one Spanish ship under Lieutenant-Admiral-General Michiel de Ruyter that lasted eight hours and ended inconclusively...
against De Ruyter
Michiel de Ruyter
Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter is the most famous and one of the most skilled admirals in Dutch history. De Ruyter is most famous for his role in the Anglo-Dutch Wars of the 17th century. He fought the English and French and scored several major victories against them, the best known probably...
commanding L'Assuré.
He again fought in a pitched battle a few months later near Agosta
Battle of Agosta
The naval Battle of Augusta took place on 22 April 1676 during the Franco-Dutch War and was fought between a French fleet of 29 man-of-war, five frigates and eight fireships under Abraham Duquesne and a Dutch-Spanish fleet of 27 plus five fireships with Dutch Lieutenant-Admiral-General Michiel de...
.
In 1680 he sailed to the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
as captain of Les Jeux (36) in the fleet of Jean II d'Estrées
Jean II d'Estrées
Jean II d'Estrées, , was a Marshal of France, and an important naval commander of Louis XIV.Jean d'Estrées was born in a noble family from Picardie...
. On his return in March 1681 , he learned, to his fury, that his children had been converted to Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
under influence of Madame de Maintenon.
He himself remained Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
, which did his career no good.
Finally, the pressure became too great and Villette-Mursay converted to Catholicism, with immediate consequences.
In 1686 he was promoted to squadron-leader and in 1689 to lieutenant-general. In 1697 he received the order of Saint-Louis.
In the War of the Grand Alliance
War of the Grand Alliance
The Nine Years' War – often called the War of the Grand Alliance, the War of the Palatine Succession, or the War of the League of Augsburg – was a major war of the late 17th century fought between King Louis XIV of France, and a European-wide coalition, the Grand Alliance, led by the Anglo-Dutch...
, he commanded a squadron in the Battle of Beachy Head
Battle of Beachy Head (1690)
The Battle of Beachy Head was a naval engagement fought on 10 July 1690 during the Nine Years' War. The battle was the greatest French tactical naval victory over their English and Dutch opponents during the war...
where he finished off nine or ten beached Dutch ships.
In the Battles of Barfleur and La Hogue he commanded as vice-admiral a division of 6 ships :
L'Ambitieux, Le Courageux, La Couronne, Le Maure, Le Henry and Le Fort. He was forced to burn L'Ambitieux and Le Fort to avoid capture.
His last battle was the Battle of Malaga
Battle of Malaga
The Battle of Málaga was the largest naval battle in the War of the Spanish Succession. It took place on 24 August 1704, south of Málaga, Spain.-The battle:...
were he commanded the vanguard in direct confrontation with Cloudesley Shovell
Cloudesley Shovell
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Cloudesley Shovell , was an English naval officer. Rising through the ranks and fighting in many of the important battles of the late 17th and early 18th centuries, he became a popular British hero, whose celebrated career was brought to an end in a disastrous shipwreck in...
. Villette's ship Le Fier caught fire, and had 100 killed and wounded, but was finally saved.
Marriage and children
In 1662, he married Marie-Anne de Chateauneuf, who died in 1691.In 1695 he married the twenty-years-old Marie-Claire Deschamps de Marsilly, who died in 1750.
He had four children with his first wife :
- Constance, married 1724 Jean-Baptiste, Marquis de Montmorin-Saint Hérem.
- Philippe II (1667–1706), Marquis De Mursay de Villette, married 1695 Marie-Louise Le Moyne de Villiers, killed in the Siege of Turin.
- Henri-Benjamin (1670–1692), married Madeleine de Beaumont de Gibaud, died of his wounds after the Battle of SteenkerqueBattle of SteenkerqueThe Battle of Steenkerque was fought on August 3, 1692, as a part of the Nine Years' War. It resulted in the victory of the French under Marshal François-Henri de Montmorency, duc de Luxembourg against a joint English-Scottish-Dutch-German army under Prince William of Orange...
. - MartheMarquise de CaylusMarthe-Marguerite Levieux Valois de Villette de Mursay, Marquise de Caylus was a French noblewoman and writer.She was born in Poitou and was the daughter of vice-admiral Philippe, Marquis de Villette-Mursay and Marie-Anne de Chateauneuf, who died in 1691.Her father was a cousin of Madame de...
(1673–1729), Marquise de Caylus, married 1686 Anne, Comte de Caylus.
He wrote his memoirs -: Mes campagnes de mer sous Louis XIV — avec un dictionnaire des personnages et des batailles (Tallandier, Paris, 1991)