Noailles

Noailles, a distinguished French family which dates from the 11th century, and played an important part in history from the reign of Louis XIV. to the Revolution. Antoine (1504–62) was ambassador in England in 1553–56, and admiral of France. Anne Jules (1650–1708), son of the first duke, commanded against the Huguenots and in Spain during the war of the Spanish succession, and was made marshal; whilst his brother, Louis Antoine (1651–1729), was Archbishop of Paris from 1695 till his death, and was made cardinal in 1700. The third duke, Adrien Maurice (1678–1766), won the marshal's baton in the wars of Louis XV. in Spain, Italy, and Germany. The fifth duke, Paul François (1739–1824), attained eminence as a chemist and was elected to the Academy of Sciences in 1777; his brother, Emmanuel Marie Louis (1743–1822), was French ambassador at Amsterdam (1770–76), London (1776–83), and Vienna (1783–92). The sixth duke, Paul (1802–85), wrote historical works, and was elected to Chateaubriand's chair in the Academy in 1849. His second son, Emmanuel Victorien (born 1830), was ambassador at Washington (1872), Rome (1873), and Constantinople (1882–86), and has written works on the history and literature of Poland. A grandson of the third duke, Louis Marie (1756–1804), served in America under his brother-in-law Lafayette, embraced for a while the French Revolution, and defended San Domingo against the British.