Charles-René d'Hozier facts for kids
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Charles-René d'Hozier (born February 24, 1640 – died February 13, 1732) was a French expert who wrote about history. He followed in his father Pierre d'Hozier's footsteps, becoming a very important person in his field.
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What Did Charles-René d'Hozier Do?
Charles-René d'Hozier was known for his detailed writings. He wrote a book called Recherches sur la noblesse de Champagne in 1673. He also added his own comments to a history book about King Charles IX in 1686.
The Great Book of French Coats of Arms
One of his biggest projects started in 1696. The king made a rule that everyone who had a coat of arms (a special design representing a family) had to register it. They also had to pay a fee. Charles-René d'Hozier was put in charge of collecting all these registrations.
This led to his most famous work, the Armorial général de France. This huge collection included not only the coats of arms of noble families but also those of regular people who were allowed to use them. However, not everyone registered their arms. Some didn't want to pay the fee, and others just didn't bother. So, the collection isn't completely finished.
What's Inside the Armorial?
Today, this amazing collection is kept at the Bibliothèque nationale de France (the National Library of France). It has 34 large books of text and 35 books filled with colorful pictures of coats of arms. Even though it's not complete, it's a super helpful source of information. It tells us a lot about old French families.
The collection lists about 60,000 names! These names are organized by different regions and areas of France.
His Collection and the Royal Library
In 1717, Charles-René sold his valuable collection to the king. This happened after a disagreement with his nephew, Louis Pierre. His collection included 160 folders of family history papers, 175 books of documents, and many printed books with his notes.
In 1720, another royal expert named Pierre de Clairambault organized this collection. He also added more family histories from other papers. This expanded collection became known as the Cabinet des titres (Cabinet of Titles). It is now a key part of the National Library of France.
Charles-René later made up with another nephew, Ambroise-Louis-Marie d'Hozier. He left all the papers he had gathered after the sale to this nephew. Charles-René d'Hozier passed away in Paris.
His nephew, Louis Pierre, took over his important role as the juge d’armes. This title meant he was the official judge of coats of arms.
Images for kids
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Charles-René d'Hozier by Hyacinthe Rigaud
