Jean Hotman, Marquis de Villers-St-Paul facts for kids

Jean Hotman, Marquis de Villiers-St-Paul (born 1552 – died 1636) was a French diplomat. He came from a family who followed the Protestant religion, called Calvinism. His family had to leave France during the French Wars of Religion. But Jean worked hard and made connections with King Henry IV. Because of this, he eventually got back some of his family's property.

Early Life and Family Moves

Jean Hotman was the oldest son of François Hotman, a famous lawyer and writer. Jean was born in Lausanne because his family was living away from France during the Wars of Religion. His father was supposed to inherit a noble title, Marquis, but he didn't take it. This was because being a Protestant made him distant from his extended family.

The family moved around a lot because of the religious conflicts.

• From 1555 to 1563, they lived in Strasbourg.
• Then from 1563 to 1566, they were in Valence.
• From 1566 to 1572, they moved to Bourges.
• And from 1572 to 1578, they lived in Geneva.

In 1578, they moved one last time to Basel. Jean's father, Francis, would later die there in 1590.

Jean studied law in Valence and finished his studies before 1568. In 1578, he went to Paris. His father helped him get a job as a tutor for the sons of Sir Amias Paulet. Sir Amias was the English Ambassador to Paris at the time. Jean taught Amias' two sons, Anthony and George. When Sir Amias went back to England in 1579, Jean went with him to keep teaching his sons. It's possible that Sir Francis Bacon, a famous philosopher, also knew Jean around this time.

Working for Important People

In March 1580, Jean, Anthony, and George moved to Oxford. There, Jean met many people who would become famous. Jean earned a law degree from the University of Oxford in 1581. Anthony Paulet later got a Master's degree and became the Governor of Jersey, just like his father.

While at Oxford, Jean became friends with people like Richard Hakluyt and Sir Philip Sidney. Through Philip Sidney and Amias Paulet, Jean got the attention of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. Leicester was an important person and the head of Oxford University. Around 1582, he hired Jean as one of his secretaries. This meant Jean got to work at the court of Queen Elizabeth.

Even though he worked for the Queen, Jean moved back to Europe. He was in Caen in 1584. He was offered a job there but left because they wouldn't pay him. Around 1584 or 1585, he got married in France to Renee de St Martin. She used to be a lady-in-waiting for Penelope Devereux, Lady Rich. On January 14, 1585, Henry of Navarre, who would later become King Henry IV, made Jean a special advisor.

Jean returned to England and then went with Leicester to the Low Countries in May 1585. When Leicester went back to England, he left Jean behind as his representative. Jean's job was to help solve problems in Utrecht. He did a good job and wrote to Leicester. He also wrote directly to Queen Elizabeth, which Leicester didn't like. But this didn't cause a lasting problem between them. When Leicester returned to England in 1587, Jean was part of his group.

In 1588, Jean was given a church position called Prebendary of Ilfracombe. It came with some money, but most of it went to taxes. He also joined Gray's Inn, which is a place for lawyers, but he didn't become a lawyer.

Visit to Scotland

In August 1589, Jean Hotman traveled to Scotland. He went to Edinburgh and then met King James VI at Falkland Palace. King James gave him a special jewel and a ring with a diamond. Jean left Edinburgh and stayed at Whittingehame Tower with Richard Douglas. He might have traveled with the poet Henry Constable.

Later Years and Advice

When his father died in 1590, Jean went back to France to take care of the family's property. He also became the guardian for his three unmarried sisters. One of his sisters, Suzanne, got married in Paris in 1594. She is well-known because she has many descendants in Canada and the United States today.

Jean Hotman wrote a book called "The Ambassador," which was translated into English in 1603. In this book, he gave advice to diplomats. He warned them not to hire servants from the country they were working in. He worried these servants might be spies. He even suggested that ambassadors should bring their wives with them. Their wives could help manage the household and make sure no one shared secret information with outsiders.

At some point, he received the title of Comte (Count) d'Hotman in France. Before 1619, he served as the French ambassador to the Duchy of Berg in Düsseldorf.