Pierre Séguier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pierre Séguier
|
|
|---|---|
Portrait by Henri Testelin, c. 1668
|
|
| Chancellor of France | |
| In office 19 December 1635 – 28 January 1672 |
|
| Monarch | Louis XIII Louis XIV |
| Preceded by | Étienne I d'Aligre |
| Succeeded by | Étienne II d'Aligre |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 May 1588 Paris, France |
| Died | 28 January 1672 (aged 83) Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France |
Pierre Séguier (28 May 1588 – 28 January 1672) was an important French statesman. He served as the Chancellor of France starting in 1635. This was a very powerful position in the French government.
Contents
Pierre Séguier's Life
Early Years and Family
Pierre Séguier was born in Paris, France. His family was well-known for their work in law. His grandfather, also named Pierre Séguier, was a high-ranking judge in the Paris parliament. Pierre's father, Jean Séguier, was a civil lieutenant in Paris.
Pierre was raised by his uncle, Antoine Séguier, who was also a judge. In 1620, Pierre became a "master of requests," which meant he handled important legal petitions for the king. From 1621 to 1624, he worked in Guyenne, a region in France. In 1624, he took over his uncle's important role in the parliament, where he worked for nine years.
Becoming a Powerful Chancellor
In 1633, Pierre Séguier became the "keeper of the seals" under Cardinal Richelieu. This meant he was in charge of official government documents. He became very strict with the parliament, even though he had been independent before. His daughter, Marie, married Richelieu's nephew, which made their families close. In December 1635, he became the Chancellor of France.
In 1637, Séguier was asked to check the papers of Queen Anne of Austria. Some historians say he helped her by warning her about an investigation.
Dealing with Rebellions and Changes
In 1639, Séguier was sent to deal with a rebellion in Normandy called the "Revolt of the Nu-Pieds." He helped stop the unrest and refused any gifts of land from the area. He followed Richelieu's orders in important legal cases, like those against Henri Coiffier de Ruzé, Marquis of Cinq-Mars and François Auguste de Thou in 1642.
After Richelieu and King Louis XIII died, Séguier continued to serve Queen Anne of Austria and Cardinal Mazarin. He was very firm with the parliament of Paris, which made him unpopular with a group called the Frondeurs. The Fronde was a series of civil wars in France between 1648 and 1653.
.JPG)
In 1648, Séguier was attacked by rioters in Paris but found safety. In 1650, he lost his job as keeper of the seals for a short time due to the Fronde. He spent some time away from public life.
He was called back to his position in 1651. However, when the king became an adult, Séguier was again removed from his post. He lived quietly in Paris, focusing on the Académie française.
When Paris was taken over by princes in 1652, he briefly joined their council. But he soon rejoined the king's side. After Cardinal Mazarin died in 1661, Séguier's power lessened. He was involved in a major legal case against Nicolas Fouquet.
In 1666, Séguier led a group to improve the police system, especially in Paris. He helped create new laws in 1667 and 1670 to make justice better.
Pierre Séguier died in Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1672.
A Patron of Learning and Arts
Pierre Séguier was a very learned man who loved books and supported writers and artists. In 1642, he became the official "protector" of the Académie française, a famous French institution that promotes the French language. The Académie even held its meetings at his house.
His library was one of the best of his time, almost as good as the king's own collection. It had over 4,000 old handwritten books, called manuscripts, in many different languages. The most important ones were Greek manuscripts.
Pierre Séguier is also a small character in the famous book The Three Musketeers.
See also
In Spanish: Pierre Séguier para niños
