La Fléchère family

La Fléchère
Family coat of arms.
Place of originDuchy of Savoy
France
Switzerland
Connected members Duchy of Savoy
Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861)
Kingdom of France
DistinctionsPage of Duke Victor Amadeus II of Savoy, member of the Sardinian Parliament, governor of the city and province of Sassari, commander of the province of Savoy, major general of Savoy, governors, castellans, squires.

The La Fléchère family is a noble lineage from Savoy, established in the County of Savoy. Its senior branch, known as La Fléchère de Beauregard, remains extant.

History

Origins

The family owned the Château de Beauregard from 1236 until 2004, although Amédée de Foras notes that the documented lineage begins only in 1370. Members of the family held various notable positions during the nineteenth century.

This house has provided no individual who held the highest offices of the State, but it presents an uninterrupted series of distinguished men in the army and in the Church… This consistent distinction, combined with its great antiquity, the possession of numerous seigneuries, and its illustrious alliances with the families of Vuagnard, Menthon, Lucinge, Saint-Jeoire, Lornay, Châtillon, Rovorée, Chevron-Villette, La Forest, Blonay, Mareschal-Duyn, Arenthon, Gerbais, Seyssel, Genève-Boringe, etc., justifies the place that the late Marquis Costa de Beauregard assigned to the La Fléchère among the historical families of the Duchy of Savoy.

— Amédée de Foras, Armorial et nobiliaire de l'ancien duché de Savoie[1]

According to Amédée de Foras, author of the Arms of Savoy, the La Fléchère family originated in Scotland and may represent a branch of the Flescher family.[2][3] Another tradition, also reported by Jean-Louis Grillet,[4] attributes to them an Irish origin.[3][5] Some historians state that an ancestor of the family accompanied Peter II of Savoy on his return from England to his county,[5] although the Flescher family itself appears only in the thirteenth century, coinciding with the earliest references to the Savoyard branch.[3] The Swiss historian Louis Vulliemin, in Chillon: étude historique, presents an additional hypothesis, suggesting that members of Savoyard families who accompanied the count to England later settled there and formed new lineages.[6]

Beyond these proposed origins, the earliest attested member of the family in the Régeste genevois appears in a deed between Aymon II of Faucigny (c. 1180–after October 1253) and the Priory of Chamonix, in which Pierre de La Fléchère is recorded as a witness in 1236.[7][3]

Emergence in Savoy

The family, established at Saint-Jeoire-en-Faucigny, built the Château de Beauregard, a fortified site controlling access to the Risse Valley on the slopes of the Herbette mountain.[8]

Its local prominence is indicated by the presence of family tombs in the Church of Saint-Georges.[9]

In 1366, Hugues de La Fléchère (c. 1320–1370), together with the neighboring lord Pierre de Saint-Jeoire, accompanied Count Amadeus VI of Savoy during the Crusade of the East undertaken to support John V Palaiologos. He is reported to have married Elisabeth de Lucinge around 1340.[9]

In 1654, the marriage of his descendant François-Marie with the niece of the Prince-Bishop of Geneva, Jean d’Arenthon d’Alex, further consolidated the family’s integration into the upper ranks of the Savoyard nobility.[10]

Surviving La Fléchère de Beauregard branch

The senior branch of the family, known as La Fléchère de Beauregard, remains extant.[11] It is listed among the surviving families of the French nobility[12] and was registered with the Association d’entraide de la noblesse française (ANF) in 1990.[13]

Notable figures

  • Claude-François de La Fléchère (d. 1630), first commander of the Orders of Saints Maurice and Lazarus. Married Madeleine de La Forest (c. 1580 – 1632), daughter of Philibert de La Forest Divonne, Baron of La Bâtie d'Albanais.[14][15]
  • Roger de La Fléchère (1915–2011), founder of the Centre Educatif Catholique d’Apprentissage du Métier (CECAM).[16]

Political figures

  • Charles de La Fléchère, Councillor of State and chevalier d'honneur in the Senate of Savoy by letters patent of 2 August 1635.[17]
  • Pierre-Claude de La Fléchère (1722–1790), promoter of the development of the town of Carouge.[18]
  • François-Marie de La Fléchère (1727–1793), colonel in the Sardinian army, first syndic of Annecy, and Count of Alex.[17]
  • André Urbain de La Fléchère (1754–1832), member of the Helvetic Senate from 1798, Councillor of State of Vaud.[19]
  • Étienne de La Fléchère de Beauregard (1822–1887), syndic then mayor of Saint-Jeoire until 1887, conseiller général in 1874; he was deputy of Savoy in the Parliament of Turin for the Taninges constituency (1857–1860), replacing Germain Sommeiller.[20][21]

Military figures

  • Henri de La Fléchère served as artillery commissioner deçà des Monts under letters patent issued on 15 February 1595 and was a knight of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus.[17]
  • François-Marie de La Fléchère (born 1727) held the rank of colonel and commanded the Chablais Regiment.
  • Jean-Pierre de La Fléchère (1727–1804) was an officer who served as commander-in-chief and governor of Cagliari, where he oversaw the city’s defense against the French fleet in 1793.[10] He later served as vice-roy of Sardinia[10] and subsequently presided over the Piedmontese Military Congress (1799) and the Supreme Council of the Administration of Piedmont (1800).[22]
  • Pierre Jean Isidore de La Fléchère (1769–1830) served as colonel commanding the Piedmont Brigade and was a knight of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus.[17]
  • Georges-François de La Fléchère (1775–1843) was a colonel of chasseurs in the army of the States of Savoy. He served as governor of the city and province of Sassari in 1825[10] and later as commander of the province of Savoy in 1829. He was promoted to general in 1830 and was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus.[23]

Ecclesiastical figures

  • François de La Fléchère (c. 1540–1602) was a monk of Contamine-sur-Arve and later prior of Sillingy[24] and Contamine. He also served as an advocate at the Senate of Savoy and as prior of Sion. He was the godfather of Saint Francis de Sales.[9][24]
  • Georgie de La Fléchère served as prioress of the Mélan Charterhouse from 1572 to 1575.[17]
  • Madeleine de La Forest, Lady of La Fléchère (c. 1580–1632), entered religious life following the death of her husband and founded the Visitation monastery of Rumilly.[9]
  • Sister Françoise-Innocente de La Fléchère (1608–1655), daughter of Madeleine de La Forest, served as superior of the Visitation of Annecy and later of the Visitation of Rumilly, succeeding her mother in 1632.[9] Saint Francis de Sales was her godfather and guardian.[15]
  • John William Fletcher (1729–1785) was an Anglican priest and theologian associated with the Methodist movement.[25]

Titles, rights, and offices

Throughout their history, the La Fléchère were:

Members of the family served as châtelains of:[26][27]

Possessions

  • The Château de Beauregard, also known as La Fléchère, was built in the 13th century on the slopes of the Herbette mountain, northwest of Saint-Jeoire in Faucigny.[8] It was held by the La Fléchère family from 1236 to 2004. In 2008, the last owner, Roger de La Fléchère,[28] donated the castle to the Diocese of Annecy, which entrusted it to the Fraternité Eucharistein, a religious community inspired by Franciscan spirituality.[29]
  • Château de Bellegarde, in Sallanches.[30]
  • Château de Vanzy, known as La Fléchère, in Vanzy (Haute-Savoie).[31]
  • The La Fléchère tower, in the outskirts of Concise (now a hamlet of Thonon),[21] played a role during the Bernese occupation.
  • Towards the end of the eighteenth century, Henri-Louis de La Fléchère owned the large winegrower’s house of La Viborne (8, route de Germagny) at Mont-sur-Rolle.[32]

See also

References

  1. ^ de Foras 1910, p. 389
  2. ^ Piachaud, René-Louis; Chouet, Marc (1982). Œuvres complètes (Volume 2) [Complete Works (Volume 2)] (in French). Éditions Slatkine. p. 284. ISBN 978-2-05-100365-0.
  3. ^ a b c d Dutailly 2011, pp. 8–9
  4. ^ Grillet, Jean-Louis (1807). Dictionnaire historique, littéraire et statistique des départements du Mont-Blanc et du Léman, contenant l'histoire ancienne et moderne de la Savoie [Historical, literary, and statistical dictionary of the departments of Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva, containing the ancient and modern history of Savoy] (in French). Vol. 2. Chambéry: J.F. Puthod.
  5. ^ a b Borel d'Hauterive, André (1861). Annuaire de la Noblesse de France et des Maisons souveraines [Directory of the French Nobility and Sovereign Houses] (in French). Vol. 18. Grenoble: Allier Frères. pp. 373–388. ISSN 2019-8086.
  6. ^ Vulliemin, Louis (1851). Chillon : étude historique [Chillon: historical study] (in French). G. Bridel. p. 94. Others among these noblemen allied themselves with prominent families in England and settled in that kingdom. The La Porte family became the Porters, the Boutillier family became the Butillers, and the La Fléchère family became the Fletschers.
  7. ^ Mémoires et documents [Memoirs and documents] (in French). Vol. 47. Académie salésienne. 1929. p. 195.
  8. ^ a b Baud, Henri; Mariotte, Jean-Yves; Guerrier, Alain (1980). Histoire des communes savoyardes : Le Faucigny [History of Savoyard municipalities: Le Faucigny] (in French). Roanne: Éditions Horvath. ISBN 2-7171-0159-4.
  9. ^ a b c d e Dutailly 2011, p. 9
  10. ^ a b c d e Plançon, Jean (2008). Histoire de la communauté juive de Carouge et de Genève : De l'antiquité à la fin du XIXe siècle [History of the Jewish community of Carouge and Geneva: From antiquity to the end of the 19th century] (in French). Slatkine. pp. 212–213. ISBN 978-2-8321-0321-0.
  11. ^ de Foras 1910, p. 389
  12. ^ Valette, Régis (2007). Catalogue de la Noblesse française [Catalog of the French Nobility] (in French). Robert Laffont. p. 111.
  13. ^ ANF Directory 2017, p. 47.
  14. ^ Devos, Roger (1978). La Pratique des documents anciens. Actes publics et notariés, documents administratifs et comptables [The Practice of Ancient Documents. Public and Notarial Records, Administrative and Accounting Documents] (in French). Archives départementales de la Haute-Savoie. p. 86.
  15. ^ a b Pister, Danielle (2001). L'image du prêtre dans la littérature classique : XVIIe-XVIIIe siècles : Actes du colloque organisé par le Centre "Michel Baude - Littérature et spiritualité" de l'Université de Metz, 20-21 novembre 1998 [The image of the priest in classical literature: 17th-18th centuries: Proceedings of the symposium organized by the Michel Baude Center for Literature and Spirituality at the University of Metz, November 20-21, 1998] (in French). Peter Lang. p. 42.
  16. ^ "Lycée CECAM" [CECAM High School] (in French). Archived from the original on May 13, 2023.
  17. ^ a b c d e f Guichonnet, Paul (1951). "Histoire de la Savoie" [History of Savoy]. Annales. Economies, sociétés, civilisations (in French). Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  18. ^ "À la découverte du Vieux-Carouge : l'héritage d'une Ville Royale" [Discovering Old Carouge: the legacy of a Royal Town]. RadioLac (in French). Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  19. ^ Meylan, Maurice (2016). "André Urbain de La Fléchère". Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  20. ^ Germain 2007, p. 337
  21. ^ a b Dutailly 2011, p. 10
  22. ^ Demotz, Bernard (2000). Le comté de Savoie du XIe siècle au XVe siècle : pouvoir, château et État au Moyen Âge [The County of Savoy from the 11th to the 15th century: power, castles, and the state in the Middle Ages] (in French). Slatkine reprints. ISBN 978-2051016766.
  23. ^ Guy, Lucien (1929). "Les anciens châteaux du Faucigny" [The ancient castles of Faucigny]. Mémoires & documents (in French). 47: 196. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  24. ^ a b Chaix d'Est-Ange 1922, p. 189
  25. ^ Streiff, Patrick (2007). "Jean Guillaume de La Fléchère". Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse (in French). Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  26. ^ a b c d e "SA - Comptes des châtellenies, des subsides, des revenus et des judicatures" [SA - Accounts of the castellanies, subsidies, revenues, and judicatures]. Archives départementales de la Savoie (in French). Archived from the original on June 12, 2018.
  27. ^ a b c d e Payraud, Nicolas (2009). "Châteaux, espace et société en Dauphiné et en Savoie du milieu du XIIIe siècle à la fin du XVe siècle" [Castles, space, and society in Dauphiné and Savoie from the mid-13th century to the end of the 15th century] (PDF). HAL - Archives ouvertes (in French). Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  28. ^ Dutailly 2011, p. 8
  29. ^ "Fraternité Eucharistein" [Eucharistein Fraternity] (in French). Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  30. ^ Dilphy, Dominique (2009). Les châteaux et maisons fortes du Pays du Mont-Blanc [The castles and fortified houses of the Mont Blanc region] (in French). Sallanches: Les Chats-Huants de Charousse. p. 34.
  31. ^ Baud, Mariotte & Guerrier 1980, p. 366
  32. ^ Bissegger, Paul (2012). Les Monuments d'art et d'histoire du canton de Vaud VII : Rolle et son district [Monuments of Art and History in the Canton of Vaud VII: Rolle and its district]. es monuments d’art et d’histoire de la Suisse (in French). Vol. 120. Berne: Société d’histoire de l’art en Suisse. p. 207. ISBN 978-3-03797-029-4.

Bibliography

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