New-York tribune., 1908-06-29
PREMIER MARQUIS OF FRANCE.

Teonce de vflleneuve. sixteenth Marquis de
Trans who has just died, was one OF those French
mobiles of ancient lineage concerning the validity OF
whose name and titles question could be raised
st the time Of his marriage to Miss Knight, of
New York for his marquisate, bestowed by King
Louis XII by royal letters patent dated in Feoru-
ary 1906 upon Louis de Villeneuve, the celebrated
general. admiral and diplomat the first mar
quisate ever created in France and in consequence
thereof each Of Marquesses de Trans has always
ranked as premier marquis of France and as Pre-
ner Gentilhomme des Etats de provence Mora
over from the reign of King Louis XII until the
great Revolution, three hundred years afterWard,
the MarQuesses de Trans were, like the dukes, en-
titled to the style of cousins of the King This
louis de Villeneuve comma nded the French fleet
that conquered Naples in 1898. was the companion
In arms OF the Chevalier Bayard, and the ambassd-
dor of France at the Court Of Pope Alexander W.
where he won the good Will of Cesar Borgia and.
escaping the fate which the latter condemned
most of his friends negotiated the marriage of his
sister Lucrezia Borgia, with the Duke of Ferrara
Ieonce de Vllleneuve, the marquis who has Just
died was twice married. After the death OF his
American wife by whom ne had only daughter,
now nun OF Order Of the Sacred Heart, he
married Mile. de la Peyrouse by whom he leaves
two daughters and sons, the eldest of whom
now becomes seventeenth Marquis de Trans and
seventh Marquis de F1agosc- Mile. de la Peyrouse 9
mother was that Napoeone de Montholon who was
horn at ST Helena where her parents, the Comte
the captive French Emperor. Indeed, the child,
who had the Emperor her godfather, is asserted
by all the memoirs dealing with his life at St
Helena to have contributed in small measure 10
III. Tightening of the bitterness of Napoleons exile
nv the affection which she bestowed upon him.
They were in fact, inseparable companions.
The nrtnciDaI home of the MarQuesses de Trans is
the Castle of Villeneuve, near Beziers, where ten
years ago the entire family celebrated the thou
sandth anniversary of the foundation OF the castle
II was built by Visigoth refugee from Spain who
had sought an asylum from Emperor Charlemasne,
who bestowed upon him various tracts of land 70
the south of BeZiers, the condition that he and
his descendants would defend that portion of the
neighboring coast from the Moorish pirates infes-
ing the Mediterranean With this object in view
,bs grantee of the lands built a stronghold which
he called villa Nova. from which his descendants
+oo- their name The family branched on into
various lines the senior of which is represented to-
dav. not by the Marquis de Trans, but by the
Counts de Villeneuve Hautrive and de Nileneuve
Arifat The second line, namely that of Vaence-
becan1e merged in the seventeenth century in the
families of the Spanish Dukes of Ossuna and OF
Villa -Hermosa.
The third line settled Provence, and 1t is OF
this line that the Marquis de Trans is chief 1t has
Furnished many distinguished men, besides the irst
MARQUIS de Trans to French history. Thus, Dante,
in his Divine Comedy, refers in several lines oI
praise TO Romeo de VilIeneuve, who was regent
during the minority Of Princess Beatrix. Hellon de
VilleneIIye was the Grand Master of the Sovereign
Order of Malta and established the latter at
Rhodes after the expulsion of the Christians from
the Holy Land in the early part OF the eighteenth
century A de Villeneuve the unfortunate
admiral who commanded the French fleet at the
Battle of Trafalgar. and the Marquis de Trans
ha. inherited a quantity of diaries correspond
ence and valuable papers belonging TO the admiral
and dealing with his relations with the first Napo-
leon and the statesmen of the First Empire. whcn
when DubIished will prove important contribu-
ton TO the history OF that period. niece OF the
late MARQUIS de Trans, Jeanne de Vileneuve, en-
lows the distinction ot being the only woman in the
consular service of France, and has for several
,ears mast been the Chancelliere Of the Consulate
General of France in New York.