Justine Fitz-Justin

### Born

5 September 1664, Château (Château Neuf) de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Yvelines, Île-de-France, Grandelumière

### Father

Justin I d'Anjou de Grandelumiére, Grand-Monsieur, Électeur de Lorraine

### Mother

Marie Irène de Clermont-Tonnerre, Mademoiselle de Clermont-Tonnerre

### Siblings

Anne Fitz-Justin, Chanoinesse de PoussayJustin Fitz-Justin, Chanoine de Poussay

Henri Fitz-Justin, Chanoine de Poussay †

Georges Fitz-Justin, Chanoine de Poussay

Irène Fitz-Justin, Chanoinesse de Poussay

### Religion

Roman Catholicism

**Justine Fitz-Justin** (5 September 1687–Present), Bâtard de Lorraine, Mademoiselle de Fitz-Justin (1664–1692), Chanoinesse de Pouss (1692–1729), and the current Mademoiselle de Fitz-Justin (1729–Present) (falling back into her Mademoiselle designation when expelled from the Chapitre de Poussay).

Justine Fitz-Justin, was born in 1687 to Justin I d'Anjou de Grandelumiére, Grand-Monsieur, Électeur de Lorraine, and his mistress Marie Irène de Clermont-Tonnerre, Mademoiselle de Clermont-Tonnerre. According to many, Justine Fitz-Justin resembled her mother very much both in face and person. Banned from attending Court by her cousin Marie II, Impératrice de Grandelumiére, Justine was exiled to Poussay in Lorraine where she would become a canoness. Her ban from Court would be dropped when, in November 1698, Marie II died. From then on, Justine would occasionally attend court. Though canonesses can take leave from their chapter (normally to participate in pilgrimages), Justine would do so on the pompous ground that she was an Imperial relative. In June 1729, Justine was expelled from the Chapitre de Poussay for having an affair. However, Justine claims to have received permission from Pape Clement XI to put down the veil.

## Early Life

### **Birth**

Justine Fitz-Justin, called 'Bâtard de Lorraine,' styled Mademoiselle de Fitz-Justin, born on 5 September 1687, in the Château (Château Neuf) de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Yvelines, Île-de-France, Grandelumière, was the fourth illegitimate child and the second illegitimate daughter of Justin I d'Anjou de Grandelumiére, Grand-Monsieur, Électeur de Lorraine, and his mistress Marie Irène de Clermont-Tonnerre, Mademoiselle de Clermont-Tonnerre. Justine was baptized on the same day in the Chapelle du Château (Château Vieux) de Saint-Germain-en-Laye. The Grand-Monsieur acknowledged his daughter and so she bore the surname of FitzJustin—"child of Justin."

### **Infancy**

From 1664–1669, Justine lived in Saint-Germain-en-Laye with her governess, Antoinette Chaussée, and her siblings: Anne, Justin, and Henri. They would be followed by George and Barbe. With all children approaching manhood/womanhood, Marie II had all Fitz-Justin children banned from her Court. The Grand-Monsieur had Justine made a canoness (a woman belonging to any one of several religious orders and living under a rule but not under a vow) at the Chapitre de Poussay, Poussay, Lorraine, Grandelumiére.

### **Canoness**

#### *Admission*

Generally, noblewomen are exclusively admitted as canonesses, however, there can be some exceptions. For women, being a canoness provides, in addition to an honorific distinction, an ecclesiastical benefit. Here, outside marriage, women can find a socially suitable situation with an independent income. To be admitted, proof of nobility had to be provided.

#### *Lifestyle*

The women admitted to the chapter, after one year's probation, do not necessarily pronounce vows; they keep their personal property and give themselves the opportunity to leave the chapter in the event of a favourable marriage. Canonesses were given the honorary title of *Madame*, which recalled their social status, despite their choice of life in religious humility.

Young canonesses are cared for by the elders who transmit to them all the intellectual knowledge, human values ​​and religious discipline of the Règle de Saint-Benoît, by giving them a general education until the day where they will receive responsibility for charges, such as teaching the youngest. In the chapters, women learn the best way to read, write, calculate, draw, express, sing and play musical instruments. Latin and foreign languages ​​are studied by all, as well as Roman law and genealogy, the keeping of accounts and the basics of cooking and agronomy. This solid intellectual formation will enable canonesses to distinguish themselves in society. Indeed, if they are required to live in the chapter, they can, however, receive in their home chapter relatives and friends and organize social meetings likely to promote weddings in their community. They are allowed to take leave, among other things to participate in pilgrimages, including Rome.

Certain obligations bind the canonesses to the chapter: reside in the chapter, attend religious services and participate in daily processions. But, and this is especially what attracts candidates and their parents, they benefit from a prebend, comfortable annual rent that is personally allocated to them. The Provost receives a double prebend, the schoolgirls receive a half and the new canonesses receive their first prebend one year after their enthronement. And the absence in the chapter reduces the prebend proportionally to the duration of the absence. Undistributed prebends are used for the maintenance and construction of abbey buildings. A prebend becomes vacant by renunciation, marriage or death of the prebendière, the marriage being the most frequent case.

The canonesses, however, preserve certain features of the canonical institution: they kept celibacy; they abandon life in the community, but their mansions (canonical houses) are often grouped in a more or less closed district (district of the chapter, canonical quarter). Their way of life, though quite aristocratic, remains very guarded, and they are constrained as canons at the canonical hours and in the community liturgy.

The noble chapters had a certain political and economic power, based on landed property, feudal rights transferred to the chapter, as well as customs they had been able to impose in their cities of residence.

### **Adolescence and Adulthood**

Her relationship with Mademoiselle de Clermont-Tonnerre was non-existent. They never exchanged letters. Her childhood attempts at communication went unreciprocated. Indeed, Justine never ever spoke to her mother. Mademoiselle de Clermont-Tonnerre would only correspond with Justin Fitz-Justin, where, through him, she would communicate with her other children. Mademoiselle de Clermont-Tonnerre even manipulated her children into sending her money from time to time, claiming to suffer from an unknown illness. In 1714, *demi-sœur* Anne Florentine Marie d'Anjou de Lorraine, Duchesse de Valois, presented Justine with Mademoiselle de Clermont-Tonnerre's memoirs. In her memoirs were such scathing passages referring to Justine's recently deceased brother, Henri Fitz-Justin: "I ought to weep for his birth far more than his death."

In November 1698, Marie II, Impératrice de Grandelumiére, died. Her successor, Constantin X & XXI, allowed Justine and the Fitz-Justin children to attend Court. In December 1698, the Fitz-Justin children would join in the coronation procession of Constantin X & XXI. In January 1705, Justine attended the funeral of Justin Pétrone Auguste d'Anjou de Grandelumiére, Archiduc de Constantinople, and in September 1709 would attend that of Constantin X & XXI. During the Civil War of 1709, Justine stole money (undistributed prebends used for maintenance and construction) for funding both House Anjou de Lorraine and House Rochechouart de Mortemart de Viennois, essentially dabbling in war profiteering. In May 1729, Justine would be caught having an affair with Gaspard François de Sade, Marquis de Sade, and as such was expelled from Poussay. Following her expulsion, an investigation was opened into Justine's previous shady activity in the chapter. During the investigation, the allegation of theft and war profiteering came to light. However, fortunate for Justine, in June 1729, when an accidental fire greatly damaged the Grand Palais de Roumansalle, evidence to incriminate Justine in her crime was destroyed. Apart from further allegations of breaking her vow of celibacy, nothing more was followed up.

In October 1715, Justine attended the handover of Constantine Marie Augustine Élisabeth Euphraise Casimire d'Anjou de Grandelumière, Princesse de la Porphyre, called 'Madame,' to Philip V d'Anjou de España, Rey de España. Following her handover, which took place on the Île des Faisans, Pyrénées, Grandelumière/España the Court travelled to Hamelin, Normandie, Grandelumière/Bretagne where Justine-Isabelle d'Évreux de Bretagne, Souveraine-Duchesse de Bretagne, would be handed over to Grandelumière. In January 1717, Justine attended the funeral of her *demi-frère*, Monsieur le Régent and the coronation of Constantin XI & XXII. In March 1720, Justine attended the funeral of Impératrice Consort Justine-Isabelle. In March 1722, Marie attended the handover and wedding of another Souveraine-Duchesse de Bretagne, Constantine-Marie d'Évreux de Bretagne. In August 1728, Justine would too attend the latter's funeral.

In June 1729, during the aforementioned fire, Mademoiselle de Clermont-Tonnerre would fall victim to the blaze. Justine would comment: "Twas' a precursor of what was to come. I only hope she found the fire tolerable."

## Titles, Honors, and Styles

* **1664–1692** *Mademoiselle de Fitz-Justin*
* **1664–1729** *Madame, Chanoinesse de Poussay*
* **1729–Present** *Mademoiselle de Fitz-Justin*