The Grand Master of Artillery () was one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France during the Ancien Régime.
The position of Grand Master of Artillery replaced the earlier position of Grand Maître des arbalétriers ("Grand Master of the Archers"). It was made a Great Office of the Crown in 1601 by King Henry IV for the benefit of Maximilien de Béthune, duc de Sully.
The Grand Master of Artillery had jurisdiction, at the beginning of the 17th century, over all the officers and the artillery of the French army, as well as oversight over sieges and encampments, the making of gunpowder and cannons and management of the arsenals. At the end of the century, the position became merely honorific, and his duties passed to other more specialized officers, most notably the "surintendant des fortifications".
List of Grand Masters of the Artillery 1512 : Jacques Ricard de Genouillac (1465-1546), seigneur d'Acier 1546 : Jean de Taix (+1553), seigneur de Thais et Sepmes 1547 : Charles I de Cossé (1507-1563), comte de Brissac 1550 : Jean I d'Estrées (1486-1571), comte d'Orbec 1567 : Jean Babou (1511-1569), seigneur de La Bourdaisière 1569 : Armand de Gontaut (1524-1592), baron de Biron 1578 : Philibert de La Guiche (+1607) 1596 : François d'Espinay (1554-1597), seigneur de Saint-Luc 1597 : Antoine d'Estrées (c.1529-1609), marquis de Coeuvres 1599 : Maximilien de Béthune (1559-1641), baron, then marquis de Rosny, then duc de Sully 1610 : Maximilien II de Béthune (1588-1634), marquis de Rosny et prince d'Henrichemont, son of the previous 1629 : Antoine Coëffier de Ruzé (1581-1632), marquis d'Effiat 1634 : Charles de La Porte (1602-1664), marquis, then duc de La Meilleraye 1646 : Armand-Charles de La Porte (1632-1713), duc de La Meilleraye, de Mayenne et de Rethelois-Mazarin, son of the previous 1669 : Henry de Daillon (c.1622-1685), comte du Lude, then duc du Lude 1685 : Louis de Crevant 1628-1694), duc d'Humières 1694 : Louis I Auguste de Bourbon (1670-1736), duc du Maine 1736 : Louis Charles de Bourbon (1701-1775), comte d'Eu 1755 : Function abolished
See also Great Officers of the Crown of France Maison du Roi
References This article is based in part on the article Grand maître de l'artillerie de France from the French Wikipedia, retrieved on September 6, 2006.
External links Great Officers of the Crown