Pierre Arnoul (1651 – October 17, 1719, in Paris), was a French officer de plume who served as the naval intendant during the reign of Louis XIV. He was the son of naval intendant Nicolas Arnoul and a study companion and friend of Seignelay, the son and successor of Jean-Baptiste Colbert. After succeeding his father as Secretary of State for the Navy, Pierre Arnoul was under the protection of Seignelay, his superior.
Pierre Arnoul's career, which spanned nearly fifty years, began with the support of his father and his connections to the Colbert family. It experienced a brief setback in 1679–1680 when he was dismissed following the sinking of two ships.
After studying the navies of foreign countries, he held various naval intendant positions in France, including in the Levant and the Ponant regions. He oversaw the administration of ports such as Marseille (1673–1674, 1710–1719), with a focus on the galley arsenal, Toulon (1674–1679), Le Havre (1680–1681), Bayonne (1681), and Rochefort (1683–1688). Moreover, he organized classes and supplied the Spanish fleet during the War of the Spanish Succession.
In the ports under his management, he oversaw daily operations and also spearheaded several significant developments. Despite proposing numerous projects to successive navy ministers, only a few were implemented. He was regarded as one of the most skilled naval administrators during Louis XIV's reign.
His first wife, Françoise de Soissan de La Bédosse, manipulated the entire Arnoul family. She first married her two sons, one to Pierre Arnoul's mother and the other to Pierre Arnoul's sister, before marrying Pierre Arnoul himself, despite being significantly older than him. She skillfully managed their assets. After her death, Pierre Arnoul remarried Marie-Henriette Brodart, the daughter of an intendant.
A family under the influence
The Arnouls, a family of maritime intendants Pierre Arnoul hailed from a family of maritime intendants. His father, Nicolas Arnoul, served as the galley intendant in Marseille and later in Toulon, with his career being supported by Colbert. Nicolas married Geneviève Saulger, the daughter of Pierre Saulger, an office records keeper, in 1643.. Pierre's brother, Nicolas-François Arnoul de Vaucresson, took over as the galley intendant in Marseille after a stint in the Caribbean islands..
Pierre Arnoul's nobility was confirmed by decree on October 24, 1705. He held the titles of Lord of Vaucresson, La Tour-Ronde, Haute-Borne, Pierrebelle, Rochegude, and Lagarde-Paréol..
Pierre Arnoul under the influence of the Lady of Rus Pierre Arnoul's parents, Nicolas Arnoul and his wife Geneviève, met Françoise de Soissan de La Bédosse, also known as the Lady of Rus, in Digne in 1673, and they developed a friendship. It appears that she influenced the Count of Suze, her likely romantic partner, to transfer all his property to the Arnouls.. Pierre Arnoul eventually declined this donation in 1680. In 1674, Nicolas Arnoul suffered a stroke. The Lady of Rus then stepped in to assist Geneviève Saulger in caring for the paralyzed patient. and quickly assumed control of the Arnoul household..
After Nicolas Arnoul's death on October 18, 1674, Pierre Arnoul and his mother entrusted the management of family affairs to Françoise de Soissan.. However, Françoise took advantage of the situation to enrich herself.. Mrs. Arnoul, a widow in her fifties, seemed to have a preference for younger men, which led Françoise to persuade her to marry her eldest son, twenty-six-year-old Joseph-Horace de Rafelis, lord of Saint-Sauveur, in 1676. Subsequently, in 1680, Françoise arranged the marriage of her second son, Pierre-Dominique de Rafélis, to Geneviève Arnoul, the daughter of Geneviève Saulger and Nicolas Arnoul. Following the death of her second husband in 1686, Françoise married Pierre Arnoul, despite warnings from Minister Seignelay, who was Pierre Arnoul's superior, about the multiple marriages within the family.. Françoise was fifty-five years old at the time of her marriage to the thirty-five-year-old Pierre Arnoul.
Through these three marriages, Pierre Arnoul became the stepfather of Françoise's sons, as well as the son-in-law of the eldest and the brother-in-law of the youngest. Françoise de Soissan became the daughter-in-law of her eldest son and the sister-in-law of her youngest son. Her eldest son, Joseph-Horace de Rafélis, became the stepfather of his own mother and stepfather of his father-in-law. Françoise's younger son, Pierre-Dominique de Rafélis, became the brother-in-law of his own mother, the stepson of his brother, and the son-in-law of his sister-in-law. Geneviève Saulger, Pierre Arnoul's mother, died on October 26, 1683, and her young widower remarried Catherine des Isnard.
Françoise de Soissan died on May 2, 1699, after a two-week illness. In her will, she assigns missions to Capuchin religious in Rochegude, Saint-Sauveur, and Beaumes. In the seigniory of Ruth (at Lagarde-Paréol, near Orange), which she inherited from her first husband, she collaborates with Pierre Arnoul to establish a pious and charitable institution. They fund the creation of "solitaires," or hermits, who care for children and teach them manual skills.. Following his wife's death, Pierre Arnoul details in a memorandum, written for a legal dispute with his sister Geneviève, the significant influence Françoise de Soissan had on the entire family. He even mentions the negative influence of the devil but also acknowledges her exceptional leadership qualities and the benefits he derived from them.
In his second marriage, Pierre Arnoul married Marie-Henriette Brodart on October 17, 1704. She was the daughter of Jean-Baptiste Brodart, the galley intendant in Toulon in 1675 after Arnoul. He maintained his social status through this marriage.. At the time, he was a wealthy man, owning a real estate complex in Marseille known as the Marquis de Villeneuve, which was leased out and included large warehouses near the arsenal, established by his father Nicolas Arnoul. He also employed over a dozen servants in Paris. His second wife brought a significant dowry, and they had five children.
Explaining the influence In 1707, journalist Anne-Marguerite Petit du Noyer mentioned Françoise de Soissan in her Letters historiques et galantes, describing her as an "enchantress." She emphasizes that it is exceptional "to have been able to inspire such passionate and constant love at an age when one should only inspire disgust." Moreover, she provides a simple explanation: "Some believe her to be a witch, others a saint, and I believe she is neither, simply a skillful and clever woman who was aided by fortune.".
In the early twentieth century, Françoise de Soissan was viewed as a cunning and unscrupulous adventurer. Louis Delavaud depicts her as a manipulator who exploits the gullibility and obstinacy of the Arnoul family. while acknowledging her seductive charm and strong will.. Gaston Rambert describes her as crafty and avaricious, yet adept at persuading others without resorting to theatrics.. Paul-Marie Bondois suggests that the Arnoul family falls victim to the lady of Rus, who cunningly seizes their wealth..
In 2021, historian Lucien Bély perceives Françoise de Soissan as a skilled and ambitious businesswoman. She adeptly gains the trust of others, engages in influence peddling, and effectively controls an entire family. Françoise lends money, intervenes in over three hundred notarized acts, and demonstrates a keen understanding of legal procedures to enhance her wealth.. She efficiently oversees Pierre Arnoul's affairs, as he is preoccupied with his responsibilities as naval intendant. Françoise excels as a manager and actively pursues the acquisition of lordships such as Saint-Sauveur and Rochegude..
A career of nearly fifty years
Education and early positions (1670–1674) The relationship between Jean-Baptiste Colbert and Pierre Arnoul was significant for the beginning of Colbert's career. It was a patron-client relationship, common in Ancien Régime society. Colbert supported Pierre, the son of Nicolas, out of respect for the father. He also did not hesitate to advise and guide his young protégé when needed.
From 1670 to 1671, Pierre Arnoul was sent on a mission to Italy, Flanders, England, and Holland. During this time, he gained knowledge about shipbuilding, supply organization, refit, and tactics.. As a result, he could provide detailed descriptions to Colbert about the Dutch construction techniques and their advantages, such as the use of wooden pegs instead of irons, commonly used by the French..
Upon his return in 1671, he was appointed as a naval commissioner in Toulon. In this role, he joined the French fleet in the Battle of Solebay against the Dutch, alongside their English allies. The battle resulted in severe losses for both sides, with an undecided outcome and conflicting claims of victory. Pierre Arnoul provided a detailed report on the battle, which did not assign blame to the commonly accused the Count of Estrées for the lack of success..
Arnoul assumed the role of controller general in Ponant in 1672. He returned to Provence as intendant of galleys in Marseille in 1673, when he was in his early twenties, succeeding his father Nicolas Arnoul. After a year in the city, he became intendant of the navy in Toulon in 1674, once again succeeding his father in this position.
Naval intendant in Toulon (1674–1679)
Pierre Arnoul served as the naval intendant in Toulon from 1674 to 1679, where he played a crucial role in overseeing various aspects of naval operations in the arsenal. This included managing shipbuilding, recruiting sailors, and handling armaments. His authority also extended to the management of the port, city, and the coastal region. He worked closely with the provincial intendant, with clearly defined responsibilities for each. Regular correspondence with the Secretary of State for the Navy was essential, as Arnoul received orders and reported back on his activities.. However, Seignelay criticized Arnoul for not providing detailed written descriptions of his projects, specifically requesting drawings with precise scales and dimensions for ship construction, including decorative elements.
While still young, Pierre Arnoul was tasked with arming the Levant fleet, a challenging responsibility.. He established a new dock in the port of Toulon and, in 1676, proposed the installation of sawmills inspired by those he had seen in the United Provinces.. However, sourcing construction timber proved to be a significant challenge. It took over a year for the ordered timber to arrive in Toulon, transported by rafting from the forests of Burgundy and Franche-Comté.. Additionally, Arnoul ordered wood from the Hautes-Alpes and explored resources in Saint-Étienne, Saint-Gervais, and Nivernais in the late 1670s, particularly focusing on wood availability.
In September 1678, he presented a detailed memorandum proposing a project to enhance the navigability of the Rhône's branches in its delta. He stressed the critical need for immediate action, as the shallow depth of the Rhône's branches hindered efficient navigation. However, this project was never implemented.