Jean Ébrard, seigneur de Saint-Sulpice (26 August 1519–5 November 1581) was a French noble, governor, soldier and diplomat during the latter Italian Wars and the French Wars of Religion. Born into the first family of the province of Quercy, Saint-Sulpice began his military service during the reign of Francis I of France, seeing service at the siege of Boulogne in 1544. Under his successor Henri II. Saint-Sulpice operated as a client of the constable Montmorency and fought at the defence of Metz in 1552 and capture of Calais in 1558. During Henri's reign he began his diplomatic role and was tasked with presenting Henri's position to the delegates negotiating the Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis after a shift in the crown's position. He received a further diplomatic role securing the withdrawal of French forces from Siena as a term of the peace.
During the reign of Charles IX he moved to be a patron of the queen mother Catherine. He led two further diplomatic missions, first to Spain and then Portugal in 1560 and 1561 respectively. In mid 1562 he replaced the bishop of Limoges as the French ambassador to Spain. In this role he unsuccessfully campaigned to get Spain to declare war on England after the latter's entry into the first French War of Religion in September 1562. When Spain objected to the peace that the French crown negotiated with the rebels Saint-Sulpice and Catherine took the line that Spain should not trouble itself with French internal affairs. In the crisis over the excommunication of the queen of Navarre Saint-Sulpice relayed information of a Spanish plot against her to the French court thus aiding in its neutralisation. He counselled taking a course of caution during further disputes with Spain over Papal precedence and a rebellion in Corsica. Throughout this period Catherine had hoped for a personal meeting with Philip and Saint-Sulpice helped arrange this meeting which was to transpire at Bayonne in June 1565. Philip would not participate however but rather his wife Élisabeth. His efforts to convince Philip of the wisdom of a new royal marriage between the kingdoms was a failure. Relieved of his charge in 1565 he returned to the French court where he had been established as a conseiller d'État (councillor of state). During the second war of religion he fought at the battle of Saint-Denis. Absent from his territories in the third war of religion, his relatives endeavoured to secure the preservation of the families lands in Quercy. When the surintendant de la maison (superintendent of the household) of the king's brother Alençon died in 1569, Saint-Sulpice replaced him, and used the position to insert many of his children into Alençon's household. In this capacity he would be with Alençon during the siege of La Rochelle at which one of his sons was killed. During the fourth war of religion Saint-Sulpice engaged in internal diplomatic efforts and was tasked with the arrest of the governor of Languedoc the baron de Damville.
After the death of Charles and the ascent of his brother Anjou as Henri III, Saint-Sulpice found his position in Alençon's household compromised by his rebellion. In August 1576 he departed from the role and was soon followed by his relatives. At the Estates General called as a term of the peace his eldest son Henri Ébrard was killed by one of Alençon's men. Saint-Sulpice was one of the diplomats involved in the negotiations that brought the sixth war of religion to a close in September 1577. The king subsequently tasked him with a role in the peace's enforcement. Saint-Sulpice joined with Catherine for a new internal peace effort in August 1578, crossing much of southern France in a mission that concluded with the Treaty of Nérac which established him as a commissioner for the peace in Guyenne. As a reward he was made a chevalier (knight) of the Ordre du Saint-Esprit (Order of the Saint-Esprit) the most senior order of French chivalry. He died on 5 November 1581 and was succeeded to his titles by his son Bertrand.
Early life and family Jean Ébrard was born on 26 August 1519, the second son of Antoine Ébrard (–1563) and Marguerite de Lévis. He had a full brother Christophe Ébrard, the abbot of Marcilhac in Quercy. He also had a half brother Nicolas Ébrard, the sieur de Cluset from his father's second marriage, and a half sister Jeanne Ébrard who married René de Pins-Montbrun. Jean helped facilitate the marriage of his half brother to an heiress named Vignan. His father fought several times for the king but generally preferred to maintain a rural existence.
The Ébrard family traced the possession of their various lands between Cahors and Figeac back to the 13th century. They enjoyed relations with many important families of the region such as the Cardaillac, Gourdon, Vaillac, Lauzières, Thémines, Genouillac, Estang and Arpajon. In the late 15th century the family took advantage of litigation to increase the value of the cens (tax for usage of the land) on the grounds that the lands value was greater than it had been in prior generations. As their influence grew, so too did their social horizons, and ties were formed with the Flezins-Montmurat in Auvergne and Pins-Montbrun in Gascogne. The Ébrards were the premier barons (first barons) of Quercy through the title of baron de Saint-Sulpice.
Education Antoine and his predecessor seigneurs de Saint-Sulpice had little education beyond that which prepared them for a military career. At Antoine's instigation, this changed for Jean. His son had a significant education, first at Cahors and then Toulouse. He completed his studies in 1543 at the Università degli studi di Ferrara (University of Ferrara) where he became a doctor in utroque, meaning he could practice both civil and canon law.
Saint-Sulpice's career at court began when he was established as an écuyer (squire) of Francis I of France.
Marriage and children In 1551 (Boucher) or 1553 (Jouanna) Jean married Claude de Gontaut. This marriage fostered connections with the Biron (she was the sister of the marshal de Biron and a captain of Coligny's), Noailles, Lanssac and des Cars families. The Biron were also the first family of the Périgord, making the match advantageous. Claude was a Protestant, and Saint-Sulpice adopted a position of moderate Catholicism, open to the friendship of Protestant seigneurs. Indeed, the Spanish ambassador Álava suspected him of Protestantism in 1566.
With Claude de Gontaut, Saint-Sulpice would have six children, among whom were: Henri Ébrard (1553–1576), comte de Nègrepelisse jure uxoris, capitaine de la chevau-légers (captain of the light-horse), married the comtesse de Nègrepelisse without issue. Armand Ébrard (1556–1573), seigneur de Comiac, ensigne-colonelle de l'infantrie de France (ensign-colonel of the French infantry), died of wounds sustained at the siege of La Rochelle. Antoine Ébrard (1559–1600), bishop of Cahors (1576), conseiller d'État (1585). Bertrand Ébrard (1560–1587), sénéchal and governor of Quercy (1584) and Rouergue (1585), married Marguerite de Balaguier with issue, died of wounds sustained at Coutras. Catherine Ébrard (–1621), married the seigneur de Thémines and future marshal of France in 1587 with issue.
In 1566 Saint-Sulpice brought his three eldest sons (Antoine, Armand and Henri) to the prestigious Collège de Navarre in Paris, where the highest nobility in the kingdom received their education. Among the alumni of the collège were the children of the ducs de Guise, Aumale and Vendôme. Only Antoine would undertake a thorough education at the institution however, while Henri and Armand undertook the 'education of a gentleman' (music and martial pursuits - their horse riding taught to them by the tutor of the duc d'Anjou). On 12 December 1566, Saint-Sulpice presented his eldest son Henri to the king Charles. He was warmly received by the king's brothers and the king's mother Catherine.
The royal favour that his son Henri enjoyed allowed Saint-Sulpice to negotiate a spectacular marriage for him in 1576 with the comtesse de Nègrepelisse. The baron provided his son an income of 5,000 livres at this time. Saint-Sulpice reminded his sons of the bonds between the Ébrard family and the Lévis family and indicated a desire to see a marriage between the comte de Caylus and a member of his household.
Land and income In 1569 the seigneurie of Comiac was usurped from the Saint-Sulpice family by two Reyrevignes brothers. Saint-Sulpice entrusted his brother the abbot of Marcilhac with bringing together their allies to make the elder Reyrevignes brother understand this deed would not go unpunished. After the matter had been put before the sénéchal of Villeneuve en Rouergue the land was returned to the Saint-Sulpice. It was apparent the brothers' claim was not entirely without merit and thus they were compensated for returning the territory to the Ébrards. After this episode Reyrevignes, impressed by Saint-Sulpice's network offered himself to Saint-Sulpice's service.
Around 1572 Saint-Sulpice's various lordships brought him revenues of approximately 12,000 livres. Beyond his lands he could count on his pension as a member of the conseil privé (3,000 livres), the incomes of his roles in the household of the king's brother Alençon (2,000 livres) and his income from governing part of the prince's appanage (1,000 livres). This totalled to 18,000 livres.
Reign of Francis I
In 1544 Saint-Sulpice saw service at the first siege of Boulogne in the defence against the English.
Reign of Henri II When the Scottish expedition was undertaken by France during the war of the Rough Wooing, Saint-Sulpice travelled to Scotland to fight the English.
Final Italian War
Saint-Sulpice fought under the command of the constable of France Montmorency during the Italian Wars. He saw service at the capture of Metz and was then in the city for its successful defence against the Emperor's siege later that year.
With the collapse of the Truce of Vaucelles in 1557, Saint-Sulpice was tasked with meeting with Philip's ambassador Simon Renard on the kingdom's border. That same year, his patron the constable Montmorency was captured by the Imperials. Saint-Sulpice would play a role in the negotiations for Montmorency's release.
Royal favour He was established as a gentilhomme de la chambre du roi (gentleman of the king's chamber) by Henri II in 1558. This position was granted to him in survivance of his father-in-law the baron de Biron.
Having fought in Picardy, Saint-Sulpice participated in the successful capture of Calais from the English in 1558.
Cateau-Cambrésis
In the evening of 14 November 1559, while peace negotiations with Spain were ongoing, Catherine and the duc de Guise implored Henri not to surrender French Piedmont as part of any treaty. The former denounced the constable Montmorency crying that he had always done the king evil. Henri retorted that it was rather those of the war party who had convinced him to break the 1556 Truce of Vaucelles who had done him wrong. On 15 November, Henri summoned his council and announced to the assembled grandees that he had resolved on making peace with the Spanish king Philip II even if this meant the returning of the majority of the French conquests of the Italian Wars including Corsica, Piedmont and parts of Luxembourg. Only the archbishop of Vienne protested, but he was silenced. Saint-Sulpice was ordered to travel to Cercamp, where the delegates had been discussing terms of a peace to inform them of Henri's resolution. By this means he was also to reverse the instructions given to the bishop of Limoges ordering the withdrawal of the French delegates from the negotiations. Saint-Sulpice was also to see to the return of Montmorency to the French court so that he might be reunited with Henri.