The Rohan (or another) Family

[nahari]

Hello. I am a freelance writer, attempting to find information about the Rohan family.
My character is a young male who comes from a family who is descended in a long line of French aristocrats. However, his father, who enjoys adventure, chose to move to America in the 1700s.
I was thinking of placing him in the Rohan family, but was seeking advice from experts who would be able to direct me into a better choice of lineage.

[Duc_et_Pair]

The House De Rohan has different branches. It is one of France's most prestigious families, having delivered several (prime) ministers, supreme commanders, cardinals, bishops, Dukes, Princes and the whole rambam. I think you need to have more details to find your way in the genealogical haystack of the Rohan family.

[Marengo]

I suppose you can read the memoires of the duc de Saint Simon for inspiration. He considers the Rohans foreign nobility btw.

I doubt any member of house of Rohan would have emigrated at that point in time. They were enormously rich and had no need to move abroad for fortune.

[rihannsu]

Originally Posted by Marengo

I suppose you can read the memoires of the duc de Saint Simon for inspiration. He considers the Rohans foreign nobility btw.

I've never been able to figure out why the French did that. I'm tracing the Ducs of Lorraine and Guise, and the line between "foreign princes" and "French nobility" really has me confused at times.

Lorraine was once allied to the Holy Roman Empire, so I can see how snatching it from Charles V was quite a coup. I've seen a few sources stating that Lorraine was independently ruled before the 16th century, which would make the descendants as courtesy title of "Princes of Lorraine."

Still, I can't really reason out why some families were thought of as foreign nobility unless it wa a way to one up the other families in order of precedence.

[JR76]

Originally Posted by rihannsu

I've never been able to figure out why the French did that. I'm tracing the Ducs of Lorraine and Guise, and the line between "foreign princes" and "French nobility" really has me confused at times.

Lorraine was once allied to the Holy Roman Empire, so I can see how snatching it from Charles V was quite a coup. I've seen a few sources stating that Lorraine was independently ruled before the 16th century, which would make the descendants as courtesy title of "Princes of Lorraine."

Still, I can't really reason out why some families were thought of as foreign nobility unless it wa a way to one up the other families in order of precedence.

Like the Holy Roman Empire, France used to be made up of many small feudal fiefs ruled by princelings that in many cases considered themselves equal to the King. Princes of Brittany, Lorraine, Monaco, Bouliuon etc were quite rightly seen as royal on the basis of their descent. I guess in a way the situation at the Court of Versailles is what couldve been the situation in Holy Roman Empire hadnt the Habsburg lost controll of the continued disfragmentation of their empire with the member states gaining more and more independence from the Emperor.

[JR76]

Originally Posted by Marengo

I suppose you can read the memoires of the duc de Saint Simon for inspiration. He considers the Rohans foreign nobility btw.

I doubt any member of house of Rohan would have emigrated at that point in time. They were enormously rich and had no need to move abroad for fortune.

Didnt many members of the nobility move to the French colonies in Canada & Louisiana?

[loonytick]

Originally Posted by Marengo

I doubt any member of house of Rohan would have emigrated at that point in time. They were enormously rich and had no need to move abroad for fortune.

Ah, but the OP didn't say her character would be moving out of a need for money, but rather a thirst for adventure.

Emigration, though, suggests giving up everything back home. I would gently suggest that to be believable this nobleman needs to either still maintain a household in Europe (even if he never actually goes back to it) or have some other, emotionally charged reason for cutting ties entirely. But yes, if this person is in the Rohan family, even a fictional line, the reason can't be lack of money.

[An Ard Ri]

The Rohan's also have royal links.

Isabel d'Albret daughter of queen Catherine Ier of Navarre and sister of Henri II of Navarre married René I de Rohan, Viscount of Rohan. Isabel was also the godmother and great aunt of Henri IV of France. The Princess became a Huguenot in 1558 and was last mention in 1560.