Frechapelle, Francois de Croix de Drumez Sieur de
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Francois de Croix de Drumez Sieur de Frechapelle
Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg Major-General (170?–1711)
Chief of Croix de Fréchapelle Cavalry (1694–1711)
born 16??
died 5 June 1741, Hanover, Electorate of Hanover
Description
François de Croix de Frechapelle was the son of brigadier and ducal Major-General Charles (sometimes wrongly named Guillaume) de Croix de Frechapelle, who was colonel and chief captain of Oldenstadt (a district of Uelzen), and Amalia Catrina (Katharina) von Post, who came from the arch-Catholic Bishopric of Paderborn.
The family were not followers of the Reformed Church, but devout Catholics throughout their lives. A source in the Lower Saxony State Archives in Hanover provides insight into the aristocratic origin of the cavalry lieutenant "Charles de Croix de Drumez de Frechapelle". The family de Croix de Drumez had been one of the noble families in Hainaut for over 400 years, today in France not far from the Belgian border. Charles was born in Aymeries and later lived in Rocroi (now Ardennes), 75 km away. His father, Luc de Croix de Drumez(*), lived as a pensioner in neighbouring La Chapelle. The latter may also explain the additional name Frechapelle in Charles de Croix and his descendants. His mother was Marie d'Orville. In a list of the Lower Saxon nobility, the de la Croix de Frechapelle are referred to as a French noble family.
In 1685, the son of the brigadier [Charles], François (Franz) de Croix de Frechapelle, entered the service of the Guelph Duke Georg Wilhelm of Brunswick and Lüneburg as an officer. His year of birth is unknown. He became a major in the Beauregard Cavalry Regiment.
In 1694, François de Croix de Frechapelle received the Reiterregiment Brennecke.
In 1705, François de Croix de Frechapelle was brigadier of the cavalry in the Dutch auxiliary corps in Brabant and retired in 1711 as a major-general and electoral chief stable master.
François de Croix de Frechapelle died on 5 June 1741 in Hanover and was buried in the catholic church of St. Clemens in Hanover.
(*) In the German text "der Reiter Luc de Croix de Drumez" which is probably a modernization for "Reuter" which may also mean "Ritter" and thus in turn would be a translation for the French title of "Chevalier".
References
This article is mostly a translation of:
- Cellesche Zeitung – Nach Duell das Palais verloren
Acknowledgement
Jörg Meier for the translation and the integration of additional notes
