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Etienne Jaunay
Secretary to the King
Although not to be found in any history books, that I have come across, Etienne Jaunay held the powerful post of Secretary to the King.
The King of the time, Louis XIV, le grand monarque, ascended to the throne in 1643 with his mother, Anne of Austria as Regent. He ruled until 1715 and is best known for the legacy he left in the form of the magnificent palace at Versailles. His regime was also noted for its encouragement of the arts and scholarship. In October 1685, he revoked the Edict of Nantes after his second marriage to Madame de Maintenon thus causing a mass migration to neighbouring countries [including England] of Protestants in fear of their lives.
There is no doubt that Etienne would have had his offices at Versailles as the whole court at the time was based entirely at this location. As the king's secretary he would have acted as the communications avenue between the king and his subjects.
Etienne Jaunay was secretary to the king for an undetermined period finishing in 1700. Four documents [dated 20; 22; 23 March 1700] which survive in the Paris archives lead to this man. They all relate to him seeking references from the king's councillors. These are the oldest documents which mention the Jaunay name yet recovered.
There is still considerable work to be done to link this man with any of the Jaunay families isolated to date although he comes from the Angers region of France as do several others.
PHOTO: Versailles Palace. Etienne's office was located in the buildings on the far right.
© 1995 Graham Jaunay
This article was published: The Jaunay Journal No 17 Oct 1995
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