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Adrien-Nicolas Piédefer, marquis de La Salle

1735 – 1818

French writer

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About Adrien-Nicolas Piédefer, marquis de La Salle

Lived 1735 – 1818 (aged 83). Adrien-Nicolas Piédefer, marquis de La Salle was a French writer, playwright, soldier, translator, governor and military officer.

Adrien-Nicolas Piédefer, marquis de La Salle, comte d'Offrémont (1735 – 1818) was a French writer and cavalry officer who saw service in the Seven Years' War, a writer of comedies and libretti, and a Masonic brother of Benjamin Franklin.

He was appointed maréchal de camp in 1791; He was appointed Governor of the west province of Saint-Domingue (now Haiti) the following year, and twice governor-general. He was eventually a brigadier general.

In lighter moments he wrote a successful comedy in verse, in three acts, L'oncle et les tantes ("Uncle and aunts"), which was reprinted in 1786. Previously he had supplied the libretti for at least two one-act operas for which the music was composed by François-Joseph Gossec. One, Le périgourdin ("The man from Périgord") was an intermède, a between-acts intermezzo that was presented at the private theatre of the prince de Conti at the Château de Chantilly, 7 June 1761. His one-act pastoral comedy Les pêcheurs, ("The Fishermen") was presented to a Parisian public at the Comédie-italienne, 23 April 1766 and repeated 7 July. His translation of an English novel Histoire de Lucy Wellers, by "Miss Smythies of Colchester" was printed at The Hague in 1766.

The marquis de La Salle was a member of two Masonic lodges in Paris, that of St-Jean d’Ecosse du Contrat Social, then that of Les Neuf Sœurs (1778–1785), where he succeeded Benjamin Franklin as vénérable in 1781.

A Mémoire justificatif pour le marquis de la Salle was printed in 1789.

The Château de Piédefer, Viry-Châtillon, Essonne, near the Seine south of Paris, traditionally attributed to Charles Perrault, is known for its late-seventeenth-century vaulted nymphaeum or grotto encrusted with rock and shellwork in compartments, and an orangery, both listed as Monuments historiques since 1983. The seventeenth-century architecture of the château was modified in the eighteenth century; a parterre survives, with a water jet in a fountain, in the nineteenth-century wooded landscape park.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Awards
Commander of the Legion of Honour
Also known as
Lasalle d'Offemont

People in Adrien-Nicolas Piédefer, marquis de La Salle's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

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Frequently asked questions

Who was Adrien-Nicolas Piédefer, marquis de La Salle?

French writer (1735–1818)

When was Adrien-Nicolas Piédefer, marquis de La Salle born?

Adrien-Nicolas Piédefer, marquis de La Salle was born on 11 February 1735 in Paris.

When did Adrien-Nicolas Piédefer, marquis de La Salle die?

Adrien-Nicolas Piédefer, marquis de La Salle died on 23 October 1818 in Paris.

What was Adrien-Nicolas Piédefer, marquis de La Salle's occupation?

Adrien-Nicolas Piédefer, marquis de La Salle was a writer, playwright, soldier, translator, governor and military officer.

What nationality was Adrien-Nicolas Piédefer, marquis de La Salle?

Adrien-Nicolas Piédefer, marquis de La Salle was French.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Adrien-Nicolas Piédefer, marquis de La Salle

· Wikidata: Q2825105

· DBpedia: Adrien-Nicolas Piédefer, marquis de La Salle

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Adrien-Nicolas Piédefer, marquis de La Salle. https://biography.guide/adrien-nicolas-piedefer-marquis-de-la-salle/

MLA: "Adrien-Nicolas Piédefer, marquis de La Salle." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/adrien-nicolas-piedefer-marquis-de-la-salle/.

Chicago: "Adrien-Nicolas Piédefer, marquis de La Salle." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/adrien-nicolas-piedefer-marquis-de-la-salle/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-23 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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