David-Louis Constant de Rebecque

David-Louis Constant de Rebecque (17 November 1722 – 25 February 1785) was a Swiss military officer who served in the Dutch States Army and French Royal Army. He is also known for his contact with Voltaire and his correspondence with Isabelle de Charrière.

Early life and family

Constant d'Hermenches was born in Lausanne into the Constant de Rebecque family. He was the eldest son of Samuel Constant de Rebecque and his wife, Rose Suzanne née de Saussure de Bercher (1698–1782). His father was a mercenary in the Dutch States Army and a veteran of the War of the Spanish Succession. Later he raised a small Swiss regiment in the Dutch States Army. He bought the seignories of Hermenches in 1725 and Villars-Mendraz in 1753.

Career David-Louis Constant de Rebecque, Gouache of the collection of Mrs. Noel Blakiston, London.

Constant d'Hermenches joined the Dutch States Army in 1736, serving as cadet in his father's regiment. He was promoted to captain in 1741 and served as an aide-de-camp to his father at the Battle of Fontenoy, where he was wounded. He covered the scar above his left eye with a black band across his forehead. Constant d'Hermenches was given command of the Prince of Orange's company in 1748. In 1764, he joined the French Royal Army, and served with the Eptingen Regiment in the French conquest of Corsica in 1768. Constant d'Hermenches reached the rank of maréchal de camp in 1780, and also served as governor of La Rochelle. He died in Paris on 25 February 1785.

He kept up a long correspondence (1760-1776) with Isabelle van Tuyll van Serooskerken, the future Isabelle de Charrière.

Family Constant d'Hermenches entered an arranged marriage in 1744 with the daughter of the mayor of Lausanne Louise Anna Jeanne Françoise de Seigneux (1715–1772). In The Hague in 1750 they had a son Guillaume Anne de Constant Rebecque de Villars with as godparents William IV, Prince of Orange and his wife Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange. Louise de Seigneux died 12 september 1772 in Lausanne.

From his first marriage to Louise Anna Jeanne Françoise de Seigneux (1715-1772): Guillaume Anne de Constant Rebecque de Villars (The Hague, 24 April 1750 – The Hague, 12 August 1832): married to Constance Francine de Lynden. He was incorporated into the Dutch nobility. Constance Louise de Constant de Rebecque (Lausanne, 16 August 1755 – Lausanne, 12 March 1825): married 8 december 1785 Marc-Antoine de Cazenove d'Arlens (Amsterdam, 1748-Lausanne, 1822). She is known as writer. In 1776 he remarried Marie Catherine Philippine de Préseau, née Taisnes de Rémonval (1743-1779). From this marriage: Auguste de Constant de Rebecque (Aubonne, 1 November 1777 - Mézery, 14 February 1862). He had a daughter out of wedlock with Bénigne Buchet, his housekeeper/nursemaid: Sophie Jeanne Louise Joly Dufey (Nernier, summer 1753 - Montheron, 10 January 1841): married François Verdeil (Berlin, 1747- Lausanne, 1832).

Works and correspondences

Isabelle de Charrière, [Collected works:] Œuvres complètes, Édition critique par J-D. Candaux, C.P. Courtney, Pierre and Simone Dubois, P. Thompson, J. Vercruysse, D.M. Wood. Amsterdam, G.A. van Oorschot, 1979-1984 10 volumes: Tomes 1-6, Correspondance; tome 10, Essais, Vers, Musique.

Une liaison dangereuse : correspondance [de Belle de Zuylen] avec Constant d’Hermenches (1760-1776), éd. Isabelle et Jean-Louis Vissière, Paris, La Différence, 1991, Aru kiken-na kankei - Agnes to d'Hermenches [Une liaison dangereuse - Agnès et d'Hermenches]. In: Omon Ronso, [Bulletin de la Faculté de droit, Nihon Université, Tokyo] 36 (1993), 40 (1995), 44 (1997), 45 (1997), 46 (1998), 48 (1998), 50 (2000), 52 (2001), 56 (2003), 57 (2003), 61 (2004), 67 (2006), 68 (2007), 70 (2008), 72 (2008). Translation Michikazu Tamai. ISSN 0288-1411 Aru kikenna kankei : Aniesu to derumanshu. Translation Michikazu Tamai. Tokyo, Surugadai Shuppansha, 2011. 272 p. There are no letters like yours. The correspondence of Isabelle de Charrière and Constant d'Hermences. Translated, with an introduction and annotations by Janet Whatley and Malcolm Whatley. Lincoln NE, University of Nebraska Press, 2000. xxxv, 549 p.

Jérôme Vercruysse. La première d'"Olympie". Trois lettres de Mme Denis aux Constant d'Hermenches. Studies on Voltaire and the Eighteenth Century, 1977, 163/19, pp. 19–29 [26 janvier 1762, 9 février 1762, 25 décembre 1773]