Émile Mellinet

Émile Henry Mellinet (1 June 1798 – 20 January 1894) was a French general and senator. Born and died in Nantes, he was a Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour.

Biography Early life and family Émile Mellinet was born in Nantes, the son of General Anne François Mellinet, who served in the French and later Belgian armies following the independence of Belgium, and Rosalie Malassis, from a prominent family of printers. After their divorce around 1803, Rosalie raised Émile and his elder brother Camille (born 1795), who became a printer, publisher, and man of letters.

In 1832, Émile married Françoise Félicité Sébire, known as "Fanny," the daughter of a Nantes merchant and sister of publisher Prosper Sébire. He was buried beside his wife (1801–1882) at Miséricorde Cemetery in Nantes. One of the last surviving veterans of the Napoleonic Wars, he was among the final known officers.

Freemasonry

The son and grandson of Freemasons, Mellinet was initiated into the Mars et les Arts lodge in Nantes in 1815 at age 16. Fifty years later, on 9 June 1865, he became Grand Master of the Grand Orient de France, succeeding Marshal Magnan. He later became Grand Commander of the Grand College of Rites and affiliated with the Les Cœurs unis lodge. During his tenure, he upheld the principles of free discussion and opinion within the order. Despite a likely re-election, he did not seek a second term in 1870.

Foreign decorations Knight of the Spanish Order of Charles III (23 May 1824) Commander of the Pontifical Order of St. Gregory the Great (6 December 1853) Commander of the British Order of the Bath with plaque (26 April 1855) Sardinian Medal of Military Valour (1859) Grand Cross of the Military Order of Savoy (1859) Grand Cross of the Ottoman Order of the Medjidie (1857–1867) Grand Cross of the Lion of Zähringen (Grand Duchy of Baden, 24 August 1867) Grand Cross of the Bavarian Order of Saint Michael (8 November 1867) Grand Cross of the Austrian Order of the Iron Crown (8 August 1867) Grand Cross of the Russian Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky (7 January 1868) Grand Cross of the Luxembourg Order of the Oak Crown (11 January 1868) Grand Cross of the Persian Order of the Lion and the Sun (April 1878)

Other distinctions Crimean War Medal Italian Campaign Medal (1859) Saint Helena Medal Officer of Public Instruction

Legacy On 10 May 1894, a square in Nantes was named Place Mellinet in his honour. A 6-meter bronze statue by Gustave Leblanc-Barbedienne, depicting Mellinet standing bareheaded in a martial pose, sword in hand, and pointing toward the enemy, was unveiled there on 29 May 1898. The stone pedestal bears the inscription "Général Mellinet 1798–1894."