Gérard de Lally-Tollendal

Trophime-Gérard, marquis de Lally-Tollendal (5 March 175111 March 1830) was a French politician and philanthropist.

Born in Paris into an old aristocratic family, he was the legitimized son of Thomas Arthur de Lally, who served as viceroy in India under King Louis XIV, After his father's execution, Lally-Tollendal spent most of his adult life fighting to clear his father's name. During this time he attended the College of Harcourt which allowed him to gain the skills needed to not only fight against his father's verdict but participate in French government.

Fighting for his father's innocence Trophime's introduction into the French political world was through his constant fight to prove his father's innocence. Lally-Tollendal first began this investigation when he was only 19 years old. He sought the help of Voltaire for his influence and strengths in writing. He first approached Voltaire in 1770 via a letter outlining every injustice and false accusation made against his father. Unfortunately, at the time, Trophime Gérard de Lally-Tollendal was considered Thomas Arthur's illegitimate son. This disqualified him from defending his father in a court of law. In 1772, Trophime achieved his legitimacy and the process of clearing his father's name officially began.

It is important to note that the outcome of the Thomas Arthur case is unclear. Some sources record that Thomas Arthur's case was reopened and retried more than 3 times. Although the King and his Council ruled in favor of Thomas Arthur's innocence, courts across the different provinces of France declared him guilty time and time again.

What is certain is that Thomas Arthur's innocence was never officially recorded.

Politics At the beginning of the Revolution, Lally-Tollendal was in support of a Revolution and supported the Marquis de Lafayette. But, as the Revolution progressed, Lally-Tollendal's own conservative ideologies prevented him from continuing his support.

Trophime Gérard de Lally-Tollendal was in favor of King Louis XVI even under the circumstances of the French Revolution. Throughout the Revolution, Lally-Tollendal remained entirely loyal to the King and even risked his life in an attempt to defend the King during his trial.

Works Essai sur quelques changements qu’on pourrait faire dès à présent dans les lois criminelles de France, 1787 Pièces justificatives contenant differentes motives et opinions, 1789 Rapport sur le gouvernement qui convient à la France, 1789 Lettre à ses commettants, 1789 Brief van Marquis Trophime Gérard de Lally- Tollendal aan J. Necker, 1789 Quintius Capitolinus aux Romains: extrait du troisième livre de Tite-Live, 1790 Adresse de M. de Lally-Tollendal aux Français, ou, La dinde à la broche, la poule au pot & la grande pinte, servis ensemble sur les tables du peuple, 1790 Mémoire de M. le Comte de Lally-Tollendal, ou Seconde lettre à ses commettans, 1790 Lettre Ecrite par M. le Comte de Lally-Tollendal, à une de ses amies, 1790 Lettre écrite au très honorable Edmund Burke ecuier, membre du parlement d'Angleterre, 1791 Post-scriptum d’une lettre à M. Burke, 1792 Plaidoier du comte de Lally-Tolendal pour Louis XVI, 1793 Songe d'un Anglais fidèle à sa patrie et à son roi, 1793 Reponse du Comte de Lally Tolendal, a M. L'Abbé D..., grand vicaire, 1793 Mémoire au roi de Prusse pour réclamer la liberté de La Fayette, 1795 Le Comte de Strafford, tragédie en 5 actes et en vers, 1795 Défense des émigrés français adressée au peuple français, 1797 Mémoires, attributed to Joseph Weber, concerning Marie Antoinette (1804, partial authorship) Essai sur la vie de T. Wentworth, comte de Strafford, principal ministre du roi Charles Ier. Et sur l'histoire generale d'Angleterre, d'Écosse et d'Irelande a cette époque, 1814