Jean de Forcade de Biaix

Emigration to Prussia

Jean de Forcade de Biaix, unlike his father and eldest brother, did not abjure from Protestantism. Like many Huguenots, he left Béarn in religious exile for Jean de Forcade de Biaix.

Whereas there were only about 400 Huguenots in the Kingdom of Prussia in 1685, two years later, 20,000 French had established themselves. 1688, captain in the Elector's Bodyguards in Frankfurt (Oder).

He remained in the rank of captain for nearly fifteen years, humbly performing his occupation as a soldier.

But two events enabled him to rise out of subordinate functions. In 1697, he married the Baroness Juliane von Honstedt He found all three qualities Jean de Forcade de Biaix.

On 12 September 1702, promoted to major appointed as Gouverneur militaire of Berlin, a.k.a. Commandant of Berlin.

In this latter position, he reigned over his garrison with discipline and gained a reputation as one of the most severe military governors of Berlin. He is thought to be the founder of the famous "Prussian Drill" that would become the admiration of numerous generations of military to follow. Each night during the fifteen years of his governorship, he would send a letter to King Frederick William I of Prussia in which he recounted in detail the events of the day, allegedly without ever forgetting a single one. This was accepted with great joy, but at the same time (3 January 1718), the King asked that whoever the colony chose as the new minister be considered as the most appropriate choice. To ensure the choice was appropriate, he handed the matter over to the then Commandant of Berlin, Colonel von Forcade, who historians recounting the event described as "…a brave soldier, but scientifically speaking, quite uneducated."

Despite his educational handicap, Colonel von Forcade has been called "one of the most important figures in the reformed emigration," and he enjoyed the full confidence

Promoted on 31 May 1718

On 9 March 1719, the King founded a new quorum named the Grand Directoire a.k.a. Conseil françois (sic) in Berlin under the presidency of General von Forcade,

On 29 February 1720, with General von Forcade at the head of all Huguenot affairs in the kingdom, to the benefit of all Huguenot refugees, Frederick William I renewed the edicts and declarations, privileges, liberties, and advantages enacted by his predecessors, and determined that all Frenchmen who left their fatherland for religious reasons would benefit from the advantages of the Naturalization Edict of 13 May 1709 and other advantages granted earlier, in particular the 15-year exemption from all charges and taxes (with the exception of excise), and decreed that all Huguenots would fall under the jurisdiction of French courts established in the kingdom.

During 1721, because of the increasing size of the Berlin garrison, which was increased to four regiments of infantry and one battalion of artillery, a special commission and treasury were established to examine the manner the new troops were being provided for. At the head of this commission was General von Forcade, then Commandant of Berlin, who was described as "…a very brave soldier, who knew nothing of the whole thing, spoke only very broken German, and could scarcely write his name…".

The newly reorganized Huguenot colonies under the Grand Directoire and General von Forcade received these edicts with tremendous gratitude and reassurance, and found effective protection from the King against the often violent levies that government officials from time-to-time attempted to impose. Above all, Frederick William I continued to welcome the Huguenots with steadfast kindness. He increased the retirement pensions of the colony's clergy to 15,000 Thalers, founded two new colonies in Stettin (1721) and in Potsdam (1723), and showered them abundantly special privileges. The Grand Directoire under General von Forcade facilitated construction projects such as the Klosterkirche (1726), the Luisenstadtkirche (1727), and the Hospitalkirche in Berlin, as well as the French reformed churches in Königsberg and Frankfurt an der Oder. Frederick William I emphatically preserved the colony's privileges, even in their disputes with provincial authorities, in particular those concerning the use of the French language, thereby continually attracting newcomers to the colonies, especially in Berlin and other notable cities, acquiring large numbers of competent officials for his administrations.

8 September 1721, as the president of the Grand Directoire, Jean de Forcade de Biaix laid the cornerstone of the new French church, the Klosterkirche, in the Klosterstrasse. 1722, 24 February 1727, General de Forcade, Major General in the armies of His Majesty, Commandant in Berlin, was admitted as a citizen by a letter from the Council of State of the Principality of Neuchâtel sent to him on this date. In an entry dated 13 February 1727 in the Manuals du Conseil d'État the following entry is recorded:

block indent|1=Based on the requisition made by General de Forcade, His Majesty's Commandant, for the purpose of being naturalized in this State, and to obtain permission to enter the bourgeoisie in the city of Neuchâtel. After deliberation, he has been informed that his request is graciously granted, free of charge for the King, and the letters of naturalization and the aforementioned permission will be sent to him, in the same manner as those drawn up for Monsieur the Count de Wartensleben, on the same subject (see Chancellery Acts, 1724–41, p. 10). The family motto of the Prussian branch is "In Virtute Pertinax".

Coat of Arms: An escutcheon with the field divided into four parts. Left half: argent tincture, a gules lion holding a sinople eradicated oak tree between its paws; azure tincture charged with three or mullets; Right half: a gules castle with three towers on an argent tincture; sinople tincture charged with three argent roses below it. A Grafenkrone (Count's coronet) as helmut on top of the escutcheon, crested with an or fleur-de-lis. Two or lions supporting the escutcheon. Motto: "In Virtute Pertinax".

Heraldic Symbolism: The lion symbolizes courage; the eradicated oak tree symbolizes strength and endurance; the towers are symbols of defense and of individual fortitude; the mullets (5-star) symbolizes divine quality bestowed by god; the rose is a symbol of hope and joy; the fleur-de-lis is the floral emblem of France; the coronet is a symbol of victory, sovereignty and empire. A Count's coronet to demonstrate rank and because the family originally served the counts of Foix and Béarn during the English Wars in the Middle Ages.

Parents Jean de Forcade de Biaix's parents are erroneously cited in various Prussian historical sources between 1767 and 1861 as the French Field Marshall Jaques de Forcade, (minter of coins for Béarn and Navarre), who was married 23 December 1659 at the Protestant Temple in Morlaàs with Madeleine de Lanne at the French Cathedral in Berlin, on the order of Frederick III Prince-elector of Brandenburg, Herr of Sulzau, Weikenburg and Erdeborn, a Governess to Friederike Sophie Wilhelmine of Prussia, that he apparently shared with Philippe Forneret, She was infamous for having beaten Friederike Sophie Wilhelmine of Prussia throughout her youth, until she was finally discovered and dismissed.

Children Two sons and three daughters are known to have been born out of this marriage. Three of the children were born before 31 December 1699. Berlin, Brandenburg; † , Berlin, Brandenburg), as the Captain de Forcade. His baptism was performed on 16 February 1698 at the City Palace , in the personal apartments of His Royal Highness Prince Frederick III, Elector of Brandenburg, the future King of Prussia, Frederick William I of Prussia, who also personally presented the child for baptism and after whom the child was named. Assisting was Major General Count and Burgrave Alexandre zu Dohna-Schlobbiten, Minister of State and Grand Gouverneur responsible for the education of the Crown Prince Elector of Brandenburg, and by Major General Quirin Freiherr von Honstedt, maternel grandfather, all three designated as his Godfathers. Also present and assisting were the Countess Emilie Luise zu Dohna-Carwinden, wife of the Count zu Dohna-Schlobbiten, Henriette Freiin von Pölnitz, wife of Lieutenant General Count du Hamel, and Susanne le Chènevix de Béville, widow of Major General Jean de Streiff von Lauenstein, all three designated as his Godmothers. Captain Jean de Forcade de Biaix was the Captain of the Guard of his personal bodyguards at the time. At least on historical source states that the child died before his father in 1729, but this source was published in 1894, almost 160 years after his death and appears to be in error. Quirin Friedrich von Forcade de Biaix, a.k.a. Quirin Frideric de Forcade a.k.a. Friedrich Wilhelm Quirin von Forcade de Biaix (* , Berlin, Brandenburg), the Royal Prussian Lieutenant General. a.k.a. Baron de Putlitz-Neuhaus and the mother's brother Eberhard Wilhelm, Baron von Honstedt, Captain Lieutenant of the Guard of the personal bodyguards of His Royal Highness Prince Frederick III, Elector of Brandenburg, all three designated as his Godfathers. Also present and assisting were Anna Sophia Helena von Ohr, wife of Major General :de:Georg Abraham von Arnim, Baron de Putlitz's wife, and Baron von Menssinger's wife, all three designated as his Godmothers. Captain Jean de Forcade de Biaix was the Captain of the Guard of the personal bodyguards of His Royal Highness Prince Frederick III, Elector of Brandenburg at the time. Louise Madeleine von Forcade de Biaix, a.k.a. Louise Madeleine de Forcade (* , a.k.a. Charlotte Louise Elizabeth de Forcade (* , Berlin, Brandenburg). She was baptized on 14 December 1700 at the Berlin Cathedral . Ernest Bausela de Kameke, Gentilhomme, Squire Tranckant to His Royal Highness Prince Frederick III, Elector of Brandenburg presented her for baptism, assisted by Ladislaus, Baron de Blumenthal, son of Christophe Gaspard, Baron de Blumenthal, the King's Special Envoy and Agent of Brandenburg, and Adrian de Poydoré Councillor to the Embassies of His Royal Highness Prince Frederick III, Elector of Brandenburg, all three designated as her Godfathers. Also present and assisting were Dame Louise Egide de Bergen, Dame Charlotte, Baronne de Canitz, second wife and widow of the satirical poet Frédéric-Rodolphe-Louis, Baron de Canitz et Dame Elizabeth de Narbonne, Rozet de Baumont's wife, all three designated as her Godmothers. Captain Jean de Forcade de Biaix was the captain in the regiment of His Royal Highness Prince Frederick III, Elector of Brandenburg's personal bodyguards at the time. Sophie Philippine von Forcade de Biaix, a.k.a. Philippina Sophia de Forcade (* about 1704), married on 28 June 1729 in Berlin with Paul Albret Theuenin des Glereaux, a.k.a. Paul Albrecht de Glereau, in Königsberg, East Prussia, as a widow, she remarried with Georg Wilhelm von Aschersleben

Ancestry

Other Notable Family

First generation Brother: Seigneur de Biaix, Coseigneur de Saint-Abit, Biaix Manor, Pau, Béarn, France; † 21 January 1775, (11 June 1742).

Third generation His grandchildren included two more Knights of the Order of Pour le Mérite, one Knight of the Cross of the Royal Prussian Order of St. John Bailiwick of Brandenburg, and a First Lady-in-Waiting to Her Royal Highness the Queen consort of Prussia, Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern, wife of Frederick the Great.

Grandson: Friedrich Wilhelm von Forcade de Biaix (* 23 August 1728, Berlin, Brandenburg; † 3 September 1778, Frankfurt/Oder, Brandenburg), son of his daughter Philippine Sophie de Forcade de Biaix. Granddaughter: Charlotte Sophie Therese Marthe von Forcade de Biaix (* 25 October 1743, Berlin, Brandenburg; † 23 March 1799, Steinfurth, Hesse), First Lady-in-Waiting to Her Royal Highness the Queen consort of Prussia, Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern, wife of Frederick the Great, ∞ 29 September 1775 Johann Hugo Wilhelm, Freiherr Löw von und zu Steinfurth (* 25 August 1750; 23 May 1786), Royal Prussian Chamberlain and Knight of the Order of Joseph Grandson: Georg Friedrich Wilhelm von Forcade de Biaix Oels, Silesia), retired Royal Prussian lieutenant colonel, battalion commander of the 10th Füsilier Battalion under the 28th Prussian Infantry Regiment in Neumarkt, Silesia with which participated in the Rhine Campaigns of 1791, Great-grandson: Friedrich Wilhelm Ferdinand Ernst Heinrich von Forcade de Biaix Rawitsch, Silesia Büren near Paderborn; died 18 July 1891 at :de:Schloss Reckenberg, in Hamm, Supreme Court Judge from Gratian von Turon, Seigneur de Beyrie, for 6,000 Bordeaux livres and was admitted on 10 June 1659 to the Order of Nobility of the States of Béarn as Seigneur de Biaix. The property was not a fief in the classical sense, because it was not a large plot of land, with all the buildings on it and the people who lived there as serfs, and as such did not required the collection of taxes, the exercise of punishment, and other related rights and obligations.

Under intimidation from the policy of harassment of religious minorities through the use of dragonnades, started in 1681, to intimidate Huguenots into converting to Catholicism or to leave France, and under the threat of confiscation of properties of nobles who did not convert, both Jean de Forcade, Seigneur de Biaix and his eldest son abjured from Protestantism, therewith maintaining possession of Biaix. Following the father's death in 1684, the property and the right to enter the Order of Nobility of the Estates of Béarn were passed to the eldest son, Isaac de Forcade de Biaix (Seigneur de Biaix 1684–1737).

In turn, following his death in 1737, the property and the right to enter the Order of Nobility of the States of Béarn were passed to his eldest son, Jean-Jacob de Forcade de Biaix, (Seigneur de Biaix 1738 –?), before the noble Forcade-Biaix line in France extinguished. Although the noble line extinguished, the branches of the family continued at least well into the beginning of the 20th century, if not longer.

Following vicissitudes of fortune, the house in the outskirts of Pau, Biaix du faubourg, was acquired from the de Casaus family on 10 May 1710 by Noé Dufau, merchant furbisher, who was received in the Order of Nobility of the States of Béarn on 28 April 1717 as Seigneur de Biaix du faubourg. Noé Dufau died in 1739 and bequeathed it back to his niece and Goddaughter, Jean-Jacob de Forcade de Biaix's daughter, Marie-Jeanne de Forcade, Dame de Biaix, who later married Pierre de Casamajor.

Because Biaix was acquired in 1659, any reference to earlier generations of the Forcade family line with "de Biaix" as a part of their name, as observed in older Prussian sources, are erroroneous.