Jean de La Rochefoucauld-Bayers

Jean Baptiste de La Rochefoucauld-Bayers, 1st Baron of La Rochefoucauld-Bayers (27 June 1757 – 1 February 1834) was a French soldier in the Armée des Émigrés and ultra-royalist politician during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Early life Jean Baptiste was born on 27 June 1757 at the Château de la Boislivière in Apremont, Vendée. He was the third son of Jacques-Louis I de La Rochefoucauld (1717–1798), Lord of Beaulieu, and Suzanne Poictevin du Plessis-Landry de La Rochette (1725–1793). He had at least eight brothers and sisters, including Jacques-Louis II, Marquis of La Rochefoucauld-Bayers; Charles-François de La Rochefoucauld-Bayers, deputy to the Estates General of 1789; and Pierre Aimé de La Rochefoucauld-Bayers, Lord of Breuil.

Career He entered service in the Auvergne regiment on 1 January 1772, was appointed Captain in the regiment of La Rochefoucauld Dragoons, the 28 January 1778 then Colonel of Infantry. He emigrated in 1790, and created Maréchal de camp on 1 January 1796. Baron de La Rochefoucauld made all the campaigns in the corps of Louis Joseph, Prince of Condé, first as First Aide-Major-General of the Household, then, from 1797, as Major-General. King Louis XVIII charged him with several important missions, and in particular that of negotiating in Saint Petersburg, the transfer to the service of the Army of Condé with Emperor Paul I of Russia in 1797. Shortly after, Baron de la Rochefoucauld was made a Commander of the Russian Order of Saint John of Jerusalem at the Grand Priory of Russia. He was then, successively, Inspector General of Cavalry in 1816, and Commander, then Grand Cross of the Order of Saint-Louis, on 30 September 1818 and 21 August 1822, and Knight of the Order of the Holy Spirit in 1827. Together, they were the parents of one son:

Honours Commander of the Order of Saint Lazarus (1788) Commander (1818) and Grand Cross (1822) of the Royal and Military Order of Saint-Louis Knight of the Order of the Holy Spirit (1827) Knight of the Order of Saint-Michel