Jean-Jacques de Mesmes

Jean-Jacques de Mesmes, comte d'Avaux, vicomte de Neufchâtel (1630–1688) was a French magistrate, intendant of Soissons, and Président à mortier of the Parlement of Paris. He developed the town of Avaux-la-Ville, which is now called Asfeld. He was a member of the Académie française. He was brother of Jean-Antoine de Mesmes, the diplomat, and father of Jean-Antoine de Mesmes, the premier president of the Parlement of Paris.

Birth and origins

Jean-Jacques was born in 1630, or there about, probably in Paris. He was the eldest of the four sons of Jean-Antoine de Mesmes and his wife Anne Courtin. His birth year is sometimes given as 1640, which cannot be as it is well established that his youngest brother was born that year.

His father was comte d'Avaux and a president at the Parlement of Paris. His mother was a daughter of Francois Courtin, seigneur de Brusselles and baron de Givry.

He heads the list of brothers as the eldest: Jean-Jacques (1630–1688) Henri (died 1658), became commendatory abbot of the abbeys of and HambyeEfn|Henri was the 36th abbot of Hambye and was buried at the .

At his death his heirs made a plan how to keep his office as président à mortier in the family. This particular post at the parlement de Paris had been in the de Mesmes family since his paternal uncle Henri had obtained it and had passed from Henri to his youngest paternal uncle Jean-Antoine and then to him. It would be best if it could be passed to his son Jean-Antoine, but this son had just been named conseiller au parlement and still needed to become maître de requêtes before he could become président à mortier. They then wondered whether his youngest brother Jean-Antoine, the diplomat, could hold this office until his son was ready for it. His son Jean-Antoine was nevertheless promoted to président à mortier without ever having been a maître de recherches.

At his death the heirs sold the townhouse built by Claude de Mesmes's in the Marais Quarter of Paris to Paul de Beauvilliers, Duke of Saint-Aignan. It thus became known as the Hôtel Beauvilliers and later the Hôtel de Saint-Aignan.

TimelineAs his birth date is uncertain, so are all his ages.AgeDateEvent01630, aboutBorn. 1643, 14 MayDeath of Louis XIII; Regency until the majority of Louis XIV1651, 3 SepMajority of Louis XIV, end of his mother’s regency.1660, 8 MarMarried Marguerite Bertrand de la Bazinière: 1671, 20 SepBecame provost and master of ceremonies of the Order of the Holy Spirit. 1672Became président à mortier.1673, 23 FebSucceeded his father as comte d'Avaux. 1676, 23 DecElected to the Académie française. 1684, 17 FebSold his office as provost and master of ceremonies of the Order of the Holy Spirit to Jean-Antoine de Mesmes1688, 9 JanDied, leaving 3 sons and 2 daughters.

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