Chancery of Navarre

When the Kingdom of Navarre was united with France by the marriage of Philip IV of France with Joan I Queen Regnant of Navarre and Countess of Champagne on 16 August 1284, it kept the long existing Chancery of Navarre (French: Chancellerie de Navarre). The Kings of Navarre had private Chancellors dating back to ancient kings. Theobald II of Navarre had a Vice-Chancellor, according to letters dated 1259.

In 1512, Ferdinand the Catholic, King of Aragon and son of John II of Aragon and Navarre, invaded the Kingdom of Navarre, beginning the Spanish conquest of Iberian Navarre, during the reign of Jean III d'Albret and Catherine de Foix-Béarn, and quickly conquered all of Upper Navarre and part of Lower Navarre. Jean III d'Albret tried to retake his kingdom, first in 1512, but failed despite French support, then again in 1516. Depressed by the defeats and adverse diplomatic results, he died at the castle of Esgouarrabaque in Monein, in Béarn, on 14 June 1516. His son, Henry II, attempted to reconquer the kingdom, again with French help, but this time supported by a popular revolt, however, despite some initial success, he was defeated at the Battle of Noáin on 30 June 1521 and lost all he had reconquered.

Henry II moved his capital to Saint-Palais. In 1524, Charles Quint invaded Guyenne and Lower Navarre. Henry II was taken prisoner during the Battle of Pavia, in French-controlled Lombardy, on 24 February 1525, and married Marguerite d'Angoulême, the sister of François I of France the following year. A new attempt by Charles Quint to reconquer Lower Navarre in 1527 was only partially successful, after which he abandoned the idea of reconquering the country.

The deconsecrated St. Paul's Church housed the Chancery of Navarre for the century of its existence Saint-Palais, from 1524–1624. The 1522–23 meetings of the Estates of Navarre were also held in the building.

Chancellors of Navarre: 1512–1624

Pierre de Biaix was already Chancellor of Navarre in 1512^[1] when the kingdom was invaded and remained loyal to Henry II following the death of Jean III d'Albret. He remained Chancellor of Navarre until at least 11 August 1526,^[2] perhaps longer.

The position of Chancellor of Navarre was eliminated at the time of the formation of the Parliament of Navarre and Béarn in 1624.^[3]

Other Chancellors of Navarre 1524–1624:

• Pierre de Biaix (1512–26)
• Bernard d'Abbadie, after 2 February 1526^[4] and until 1540^[5]
• Nicolas Compain, before 8 August 1572^[6]
• Nicolas d'Angu, Bishop of Mende^[7]
• Louis de Glatenx, before 15 February 1581^[6][8]
• Henri de Mêmes^[9]
• Pierre Martin, Sr., before 1590
• Pierre Martin, Jr., after 7 October 1590^[10]
• Michel Huraut de l'Hopital, Seigneur du Fay (†1592–93)^[11]
• Sieur Soffrey de Calignon,^[12] on 6 June 1593 († 9 September 1606 in Paris),^[13] President of the court of the Parliament of Dauphine, and Maître des Requêtes ordinaires de l’Hôtel de Navarre, following the vacancy created by the death of the Sieur du Fay^[14]
• Nicolas Brûlart de Sillery

Vice Chancellors of Navarre 1524–1624:

• the Sieur de La Motte, Vice Chancellor of Navarre and Maître des Requêtes, before 11 March 1576^[15]
• Pierre de Lostal, before 1610
• Jean d'Esquille, before 4 June 1621^[16]

Prosecutor and Attorney General of Navarre 1524–1624:

• Jean de Laforcade (26 April 1589^[17]–10 May 1594)^[18][19][20]

Notes

1. La Boulinière (1825), pp. 323–324 (in French)
2. Bascle de Lagrèze (1851), p. 342 (in French)
3. Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des Sciences, des Arts et des Métiers, Tome 3 CH=CONS, Paris, 1753 p. 102
4. Raymond (1874), p. 367 (in French)
5. Raymond (1874), p. 368 (in French)
6. Raymond (1872), p. 351 (in French)
7. Vauvillers (1818), Tome 1, p. 75 (in French)
8. Laussat (1871), p. 189 (in French)
9. Mongez/Volney, Encyclopédie méthodique. Antiquités, mythologie, diplomatique des chartres et chronologie. Tome 3, 1784 p. 547 (in French)
10. BnF Fonds Périgord, Tome 10 (in French)
11. Hurault de Cheverny, Philippe: Mémoires de Messire Philippe Hurault, Comte de Cheverny, 1789, p. 48 (in French)
12. Raymond (1872), p. 213 (in French)
13. Choriet, Vie d'Artus Prunier de Saint-André, conseiller du Roy en ses conseils d'Estat et privé, premier président aux parlements de Provence et de Dauphiné (1548-1616), d'après un manuscrit inédit de Nicolas Chorier, Paris, 1880, p. 13 (in French)
14. Laussat (1871), p. 260 (in French)
15. Laussat (1871), p. 178 (in French)
16. Raymond (1872), p. 490 (in French)
17. SSLAP (1907), p. 71 (in French)
18. Saint-Allais, Nicolas Viton de (1813). La France législative, ministerielle, judiciaire et administrative: sous les quatre dynasties, contenant la chronologie historique des régens, premiers ministres, ministres et secrétaires d'Etat, conseillers d'Etat ... présidens ... Didot. p. 282.
19. Laussat (1871), p. 164 (in French)
20. SSLAP (1907), p. 74 (in French)

References

• "Guyenne". Guyenne.fr (in French). Retrieved 19 April 2016.

• Bascle de Lagrèze, Gustave (1851). Le Trésor de Pau, Archives du Château d'Henri IV, avec des Fac-Simile. [The Treasury of Pau, Archives of the Castle of Henri IV, with Extracts.] (in French). Pau: Imprimerie et Lithographie de È. Vignancour. p. 342. Retrieved 8 April 2016.

• Charon, Philippe (1999). Gobierno de Navarra: Institución Príncipe de Viana, ed. "Les chanceliers d'origine française des rois de Navarre comtes d'Évreux au XIVe siècle." [The Chancellors of French Origin of the Kings of Navarre, Counts of Evreux, in the 14th Century.] (pdf). Príncipe de Viana (in French). Vol. 216 no. Año n° 60. pp. 119–144. ISSN 0032-8472. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
• La Boulinière, Pierre (1825). Itinéraire descriptif et pittorèsque des Hautes-Pyrénées françoises, jadis territoires du Béarn du Bigorre des quatre vallées du Comminges et de la Haute-Garonne. Contenant, outre la description des lieux, l'histoire de ces diverses contrées, et de leurs antiquités; un Précis sur la population, l'agriculture, l'industrie, le commerce; un aperçu sur les mœurs, les coutumes, les sciences, les beaux-arts, la littérature et le langage. Orné d'une Carte géographique et de quinze Vues lithographiées. 1. Paris: Librairie de Gide fils. pp. 323–324.

• Laussat, M. le baron de (1871). Société des Sciences, Lettres et Arts de Pau, ed. "Extraits des Registres de la Chambre des Comptes de Pau (XVIe et XVIIe siècles.)" [Extracts from the Registers of the Chambre des Comptes of Pau (16th and 17th Centuries.)] (application/txt/pdf). Bulletin de la Société des Sciences, Lettres et Arts de Pau (in French). Vol. II série–1 no. 1871–72 (Pau: Léon Ribaut, Librairie de la Société). pp. 178, 189, 260. ark:/12148/bpt6k34253p. Retrieved 19 April 2016.

• Raymond, Paul (1872). Société des Sciences, Lettres et Arts de Pau, ed. "Description détaillée des sceaux conservés aux archives des Basses-Pyrénées." [Detailed description of the seals kept in the archives of the Lower Pyrenees.] (application/txt/pdf). Bulletin de la Société des Sciences, Lettres et Arts de Pau (in French). Vol. II série–2 no. 1872–73 (Pau: Léon Ribaut, Librairie de la Société). pp. 351, 490. ark:/12148/bpt6k342541. Retrieved 19 April 2016.

• Raymond, Paul (1874). Société des Sciences, Lettres et Arts de Pau, ed. "Notes pour servir à l'histoire des artistes en Béarn." [Notes to be used in the history of artists in Béarn.] (application/txt/pdf). Bulletin de la Société des Sciences, Lettres et Arts de Pau. IIème Série. (in French). Vol. II série–3 no. 1873–74 (Pau: Veuve Léon Ribault, Librairie de la Société). pp. 367–368. ark:/12148/bpt6k34255c. Retrieved 19 April 2016.

• Vauvillers, Mlle. (1818). Histoire de Jeanne d'Albret, reine de Navarre. [The History of Jeanne d'Albret, Queen of Navarre.] (application/pdf) (in French) 1. Paris: Louis Janet. p. 61. Retrieved 19 April 2016.