Guillaume-Louis du Tillet

Guillaume-Louis du Tillet (January 21, 1730, Castle Montramé – December 22, 1794, Castle Blunay-lès-Melz) was a French prelate, last bishop of Orange, and clerical deputy to the States General in 1789.[1][2][3][4]

File:Louis Guillaum tillet.

Early life

From an old family of magistrates, he was the son of Charles Claude, Marquis du Tillet, Vicomte de Malmaison, brigadier of the king's armies, and Margaret of Coeuret Nesle (whose sister married Charles Flahaut César La Billarderie and another Testu François de Balincourt). He is the uncle of Charles-Louis-Alphonse du Tillet.

Guillaume Louis studied humanities in Génovéfains of Provins, and theology at the Oratory of Saint-Magloire seminar in Paris, and then fired at the Sorbonne in 1754. Commendatory prior, he spent long periods in Tornac and, in these, distributed much revenue its priory poor, including both Catholics and Protestants in the region.

Episcopal career

Vicar general of the diocese of Châlons, dean of the collegiate church of Saint-Quiriace Provins in 1771, he was named bishop of Orange May 24, 1774[5] it was the first bishop nominated by Louis XVI. Entirely devoted to his diocese and very charitable, he refused bishoprics of Le Mans and Grenoble.[6]

Elected on 28 March 1789, member of the clergy to the States General by the principality of Orange,[7][8] he showed himself very reserved and resigned October 29, 1789, in favor of the abbot of Poulle, provost of the chapter . It cost him to leave his diocese, he had to retire to his in September 1790.

When he learned of the execution of Louis XVI, he collapsed and recited a De Profundis for the king's soul. He decided to not go to Switzerland, and was arrested Oct. 9, 1793 and imprisoned in Provins. Dozens of people signed a petition demanding the release of former bishop, but the mission representative was rejected. Transferred to Melun and Fontainebleau, reduced to Provins, he suffers from a rather serious ophthalmia, and asked to be taken to hospital or in his castle Blunay: he released the September 27, 1794, and died two months later.[9]

See also

References
  1. J. Michael Hayden, Malcolm R. Greenshields, Six Hundred Years of Reform: Bishops and the French Church, 1190–1789 (McGill-Queen's Press – MQUP,2005) p399.
  2. Siméon Bonnel, Notice biographique sur Guillaume-Louis du Tillet, (dernier évêque d'Orange, 1880)
  3. Jules Meritan, Louis Guillaume Du Tillet, dernier évêque d'Orange (1730–1794), 1936.
  4. «Guillaume-Louis du Tillet », dans Robert et Cougny, Dictionnaire des parlementaires français, (1889).
  5. Les Ordinations Episcopales, Year 1774, Number 21
  6. Bishop du Tillet at catholic-hierarchy.org.
  7. Hierarchia Catholica, Vol 6 page 107.
  8. Les Eveques et les Archeveques de France
  9. Hierarchia Catholica, Vol 6 page 107.
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