It is now time to make a serious digression from the line of the Delaforces, because the Caumonts are a booby trap awaiting anyone delving into the Delaforce family history, a trap into which some Americans have fallen by adding 'Caumont' to their names even though they are genuine Delaforces

We have now reached the middle of the 16th century, 1572 to be precise & the St. Barthomomew's Day Massacre. Surviving, but only until the second day, was the Huguenot François de Caumont, son of Charles, Seigneur de Caumont, Seigneur de Castlenauth etc & Jeanne de Perusse d'Escars. On the 15th May 1554, he had married Philippe de Beaupoil, Dame de la Force in Périgord & other places, who was the widow of François de Vivonne, Seigneur de la Châtaigneraye & daughter of François de Beaupoil, Seigneur de la Force etc & Philippe de Pellegrue. More about La Force in Chapter 30, where we will find the connexion between La Force & Delaforce.

The younger son of François de Caumont was the person most often encountered when people randomly search for De La Forces. This was Jacques-Nompar de Caumont, Duc de la Force, Maréchal de France & a member of the government of Henri IV, with whom he had had a long-term relationship. This is a rich source of confusion, as Jean De la Force, our true Delaforce, was also a member of that government, serving as Minister of War & Camps.

He was succeeded as Duke by his son, Arnaud-Nompar de Caumont, one of eight brothers & five sisters. Arnaud was also a successful general & lived to 89, dying on 16/12/1675. The second son of Jacques-Nompar was Henri-Nompar de Caumont, born in 1582 but who died in January 1678. His son Jacques by Marguerite d’ Escodeca, was killed at the siege of Lothe in Lorraine in 1634, so it was his son Jacques-Nompar de Caumont who succeeded as 4th Duke.

This Jacques-Nompar ratted back (apostatized is the polite term) to the Catholic church at the time of the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes or, as the French Dictionary of the Nobility has it, abjured the errors of Calvinism (!) In 1661, he married the divorcée Marie de Saint-Simon, Marquise de Coutomer, who died in 1670 after 'only' producing daughters. He then married Susanne de Beringhen, the mother of the 5th & 6th dukes. She remained a Huguenot & fled France in 1685, dying in London in 1731.