Antoine Boileau

Biography & Notes

Antoine was born and died in Nîmes. On February 5, 1500, he purchased the lordships of Castelnau and Sainte-Croix de Boiriac from the nobleman Secondin de Saint Félix. He then became the lord of Castelnau de la Garde and Sainte-Croix, the first of the Boileau family. The Château de Castelnau had been built on the site of a Roman stronghold around 1211. It still stands between Nîmes and Alès, one kilometer from Moussac. It is a private residence still owned by descendants of the Boileau family. In 1516, the Duchess of Alençon, Marguerite de Valois, who was none other than the king's sister, visited Nîmes. Antoine was assigned to her service, while his wife, Françoise, was chosen to be her lady-in-waiting, and his son, Jean, referred to here as the lord of Sainte-Croix, as an officer of her court. These honors suggest that the family was highly regarded by the king's entourage. It is known that Marguerite was always very supportive of the Reformation, which could be one of the reasons for the Boileau family's adherence to the Reformed religion. He and his wife were very devout Catholics. In 1516, Pope Leo X granted indulgences to them and their family. A portrait of them was painted in 1519, and behind the couple, one can see a painting depicting the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus, but a Huguenot descendant erased the Virgin! The Boileau family coat of arms appears on this painting. "Azure, a silver castle, masoned sable, with a crescent of the same in base" Notebooks of the Protestant Genealogy Center, No. 103 (D. Thuret)

Timeline Events

Immediate Family

Evidence Vault

No documents, baptism records, or census data attached.