Gaspard de Gueidan


Gaspard de Gueidan was a French aristocrat and lawyer. He served as the Président à mortier of the Parliament of Aix-en-Provence.

Biography

Early life

Gaspard de Gueidan was born on 10 April 1688 in Aix-en-Provence. He grew up at the Hôtel de Gueydan, located at 22 on the Cours Mirabeau. He was baptised as a Roman Catholic in the Église de la Madeleine in Aix.
His family were bourgeois from Reillanne. His grandfather Gaspard Gueidan, married to Catherine Brémond, purchased a position at the Court of Finances, thus becoming a member of the French aristocracy. His father was Pierre de Gueidan, a wealthy lawyer, and his mother, Madeleine de Trets.

Career

He entered the Parliament of Aix-en-Provence, where he served as Advocate General, protecting the concerns of the elite. By the 1730s, his speeches were printed. In 1740, he became Président à mortier of the Parliament of Aix.
He was a member of the Académie de Marseille and dreamt of being elected to the Académie française.
His portrait was painted by Hyacinthe Rigaud in 1738. The painting is based on the character of "Celadon" in L'Astrée by Honoré d'Urfé. It is now displayed in the Musée Granet in Aix.

Personal life

He married Angélique de Simiane, daughter of Joseph marquis de Simiane and Marguerite de Valbelle, on 24 March 1724. They had six children:
After Joseph's death, Henriette married Jules Lemercier de Maisoncelle de Richemond. After his death, she donated the Château de Valabre to the city of Gardanne.
He died on 23 February 1767 in Aix-en-Provence.