Gerry's Collection
of Antique Wax Seal Stamps
de Cornulier Family
Cornulier, Cornulier de Lucinière, de la Caraterie, de La Lande, de la Caraterie
From de Cornillé to de Cornulier: A Noble Lineage of Distinguished Figures.​
The de Cornulier family is believed to have originally borne the name de Cornillé, derived from the parish of Cornillé in the diocese of Rennes, where the family held seigneurial rights. According to tradition, around the year 1380, a certain Grégoire de Cornillé, a skilled hunter, was granted the right by Duke John IV of Brittany to change both his coat of arms and his surname. The de Cornulier family had numerous important members over several centuries, particularly in Brittany and western France.
As a noble family of ancient extraction, they played influential roles in the military, political, naval, and judicial spheres, both under the Ancien Régime and into the 19th century.​
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From de Cornillé to de Cornulier.
The first person known to have taken the name de Cornillé in Brittany was Hamelin. Around the year 1050, he and his sons entered the service of Robert I, Baron of Vitré. In gratitude for the services he rendered, the lord of Vitré granted him lands from his domain, situated between Vitré and La Guerche, particularly in the parish of Cornillé, from which he adopted his name, following a custom that was just beginning to take hold in Brittany at the time. He appears under the name Hamelin de Cornillé in a donation recorded at Rennes in 1086.
The family of the lords of Cornillé bore the following arms: Argent, three crows Sable.
By the 14th century, the family had split into four branches: The branch of the Seigneurs de la Guichardière, which became extinct the following century in the Le Taillandier family. The branch of the Seigneurs de la Bichetière, whose last representative, Guy de Cornillé, died in 1593. The branch of the Seigneurs de Bais, whose last male representative, Henri, died in 1526. And finally the branch of the Seigneurs de Mécé.
It was this last branch, the branch of Mécé, to which Grégoire de Cornillé belonged and was authorized, in 1381, to change his coat of arms.
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From an unknown marriage, Grégoire had a son, Guillaume, a resident of the parish of Mécé, who appeared under the name Cornillé in the "1427 recherche" (nobility verification), and under the name Cornulier in the one from 1429. His grandson, Pierre Cornulier, is the founder of the currently existing de Cornulier family.
The de Cornulier de Lucinière branch.
The de Cornulier de Lucinière (or Cornulier-Lucinière) branch is the most prominent and enduring line of the de Cornulier family, distinguished by its noble titles, naval tradition, and public service in both monarchical and republican France. This branch took its name from the seigneury of Lucinière, located in Loire-Inférieure (now Loire-Atlantique), which became closely associated with the family from at least the 17th century. The seigneury of Lucinière, near Nantes, was acquired by the family and gave rise to the "Cornulier de Lucinière" designation.
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The Château de Lucinière, located in Joué-sur-Erdre (now Loire-Atlantique), passed from various noble families, such as the Montfort-Laval, Landais, and Guibé, to the Cornulier family during the 16th century. According to manorial lists of seigneurs de Lucinière, Pierre III de Cornulier (d.1588) became seigneur. He was succeeded by Jean de Cornulier (1574–1650), then Jean‑Baptiste de Cornulier (1644–1720), and onwards. This chain of succession suggests that Lucinière was acquired via a combination of marriage alliances (particularly with the Comaille/Vivien connections) and family inheritance. Over time, the Cornuliers consolidated their control, and by the 17th century Jean‑Baptiste de Cornulier firmly established the estate in the family’s lineage.
An important and distinguished member of the Cornulier-Lucinière branch was undoubtedly Alphonse Jean Claude René Théodore de Cornulier-Lucinière (1811–1886). His father was Jean-Baptiste de Cornulier-Lucinière, Comte de Lucinière. He joined the navy in 1830 and ended his military career as rear admiral in 1868. He moved on to become governor of Cochinchina in 1870. He joined the naval reserve in 1873 and was later named mayor of Nantes.
Important family legacy.
Several other members of the de Cornulier family distinguished themselves in military, political, and civil life. Among the notable members of the family was Pierre de Cornulier, who was born in 1575 in Nantes. He was a clergyman and prelate. He served as Bishop of Tréguier from 1617 to 1619, and then as Bishop of Rennes from 1619 to 1639.
Toussaint Jean Hippolyte de Cornulier (1789–1862), first Marquis de Cornulier, was a French military officer, politician, and industrialist. Renowned for his philanthropy, he earned the nickname "friend of the poor". During the famine of 1846, he chartered a ship to bring grain from Nantes at his own expense and distributed free bread vouchers to the poor. He established agricultural enterprises (draining marshes, planting pine forests), mills, and industrial facilities, creating numerous jobs. It is this unwavering commitment to the welfare of the less fortunate that earned him his affectionate nickname.
Jean-Baptiste de Cornulier (1644–1720) was a high-ranking royal administrator under Louis XIV who served as intendant in several provinces, including Soissons, a position combining judicial, financial, and police authority.
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Louis‑Auguste de Cornulier de La Lande de La Caraterie (1778–1843), born in 1778 in Nantes, was the younger son of Charlemagne de Cornulier (Seigneur de la Caraterie, 1737–1793) and Rose-Charlotte de Goyon. He inherited the title Comte de Cornulier de La Lande de La Caraterie, named after the Château de la Caraterie in Paulx, Loire‑Atlantique, an estate that joined the Cornulier family via the 1651 marriage of Charles de Cornulier to Louise de La Jou. A committed royalist, Louis-Auguste fought in the Vendée, as an officer under Général Charette, from 1793. He was wounded multiple times and was one of the last to accompany Charette before his capture. After the Restoration, he became colonel of the national guards in Pays de Retz, organizing forces and advancing veterans’ recognition; he was also made Chevalier de Saint-Louis by Louis XVIII. In the 1832 Vendée uprising, he again commanded in Machecoul. After a skirmish at La Caraterie, his estate was looted, and he was sentenced to death by the regime, prompting him to seek exile for four years. He was eventually tried and acquitted, returning to live quietly until his death on February 27, 1843, in Nantes.
The family in the modern days.
The Cornulier family successfully preserved its noble identity, joining national noble associations and maintaining estates well into the 20th century and beyond. They produced distinguished military leaders in WWI, influential academics, and remain engaged in civic and cultural life. While not politically prominent today, they retain prominence through heritage, property, and scholarly contributions.
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Rue de Cornulier, a street named after the family in Nantes, pays tribute to the family's lasting legacy as nobles, civic leaders, and national figures.
Gerry's Collection of Antique Seal Stamps.