Gerry's Collection
of Antique Wax Seal Stamps
d'Oms
"Noblesse Sert Comme Sert Vieux Lignage"
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Aglaé d'Oms. An ancestry going back to the Middle Ages...
Aglaé d'Oms, who married Jacques-Louis (James Lewis) Drummond de Melfort, belonged to an old noble lineage from Roussillon, in what is now southern France. The family rose to prominence in the Middle Ages, notably serving as governors and viceroys. Over the centuries, various members held titles and lands throughout the region. The male line of the d'Oms family became extinct in the late 19th century.
Aglaé d'Oms, who married Jacques-Louis (James Lewis) Drummond de Melfort.
Manuel d'Oms y de Santa Pau.
Coat of arms painted at the bottom of the veiling document of Marie-Anne d’Oms i de Segara at the convent of the Canonesses of the Holy Saviour in Perpignan.
The d'Oms family hails from the province of Roussillon and has been regarded as "holding the foremost rank" among Roussillon noble families since the late Middle Ages. It is one of the few medieval lineages in the region to have survived into the 20th century. The family became extinct in the male line with the death of the last Marquis d'Oms in 1915, who left no descendance and never married.
Like several other Catalan families, the d'Oms traced its origins to a warrior in the reign of Charlemagne.
The name "Oms" derives from Arnald de Ulmis, a knight who fought against the Saracens during the 8th century who was renowned for his bravery. The Latin word Ulmis, meaning "elms" in French (ormes), evolved into Oms in Catalan. Arnald de Ulmis bore on his shield three turbans, a symbol preserved by his descendants and the origin of the family’s arms: fascé of sable and or of three pieces (i.e., three horizontal bands alternating black and gold). In 789, Charlemagne appointed him "Vavasseur of Montescot," meaning vassal to a vassal of the King, in this case, a vassal to the Count of Roussillon. He is believed to have married a Visigothic princess, as he was also granted the right to bear the crown of the Visigothic King Athaulf, Gothic King of Spain, from whom he claimed descent.
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The earliest known figure associated with the domain of Oms is a certain Oliba, mentioned in 1011. However, the family’s genealogy can only be reliably traced from Rainard and his son Guillem, lords of Oms and Calmeilles in the early 12th century. Guillem’s granddaughter, Beatriu, married Arnau d’Orle, a member of a family from the area around Perpignan. Their children bore the names d’Orle and de Montescot, the latter referring to a nearby lordship near Elne. By the end of the 13th century, the descendants of the couple resumed the name d’Oms.
The brothers Bernat (died after 1279) and Berenguer (died after 1313) founded the two principal branches of the family: the line of the lords of Oms and Montescot, and the line of the lords of Calmeilles.
The family eventually divided into numerous branches, acquiring, through purchase or inheritance, a vast number of seigneuries throughout Roussillon. By the early modern period, they were regarded as the most prominent noble family in the region. Through marriage alliances, the name d'Oms became associated with many Catalan noble houses. The famous Marquis of Castelldosrius, Manuel d'Oms i de Santa Pau, in fact belonged to the Sentmenat family.
The Archives of the Pyrénées-Orientales preserve letters patent dated August 1767, in which King Louis XV united the lands and seigneuries of Oms, Taillet, Sorède, and Bages "so that they may henceforth form one and the same lordship, and be erected into a marquisate under the name of the Marquisate of Oms," in favor of Don Joseph d'Oms.
The branches.
The senior branch of the family is that of the lords of Oms and Montescot. Through an active policy of acquisition, it gained control of the seigneuries of Mantet, Taillet, Les Cluses, Py (1381), Canders (1381), Sahorre (1381), Fuilla (1381), Montesquieu (purchased in 1385, repurchased in 1390, held until 1628), and the office of castellan of Collioure (from 1426 to 1688). After the marriage of Berenguer IV d'Oms and Joana de Santa Pau, this branch adopted the name Oms de Santa Pau. In 1465, Berenguer V d'Oms de Santa Pau bought back the barony of Santa Pau from his cousin Ademar de Santa Pau. The last representative of this branch, Ramon d'Oms de Santa Pau, died in 1693. His inheritance passed to his nephew Antoni d'Oms-Cabrera-Desbosc and his cousins, the Sentmenat family, Barons of Castelldosrius. The current heiress of this branch and 12th Marchioness of Castelldosrius is the fashion designer Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada.
Aglaé d’Oms (full name Aglaé Élisabeth Jacqueline d’Oms, born 1767 in Avignon), who was married to Jacques Louis Drummond de Melfort, belonged to the Calce-Peyrestortes branch of the d’Oms family. She was the daughter of Marc d’Oms, Vicomte d’Alais (1719–1787) and thus descended from the same lineage that produced the Marquis d’Oms, who in 1767 had their lands united under the marquisate by Louis XV. This places her within the cadet line that emerged from Guerau d’Oms, seigneur de Calce, which led to the Ponteilla-Peyrestortes under‑branch, culminating in the marquisate established by Joseph d’Oms.
The most important members of the family.
The most important and historically prominent member of the d'Oms family is widely considered to be Manuel d’Oms i de Santa Pau (1651–1710), Marquis of Castelldosrius. Manuel d’Oms i de Santa Pau left a notable political and diplomatic legacy, particularly in his involvement in Franco-Spanish relations and in colonial administration. His name continues to be associated with the Castelldosrius title, now held by descendants including designer Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada.
If we speak strictly of the original d'Oms bloodline, then a figure like Berenguer V d’Oms de Santa Pau, who acquired the barony of Santa Pau in 1465, could be considered the most historically influential within Catalonia and Roussillon, before the family’s integration into other noble houses.
Gerry's Collection of Antique Seal Stamps.