Charles Nicolas Lacretelle (1822–1891) was a French general and statesman born in Pont-à-Mousson (Meurthe-et-Moselle, France) on 30 October 1822.
Charles Nicolas entered the Promotion de la Nécéssité at the French military academy of École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr on 20 April 1841. After graduating on 1 April 1843, he joined as lieutenant the French Foreign Legion.
1888–1891 – Mayor of Beaucouzé[2] (Council of Angers) and Deputy of Maine-et-Loire, France
Lacretelle was elected deputy of Maine-et-Loire by a large majority 61,782 votes against 29,542 (for David d’Angers) and 12.015 (for the General Boulanger) on 26 February 1888. Taking place at Right Royalist wing on the French Parliament, he took an active part in the legislation regarding the new Military Law and proposed the indefinite adjournment of a Revision of the French Constitution. He also was a fervent opponent against:
He was re-elected in the Baugé circumscription at the second round of the general election on 6 October 1889.
Note: Lacretelle's political and military career was well officially documented by the Biographie de Charles Nicolas Lacretelle extraite du dictionnaire des parlementaires français de 1789 à 1889[3] (A.Robert et G.Cougny)
His father Louis François-Marie Lacretelle (1784–1859) was a colonel during the 1st French Empire and a hero of the Napoleonic Wars during the Sieges of Saragossa in 1808 and 1809. He was swarded[4] the ranks of officer of the Légion d'Honneur and the Knighthood of the Order of St-Louis. He married Adelaide Duhem (1799–?) giving birth to four children:
Lacretelle was a lieutenant colonel when he married Valérie Marie Guilhem (1835–1912) on 18 May 1857. Some years later, one of his best friends General Émile Armand Gibon (1813–1870) was wounded in action and died the following days. Charles Nicolas and his wife decided to adopt the General's children, Louis Charles Emile Gibon-Guilhem (1862–1945) and Laure Helen Marguerite Gibon (1869–1957) who later became part of his family when she married their nephew Charles Louis Lacretelle (1859–1915) the son of his brother Louis Nicolas on 26 January 1891. As Mayor of Beaucouzé[5] he personally recorded the birth of their daughter Marie-Valérie on 1 November 1891 just days before he died.
Charles Nicolas Lacretelle was also known to be severe but fair, friendly and distant as conditions required with his soldiers and colleagues. He corresponded regularly in several languages when necessary (French, German, Italian, Arabic and English). When out of duties, he loved to spend most of his free time with his family riding or wine testing as well as restoring his chateau near Angers but mostly writing books.Probably due to his past military wounds, Lacretelle's health was deteriorating. He died in his "Chateau de Molière" on 14 November 1891 at the age of 69.
His name was given to several French streets of which:
As well as political publications, Lacretelle published several books and essays. One of his books published in 1868 was De l'Algérie au point de vue de la crise actuelle.[6] "
During his last years, and with the help of Marie de Sardent, he also wrote his memoirs which were published after his death in 1907 (with a misspelled first name) by Emile-Paul Editions.[7]
Charles Nicolas Lacretelle was part of a large family which took his ancient origins in Sweden. The first French recorded family member was Nicolas Lacretelle born in 1659. The family has since produced French magistrates and statesmen as well as military commanders, poets and writers. From genealogy researches made by his most directly related descendant (3 times great nephew) Geoffroy Gaillard de Saint Germain, it is now possible to establish parenthood with some other famous members of the Lacretelle family such as: