Jean de Laforcade, Seigneur de La Fitte, aka Jean Laforcade, Seigneur de Lafitte, aka Jean Lafourcade, aka Jean II. de Forcade (before 1525 in Béarn – about December 1589 in Béarn, presumably in Pau), was a Protestant nobleman and a descendant of the noble family of Forcade of Béarn in Navarre.
He, like his ancestors and his descendants, was a member of court of the Albret family, the rulers of Lower Navarre. A soldier in early life, then a financial officer by occupation later, he was General Treasurer of the King and Queen of Navarre in their County of Armagnac (Trésorier général pour les roi et reine de Navarre en leur comté d'Armagnac), General Treasurer of Navarre (Trésorier général de Navarre), Counsellor to Antoine of Navarre on his Conseil ordinaire, Counsellor to Henry III of Navarre on his Conseil privé, President of Finance (Président aux Comptes), President of the Chambre des Comptes of Navarre in Pau then First President of the Chambre des Comptes of Navarre in Pau. Although he is referred to as a lawyer in at least one source, this is questionable due to his apparent illiteracy.
Jean de Laforcade, Seigneur de La Fitte notarized his testament at Maître Ouzannet, Notary and Secretary of the commune of Laplume on 7 September 1571. Why this testament was made in September 1571, many years before his actual death about December 1589 is a matter of speculation, but one plausible explanation is the unrest and fighting in Auvillar in 1571-72, where he had been Captain of the Château d'Auvillar, perhaps also the Governor of the Château d'Auvillar, appointed by letters patent from Jeanne d'Albret, Queen regnant of Navarre. A brief look at the history of Auvillar highlights the unrest and fighting in this period.
Shortly before 8 January 1590, the sieur de Laforcade died during his term in office as First President of the Chambre des Comptes of Navarre (Premier président en la Chambre).
Brief History of Auvillar
Jean de Laforcade, Seigneur de La Fitte spent much of the period of 1555-72, and perhaps longer, in Auvillar, in various roles in the treasury and as Governor of the Château d'Auvillar, a territory of the Albret family since 1527. As such, he was a central figure in the strife between Protestant and Catholics in the territory.
Marguerite of Angoulême, aka Marguerite d'Orléans, married 9 October 1509 with Charles IV, Duke of Alençon, Count of Armagnac and, in June 1515, Viscount of Auvillar. He died in 1525 without descendance and she remarried with Henry d'Albret, King of Navarre in 1527 who therewith also became Viscount of Auvillar. He was succeeded by his daughter, Jeanne d'Albret in 1555 through her marriage to Antoine de Bourbon. The Protestants retained possession of Auvillar until June 1571, when the city was retaken by royalist troops. No sooner was Auvillar retaken by royalist troops, than the inhabitants of Auvillar, completely demolished the Viscountal castle to avenge the excesses and abuses of the Huguenots and to retaliate against Henry III of Navarre, their leader. Jeanne d'Albret was succeeded in 1572 as Viscount of Auvillar by her son, Henry III of Navarre, who Henry of Navarre retook Auvillar, where he stayed from 13 to 15 November 1574, but he decided against rebuilding the castle. In 1589 he became Henry IV, King of France.
Life and Occupation
Chambre des Comptes in Pau
The Chambre des Comptes of Navarre, and more specifically the Chambre des Comptes of Navarre in Pau, is the center of the career of Jean de Laforcade, Seigneur de La Fitte as well as for the next five generations of his direct descendants.