Saintignon
The Counts of Saintignon were a Lotharingian noble family from Verdun.
History
According to tradition, Jehan Saincte came from the Verdun family of De la Porte, and is supposed to have defended Castle Viumbay successfully against Jacques de Revigny in 1293. Heavily injured, he cried out "d’Ugnon, d’Ugnon", and this cry became his name. Claude-Martin Saugrain wrote in 1726, the Saintignons were the most respected family of Verdun due to their age and numerous charitable gifts. The De Saintignon family produced numerous clergymen and officers up until the 19th century.
Members
- Antonia Luzia of Saintignon, Abbess of Differdange
- Claude-Christophe de Saintignon, lord at Réding and Eich (now part of Réding).
- Marie-Joseph de Saintignon (1727-1806), lord at Réding and Eich, builder of the Hôtel de Saintignon in Sarrebourg
- Eric de Saintignon, lord at Villers-le-Preudhomme
- Joseph Graf von Saintignon (1720-1779), commander of a dragoon regiment
- Carl Graf von Saintignon, commander of a cuirassier regiment
- Franz Graf von Saintignon, imperial Lieutenant-General Field Marshal
- Joseph de Saintignon (died 1795), Abbot at Notre-Saveur
- Fernand de Saintignon (1846-1921), iron furnace proprietor and officer of the Légion d'Honneur
- Pierre de Saintignon (born 1948), French politician, vice-president of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region
- Philippe Le Jolis de Villiers de Saintignon (born 1949), French politician
- John Saintignon (born 1965), professional basketball coach. Descendent of the De Saintignon family.
- Angelica Saintignon (born 1979), wife of John Saintignon, former professor of the Spanish language, and currently a nurse.
- Vicente Saintignon (born 1999), currently a high school student at Mater Dei High school in the U.S. and a Black Belt in the Sho-Rin-Ryu karate martial arts style. Descendent of the De Saintignon family.
- Sebastian Saintignon (2002), currently a student in the U.S. and a Black Belt in the Sho-Rin-Ryu karate martial arts style. Descendent of the De Saintignon family.
Coat of arms
The Lotharingian communes of Hartzviller, Puxe, Vandelainville and the Rhineland-Palatinate municipality of Wolsfeld still show parts of the coats of arms of their former masters, the Saintignon family, on their local coats of arms.
Possessions
Family members were lords of various fiefs in Lotharingia at times under the Ancien Régime:
- Avrainville
- Barville
- Belleville
- Boinville-en-Woëvre
- Brainville
- Cône
- Eich (now part of Réding)
- Esnes
- Germonville
- Fromeréville
- Grand-Failly
- Hartzviller
- Hermelange
- Jeandelize
- Mureau
- Nitting
- Puxe
- Réding
- Rogéville
- Vandelainville
- Villers-les-Prud'homme
- Wolsfeld