Guillaume de Lamboy, Baron of Cortesheim


Guillaume III de Lamboy de Dessener, 1590 to 1659, was a Field Marshal, in the Imperial Army, who served in the 1618 to 1648 Thirty Years War, and the 1635 to 1659 Franco-Spanish War.
Born in Kortessem, then in the Spanish Netherlands, now Limburg, Belgium, Lamboy was a member of the Catholic, French-speaking, Walloon nobility. During the Dutch Revolt, they remained loyal to the Habsburg rulers of Spain and the Holy Roman Empire.
In 1636, he commanded Imperial troops during a nine month siege of Hanau, before being forced to retreat, an event still commemorated each June in the Lamboyfest.
He retired from active service after the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia, and settled in Bohemia, where he died 12 December 1659.

Life

De Lamboy was born in Kortessem, or Corteshem, then part of the Spanish Netherlands, now Limburg, Belgium. His parents were Guillaume II de Lamboy, whose family settled near Liège during the 14th century, and Marghareth de Méan.
His father belonged to the Catholic, French-speaking Walloon nobility loyal to the Habsburg rulers of Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire. He is thought to be the Colonel Lamboy killed at Lützen in 1632.
Lamboy's sister, Anne Catherine, was Abbess of Herkenrode Abbey, from 1653 until her death.
He married Sybilla von Boyneburg,, daughter of Johann von Bemmelburg zu Boyneburgk, governor of Innsbruck. They had four daughters and a son, Johann de Lamboy.
Together with Cardinal von Harrach, Archbishop of Prague, Sybilla helped establish an Ursuline convent in Prague. Its church, St. Voršily, or St Ursula, was completed in 1672, and is considered an important example of Baroque architecture.

Career

Lamboy's military career began during the Thirty Years War in 1619, when he served under Bucquoy, commander of the Imperial army sent to suppress the Bohemian Revolt.
In 1635, he commanded Imperial troops at the siege of Hanau-Münzenberg, which was relieved after nine months, an event commemorated for
He became imperial and royal war Councillor and participated in the Battle of Kempen and the Battle of Wevelinghoven.

Residence

He rebuilt Dessener Castle, the family estate in 1640. He is buried inside the church of Wintershofen next to his parents.