The family of Saintignon is a surviving family of the French nobility, a Lotharingian noble family from Verdun, who rose to prominence and solidified their place in the royal courts under the Ancien Régime. An extinct branch was titled Baron of the Holy Empire in 1746. He owned a regiment in his name in the Austrian army, the Saintignon-dragons, from 1759 to 1779. During the Industrial Revolution, the family of Saintignon invested in steel factories in Lorraine.
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. Ancherin Sainctignon, alderman of Verdun, married to Jeanne Pierxel, whose son also named Ancherin, esquire, alderman of Verdun, married to Jeanne de Chauldeney, in 1498. It is this date of 1498 that Regis Valette retains in his catalog of the French nobility in the twenty-first century, as the date of the nobility of the family of Saintignon. Claude-Martin Saugrain wrote in 1726, the Saintignons were the most respected family of Verdun due to their age and numerous charitable gifts.
Notable members
Antonia Luzia of Saintignon, Abbess of Differdange
Eric de Saintignon, lord at Villers-le-Preudhomme
Johann Franz Graf von Saint-Ignon,. GFWM 1738, FML 1741. Inhaber of the Harrant-Kürassier Regiment.
Karl Graf von Saint-Ignon, GFWM 1734, FML 1739, General der Kavalerie 1745, Inhaber of the 4th Kürassier-Regiment.
Joseph Graf von Saint-Ignon, MTO, colonel-commander of the Herzog Württemberg Dragoons, wounded at Kolin, GFWM 1758, FML 1764, Inhaber of the Merode Dragonerregiments.
Johann Graf von Saintignon, MTO, served all his life in the 4th Kürassier-Regiment. Wounded at Kolin, became colonel-commander, GFWM 1758, KG at Torgau 1760, died of wounds in captivity.
The Coat of arms of the House De Saintignon consist of 3 castle towers in a triangular formation. Many of the estates and chateau's that belong and/or belonged to the De Saintignon's bear some variation of the 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.
