François Dominique de Barberie de Saint-Contest

Who was François Dominique de Barberie de Saint-Contest?

François Dominique de Barberie de Saint-Contest was a French Foreign Minister.

Born into an old Norman family that had helped keep the city of Caen allied to Louis XIII, in 1620, François-Dominique, son of Councilor of State-Claude Dominique Barberie de Saint Contest was named King's attorney at the Chatelet in Paris, 27 November 1721, and advisor to Parliament, master of requests, advisor to the Hotel de Ville, steward of Beam, Caen and Dijon, from 1740 to 1749.

On 15 July 1749, he was appointed as Ambassador of France in Switzerland, and like Champeaux, resident in France to Geneva, Switzerland to discuss the contentious issues relating to the territories located in Geneva Gex.

Appointed Ambassador of France to Holland, in the winter 1749, he went to The Hague, in September the following year. He soon returned from his embassy at the request of the Marquise de Pompadour, who appointed him, on 11 September 1751, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, on the resignation the Marquis de Puisieux.

In this department, he worked to set up against Austria, Russia and England, an alliance comprising France, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Prussia and Turkey.