Céline de Toussaint



Céline Françoise Jacqueline de Toussaint is the Marquise de Vallois and the mother of Charles de Giverny, the Marquis de Vallois.

Background
Céline was born in 1727 in Paris; the youngest daughter of the Baron de Toussaint. Her family was bankrupt from her father's debts and in order to secure her future, they hastily aquired an arranged marriage for her to Olivier de Giverny, the Marquis de Vallois. She married him at age 17; he was 12 years her senior.

Although Olivier de Vallois was a wealthy and poweful man with an illustrious career in the French Army, Céline's marriage to him was never happy. Olivier was an irascible man, who was habitually unfaithful and often physically abused her.

After three unsuccessful pregnancies, Céline finally gave birth to a daughter, Françoise in 1750. Eldest son, Charles, was born four years later. In 1759, Olivier, who was then a captain in the French Army, was killed in the Battle of Quebec during the Seven Years War, leaving Céline widowed. She was pregnant at the time with her youngest son, Paul-Guillaume, who was born in 1760. After being widowed, Céline was left in charge of the Vallois estate as its dowager until the time her son, Charles, turned 21 and assumed control of everything.