The Seydoux family

The Seydoux family is of Swiss and Catholic origin, its presence having long been attested in Vaulruz in the canton of Fribourg. André Seydoux (1732–1795) was the first to come to France “in search of employment”, as did many of his compatriots.

His son François (1767–1819) returned to Switzerland, where he converted to Protestantism in order to marry Angélique Brelaz; he subsequently returned to Paris to engage in various commercial enterprises. He had two sons, Charles (1796–1875) and Auguste (1801–1878), from whom descend the two present-day branches of the family.

The younger son, Auguste, settled in Le Cateau-Cambrésis in northern France at the beginning of the 1820s, probably attracted by the significant local Protestant presence. He was employed as director of the Paturle-Lupin spinning mill, which produced shawls, merino and cashmere fabrics, muslins, and “bombazines”, textiles whose warp is silk and weft is wool.

When Auguste fell ill, he summoned his brother Charles to replace him for several years, before resuming leadership of the mill himself. He married the sister of the previous director before becoming a partner, and quickly distinguished himself through his technical abilities. His expertise, combined with that of a new associate, Henri Sieber, Swiss and Protestant like himself, enabled the enterprise to experience remarkable growth.

Until 1830, spinning was still carried out manually and in workers’ homes; of the company’s 10,000 employees, fewer than 1,000 worked within the factory itself. Auguste oversaw the process of mechanisation, and his constant search for technical improvements enabled the manufactory, particularly through exporting half of its production, to withstand the numerous crises experienced by the industry in the 19th century much better than its competitors. In 1855, the company was awarded the Grand Medal of Honour at the Paris Universal Exhibition, the first of many distinctions.

In 1892, the firm changed its name and became “Ets Seydoux & Cie”. The Le Cateau establishment employed 1,830 workers and, together with three regional subsidiaries, formed a total workforce of 4,000 employees. Six members of the family sat on the board and pursued a social policy far in advance of local practices.

The Great War saw the factory plundered by the Germans and subsequently completely destroyed. Reconstruction was rapid; the 3,000 workers employed across the four sites enabled a monthly production of between 600 and 700 kilometres of fabric. Yet this revival proved short-lived, as economic conditions remained unfavourable.

Moreover, in 1936, strikes erupted, marked by violent demonstrations directed against the management, leading to the departure of Henri Seydoux and his family. Michel Seydoux, the last representative of the family, left the town in 1971, thus bringing to an end 150 years of presence. The firm closed permanently in 1981.

The industrial tradition re-emerged in modern times within the senior branch. René Seydoux (1903–1973), great-grandson of Charles, became chairman of the Schlumberger company following his marriage to Geneviève Schlumberger. His descendants developed important economic activities: Jérôme became managing partner of the Neuflize Schlumberger Mallet (NSM) bank, subsequently taking over the textile group Pricel and, in 1980, the conglomerate Chargeurs. As chairman of the airline U.T.A., he acquired various press enterprises (Le Nouvel Observateur, Le Matin, Libération). Finally, in 1990, he and his brothers distinguished themselves within the film industry by acquiring the Pathé group (Jérôme) and Gaumont (Nicolas), or by producing films (Michel). In 2017, Jérôme purchased his brother’s shares in Gaumont and became the sole owner of the company.

Charles, head of the senior branch, pursued a military career until 1823, when he retired with the rank of captain. During his stay in the North, he became colonel of the National Guard, general councillor, and subsequently deputy for the Nord département in the Legislative Assembly of 1849. A member of the Corps législatif in 1852, he was re-elected three times. Commander of the Legion of Honour, he was also a member of the Central Council of the Reformed Churches.

His descendants continued the tradition of public service, particularly through diplomacy. Louis-Auguste (1836–1890) served as embassy secretary.

His son Jacques (1870–1929), promoter of international economic relations at the Quai d’Orsay (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), was entrusted with the issue of German reparations. He established himself as one of the most brilliant diplomats of his generation, although his career was hindered by illness. Two of his sons also became diplomats: François (1905–1981), ambassador to Austria, to NATO, and above all to Germany; and Roger (1908–1985), who entered the diplomatic service in recognition of his actions within the Resistance, later becoming High Commissioner in Tunisia and Morocco, and subsequently ambassador to the USSR and to the United Nations. Both were elevated to the dignity of Ambassadors of France.

The diplomatic tradition is currently maintained by a grandson of François and by a cousin descending from the younger branch.

It should be noted that Jacques Seydoux’s three sons adopted the surname of their mother, whose family line was about to become extinct, and thereafter bore, as did their descendants, the name Seydoux Fornier de Clausonne.

The younger branch likewise distinguished itself in public life. Auguste became mayor of Le Cateau and general councillor. A Bonapartist, he was taken hostage by the Prussians during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, but the town of Le Cateau paid a ransom of 400,000 francs to secure his release. His descendants continued this tradition: his son Charles (1827–1896) became president of the General Council; among Charles’s children, Alfred (1862–1911), regent of the Banque de France, and André (1871–1927) served as general councillors, whilst Albert (1866–1918) was elected deputy.

Only one sub-branch of the younger line returned to Catholicism.