Antoine d’Aure, vicomte d’Aster, comte de Gramont

Antoine I d'Aure de Gramont, viscount of Aure, count of Guiche, sovereign-lord of Bidache (1526 - 8 December 1576) was a French courtier and general. He served as gentleman in ordinary to the king's chamber from 1559 to 1564, serving Henry II, Francis II and Charles IX in that role. Life Antoine was the son of Menaud d'Aure d'Aster (-1534) and Claire de Gramont (c. 1500-c. 1527), daughter and heir of François de Gramont and Catherine d'Andouins. Menaud was himself son of Jean d'Aure and Jeanne-Isabeau de Foix-Grailly. Menaud and Claire's marriage contract, signed at Bidache on 23 November 1525, specified that any children born of the marriage should bear the name of Gramont. Antoine's first post came in 1538 as mayor and captain of Bayonne, followed by counsellor of state and captain of gendarmes in 1549. Antoine distinguished himself commanding an infantry company (equipped at his own cost) the capture of Calais in 1558 and the conquest of the Boulonnais and was made a knight of the Order of Saint Michael. He was in great favour at prince de Condé's court, linked to the prince as he was through his wife. Antoine became a Protestant in order to serve at the court of Jeanne d'Albret, Queen of Navarre, becoming one of the main leaders of the Protestant faction in what is now south-west France. Antoine became the queen's lieutenant-general in Navarre and Béarn on 22 March 1563, with his estates of Gramont and Guiche promoted to counties in December that year. He tried to introduce Calvinism to Basse-Navarre and established preachers at Saint-Palais.