Gabriel de Solages

Gabriel de Solages (19 August 1711 – 28 July 1799) was a French soldier and industrialist. After serving in Italy, Germany and Bohemia he began exploiting coal mines on the family property near Carmaux in the Tarn department of southern France. To make use of surplus coal he opened a glass bottle factory and an iron works, and also opened a factory to make shipbuilding supplies. Early years The Solages family is mentioned in documents from 1028. In 1724 they gained large landholdings in Carmaux by marriage. Gabriel Charles, chevalier de Solages, seigneur de Saint-Benott et de Blaye, was born on 19 August 1711 at Vailhauze, Saint-Affrique, Aveyron. He was the son of François-Paul de Solages, Marquis de Carmaux in Albigeois, and his second wife Isabeau Catherine de Galatrave. His elder brothers were Antoine-Paulin de Solages (1706–78), Marquis de Carmaux and François-Paul (1707–73), Comte de Solages. Gabriel de Solages was intelligent and energetic. He was received as a page of the king on 15 September 1729. He campaigned in Italy with his brothers as a lieutenant in the Royal-Carabineers regiment, and later fought in Germany and Bohemia. He rose through the ranks, becoming mestre-de-camp for a brigade of carabineers. On 13 October 1749 he married Marie de Juillot de Longchamps, daughter of Jean-François de Juillot de Longchamps, equerry, and of Françoise de Guyot.