The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church

Biographical Dictionary
John XXII (1316-1334)
Consistory of May 25, 1331 (V)
Celebrated in Avignon


(27) 1. TALLEYRAND DE PÉRIGORD, Élie (ca. 1301-1364)

Birth. Ca. 1301 (1), diocese of Périgord, France. Third of the three sons of Hélie VII, count of Périgord, and Brunissende de Foix. His first name is also listed as Hélie; and his last name as Talerand and as Taleiran (2). He was called the Cardinal of Périgord.

Education. He studied civil law.

Early life. Prebendary of Mapesbury, 1320. Archdeacon of London, 1320-1323. Archdeacon of Richmond, archdiocese of York, 1322-1328. Abbot of Sainte-Marie de Chancelade, diocese of Périgueaux (3).

Episcopate. Elected bishop of Limoges, October 10, 1324. Consecrated (no information found). Prebendary of South Newbold, 1325. Transferred to the see of Auxerre, January 4, 1328; occupied the see until his promotion to the cardinalate. He was elevated to the purple at the request of King Philippe IV of France.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest of S. Pietro in Vincoli in the consistory of May 25, 1331; he entered the papal curia in Avignon the following month of June. Participated in the conclave of 1334, which elected Pope Benedict XII. Participated in the conclave of 1342, which elected Pope Clement VI. Prebendary of Laughton, 1342. Dean of York, 1342-1364. Cardinal protoprete in May 1348. Opted for the order of cardinal bishops and the suburbicarian see of Albano, November 4, 1348. He was twice legate in France; the second time, with Cardinal Nicola Capocci; they left the papal curia on June 21, 1356. Participated in the conclave of 1352, which elected Pope Innocent VI. Prebendary of Stensall, 1354-1364. Archdeacon of Suffolk, November 28, 1357; resigned the post before June 5, 1359. Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals in September 1361. Participated in the conclave of 1362, which elected Pope Urban V. He founded a collège in Toulouse; a chapel in the cathedral of Périgueux; and the Carthusian monastery of Vauclaire in the diocese of Périgueux. He was celebrated by Francesco Petrarca and other historians.

Death. January 17, 1364, Avignon. Buried in the church of Saint-Front in Périgueaux (4), according to his will.

Bibliography. Anselme de Sainte-Marie ; Dufourny, Honoré Caille ; Ange de Sainte-Rosalie ; Simplicien. Histoire généalogique et chronologique de la maison royale de France, des pairs, grands officiers de la couronne & de la maison du roy: & des anciens barons du royaume: avec les qualitez, l'origine, le progres & les armes de leurs familles; ensemble des statuts & le catalogue des chevaliers, cammandeurs, & officiers de l'ordre du S. Esprit. Le tout dresse sur titres originaux, sur les registres des chartes du roy, du parlement, de la chambre des comptes & du chatelet des Paris ... & d'autres cabinets curieux. 9 vols. Paris : La Compagnie des libraires, 3. éd., rev., corrigée & augmentée par les soins du P. Ange & du P. Simplicien, 1726-1733, III, 73, n. 2; Cardella, Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. Rome : Stamperia Pagliarini, 1793, II, 133-136; Chacón, Alfonso. Vitæ, et res gestæ Pontificvm Romanorum et S. R. E. Cardinalivm ab initio nascentis Ecclesiæ vsque ad Vrbanvm VIII. Pont. Max. 2 volumes. Romae : Typis Vaticanis, 1677, II, col. 430-433; Du Chesne, François. Histoire de tous les cardinaux françois : de naissance, ou qui ont esté promeus au cardinalat par l'expresse recommandation de nos roys, pour les grands services qu'ils ont rendus a leur estat, et a leur couronne. Comprenant commairement leurs legations, ambassades & voyages par eux faits en divers pays & royaumes, vers les papes, empereurs, roys, potentats, republiques, communautex & universitez, pour affaires importantes à l'église universelle, & à l'auguste majesté de nos souuerains. Enrichie de leurs armes et de leurs portraits. Divisée en deux tomes, et justifiée par tiltres et chartres du thresor de sa majesté, arrests des parlemens de France, registres des Chambres des comptes; donations, fondations, epitaphes, testamens, manuscripts, ancients monumens, chroniques & chartulaires d'abbayes, & autres histoires publiques & particlieres. 2 vols. A Paris : Aux despens de l'autheur, & se vendent chez luy ..., 1660, II, 465-470; "Essai de liste générale des cardinaux. Les cardinaux du XIVè siècle jusqu'au Grand Schisme". Annuaire Pontifical Catholique 1930. Paris : Maison de la Bonne Presse, 1930, p. 146; Eubel, Conradus and Gulik, Guglielmus van. Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi. Volumen I (1198-1431). Münich : Sumptibus et Typis Librariae Regensbergianae, 1913; reprint, Padua : Il Messagero di S. Antonio, 1960, pp. 16, 35, 45, 120 and 301; Fisquet, Honoré. La France pontificale (Gallia christiana), histoire chronologique et biographique des archevêques et évêques de tous les diocèses de France depuis l'établissement du christianisme jusqu'à nos jours, divisée en 17 provinces ecclésiastique. 22 vol. Paris : E. Repos, 1864-1873, XIX, 336-337.

Webgraphy. His engraving and biography in Histoire de tous les cardinaux françois de naissance, ou qui ont esté promeus au cardinalat. [Volume 1] / by François Duchesne (1616-1693). Auteur du texte in Histoire généalogique et chronologique de la maison royale de France, des pairs, grands officiers de la Couronne, de la Maison du Roy et des anciens barons du royaume.... Tome 3 / by le P. Anselme de Sainte-Marie (1625-1694) ; augustin ; continuée par M. Du Fourny. Auteur du texte, in French, p. 465-470, Gallica; biographical entry in Histoire généalogique et chronologique de la maison royale de France, des pairs, grands officiers de la Couronne, de la Maison du Roy et des anciens barons du royaume.... Tome 3 / par le P. Anselme de sainte-Marie (1625-1694) ; augustine ; continuée par M. Du Fourny, in French, p. 73, n. 2, Gallica; biography in La France pontificale (Gallia christiana), histoire chronologique et biographique des archevêques et évêques de tous les diocèses de France depuis l'établissement du christianisme jusqu'à nos jours, divisée en 17 provinces ecclésiastique. Sens et Auxerre by M. Honoré Fisquet (1818-1883). Auteur du texte, in French, p. 336-337, Gallica; biography in Le Chroniqueur du Périgord et du Limousin : revue historique, artistique et religieuse / sous la direction de M. Armand de Siorac, in French, p. 258-264, Gallica; his genealogy, in English, no. 6 under "HELIE [IX] TALAIRAN de Périgord", Foundation for Medieval Genealogy; biography, in French, auxerre.historique.free.fr; Battle of Poitiers, how the Cardinal of Perigord Treated to Make Agreement between the French King and the Prince before the Battle of Poitiers, Bartleby.com; his image in a manuscript illustration of the book "Liber de quibusdam ultramarinis partibus et praecipue de Terra sancta" by Guillaume de Boldensele, O.P. (the cardinal is receiving the book from the author), bnf.fr; two engravings and his arms, Araldica Vaticana.

(1) This is according to all the sources consulted except his genealogy in English, linked above, which says that he was born after August 8, 1302.
(2) It seems that Talleyrand could have been a nickname of his father, Hélie, called Talleyrand, count of Périgord, and that it became the name of the son (the cardinal). Only later sources call the son Élie o Hélie. Therefore, that first name seems to have become a last name, something that was not infrequent.
(3) His fifth biography in French, indicates that he was married to Eleonore de Vendôme and that after she died, he entered the ecclesiastical state. This looks somewhat unlikely since he obtained his first benefice in 1320, when he was nineteen years old; none of the other sources consulted mention the marriage.
(4) This is according to "Essai de liste générale des cardinaux. Les cardinaux du XIVè siècle jusqu'au Grand Schisme". Annuaire Pontifical Catholique 1930, p. 148; and his second biography in French, linked above; Cardella, Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa, II, 135, says that he was buried in the church of the Franciscans in Avignon; Chacón, Vitæ, et res gestæ Pontificvm Romanorum et S. R. E. Cardinalivm, II, col. 432, says that he was buried in Avignon.

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