Fernand de Saintignon

Fernand de Saintignon
Fernand de Saintignon on 1 January 1895
Born	(1846-01-26)26 January 1846 Thionville, Moselle, France
Died	2 January 1921(1921-01-02) (aged 74) Longwy, France
Nationality	French
Occupation	Steel maker
Known for	De Saintignon et Cie

Count Fernand de Saintignon (26 January 1846 – 2 January 1921) was a French steel maker. He was descended from an old aristocratic family, and became owner of a steel company with operations in Luxembourg and Lorraine by marriage. He was also interested in scientific subjects, and published several papers. He developed a spa around a source of pure, hot water discovered accidentally while exploring for coal deposits.

Fernand de Saintignon came from a family that had held the hereditary office of viscount-bailiff in Lorraine, was among the Chevaux de Lorraine and during the 18th century was several times admitted to the Honors of the Court. The family owned several seigneuries, and had a regiment in its name, the Saintignon-dragoons, from 1759 to 1779. From the start of the 18th century the family had the title of count. A now-extinct branch was given the title of Baron of the Holy Roman Empire in 1746. In 1835 Fernand's grandfather, Charles-Joseph de Saintignon, a former officer, acquired the castle of Haute-Guentrange near Thionville, where Fernand was born. His parents were François de Saintignon (1808–57) and Caroline de Gourcy (1819–51).

Fernand de Saintignon was born on 16 January 1846 in Guentrange (now part of Thionville). In 1865 he joined the Forestry School in Nancy. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 he escaped from captivity twice. For his bravery in the defense of Longwy he was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour. In 1874, as a member of the General Guard and Deputy Forest Inspector at Longuyon, he obtained permission to reside at Longwy, where he married Louise Legendre. Louise Legendre (1854–1932) was daughter of Joseph Jules Legendre and Marie Giraud.

Pierre Louis Giraud (1802–69) owned a blast furnace in Lasauvage, Luxembourg, and another in Longwy-Bas (Lower Longwy). Pierre Giraud had one child, Marguerite Mathilde Giraud, who married Jules Joseph Legendre (1830–70). Their daughter married Fernand de Saintignon. Legendre succeeded his father in law in 1869. Société Pierre Giraud was renamed the Société des Hauts-Fourneaux de Longwy et La Sauvage around this time. Legendre died in 1870 and was succeeded by Joseph Raty (1810–78), clerk-factor of the Lasauvage works, who became the proxyholder in charge of the company. When Raty died in 1878 Fernand de Saintignon took over the operation, which he would run until his death. In 1880 the company was renamed to De Saintignon et Cie.