Jean Hotman, Marquis de Villers-St-Paul

Jean Hotman, Marquis de Villers-St-Paul (1552 – 26 January 1636) was a French diplomat. Although he came from a Calvinist family, who had been exiled during the French Wars of Religion, Jean, through cultivating connections with Henry IV eventually was restored to a portion of his patrimony.

Hotman was the eldest son of the famous jurist and author François Hotman. He was born in Lausanne because his family was in exile during the Wars of Religion in France. His father, although heir to an estate, did not take the title of Marquis because his adherence to Protestantism distanced him from his extended family.

Due in part to the religious conflicts, the family moved often. From 1555 to 1563, they were in Strasbourg, from 1563 to 1566 in Valence, from 1566 to 1572, in Bourges, from 1572 to 1578 in Geneva. In 1578, they moved for the last time to Basel where Jean's father Francis would die in 1590.

Jean studied law at Valence, graduating before 1568. He later went to Paris in 1578, and through his father's influence, was named a tutor in the household of the English Ambassador to Paris, Sir Amias Paulet (ambassador 1576–1579). He tutored Amias' two sons, Anthony and George. When Amias was recalled to England in November 1579, Jean followed him there to continue tutoring his sons. Sir Francis Bacon also traveled with Sir Amias during this time 1577–78, and it is possible they knew each other.

In March 1580, Jean, Anthony and George settled at Oxford where he became acquainted with many current or soon-to-be famous persons. Jean graduated from the University of Oxford in 1581, with a doctorate in law. Anthony Paulet would later receive an M.A. and eventually succeeded his father as Governor of Jersey(see DNB, XV, pg 527). His three-years-younger brother George took another route with a good marriage (see DNB, XV, pg 528).

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