Adrienne de La Fayette

Marie Adrienne Françoise de Noailles, Marquise de La Fayette (2 November 1759 – 25 December 1807), was a French marchioness. She was the daughter of Jean de Noailles and Henriette Anne Louise d'Aguesseau. In 1774, she married Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, who left France in 1776 to volunteer in the American Revolutionary War where he served under General George Washington, then later became a key figure in the French Revolution of 1789.

Early life and family
They had four children: Henriette du Motier (15 December 1775 – 3 October 1777), Anastasie Louise Pauline du Motier (1 July 1777 – 24 February 1863), Georges Washington Louis Gilbert du Motier, (24 December 1779 – 29 November 1849), and Marie Antoinette Virginie du Motier (17 September 1782 – 23 July 1849).

She was a great-granddaughter of Françoise Charlotte d'Aubigné, niece of Madame de Maintenon.

Imprisonment and planned execution
In 1795, the Marquise de LaFayette was imprisoned and facing execution. Elizabeth Monroe, a future First Lady of the United States and wife to James Monroe, the United States envoy to France, intervened in an attempt to save her. The day prior to La Fayette's scheduled execution, Mrs. Monroe visited the imprisoned marquise and loudly announced that she would be returning the following day. Not wanting to endanger ties with the United States, France abruptly reversed its verdict and did not execute her.

Collections

 * Letter from Adrienne de Lafayette to her Children, The 17th Brumaire, November 1794
 * John Jay letter to Adrienne Lafayette, 13 August 1785
 * Gouverneur Morris letter to Adrienne Lafayette, 19 December 1796
 * Lafayette Family Papers, University of Maryland
 * National Museum of Women in the Arts
 * Généalogie de Carné, Alain de Carné en novembre 2006
 * Neil Jeffares, Dictionary of pastellists before 1800, Noailles Iconographical Genealogy
 * The Marquis de Lafayette collection, Cleveland State University
 * Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette Collection, Library of Congress