The title of Duke of La Force,
Peer of France, in the
peerage of France, was created in 1637 for members of the Caumont family, who were lords of the village of
La Force in the
Dordogne region.
The family originated as Lord of Caumont (Seigneur de Caumont) in the early 11th century and were subsequently raised in rank over the following centuries.
The family is Protestant : the father (François de Caumont) and brother of the first Duke were killed in the
St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre (1572). Afterwards the family served the king loyally on the battlefield, but remained Protestant.
Armand de Caumont died in [1755] on the battlefield at
Cuneo on 30 September, at the age of 23. Afterwards, the dukedom passed to a distant relative of the main line, Bertrand (1724–1773), then to his son, Louis-Joseph Nompar (1768–1838) and to his descendants. In 1909, the great-great grandson of Louis-Joseph, Armand-Joseph (1878–1961), took the title of Duke of La Force. There are La Force and LeForce families in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Portugal descendant of the French family.
Lord of Caumont (from father to son)
Calo I (c. 1050), 1st lord of Caumont
Geoffrey I, 2nd lord of Caumont
Calo II, 3rd lord of Caumont. He participated in the
First Crusade.
Dodon, 4th lord of Caumont
Sanchez, 5th lord of Caumont
Richard, 6th lord of Caumont, had two sons, including Nompar, Lord of Lauzun
Begon, 7th lord of Caumont
William I, 8th lord of Caumont
William II, 9th lord of Caumont
Lord of Caumont, Samazan and Montpuillan (father to son)
Bertrand, son of William II, 9th lord of Caumont. 10th lord of Caumont, 1st lord of Samazan and Montpuillan
William III, 11th lord of Caumont, 2nd lord of Samazan and Montpuillan
William-Raymond I, 12th lord of Caumont, 3rd lord of Samazan and Montpuillan
Nompar I, 13th lord of Caumont, 4th lord of Samazan and Montpuillan
Lord of Caumont, Samazan, Montpuillan, Castelnau and Berbiguires
William-Raymond II (d. 1418), son of Nompar I, 13th lord of Caumont, 4th lord of Samazan and Montpuillan. 14th lord of Caumont, 5th lord of Samazan and Montpuillan, 1st lord of Castelnau and Berbiguires
Nompar II, son of Raymond II, lord of Caumont, Castelnau, Castelculier and Berbiguières [1]
Lord of Castelnau
Brandelis, son of William-Raymond II. 2nd lord of Castelnau