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François-Henri, comte de Virieu (13 August 1754 – 9 October 1793) was a French nobleman and a statesman of theFrench Revolution, at first a supporter of its efforts, later an agent ofcounter-revolution. His direct descendant is the journalistFrançois-Henri de Virieu.
The comte de Virieu, son of Louis-François-René de Virieu, was aFreemason who was born inGrenoble who participated in the 1782 Convent of Wilhelmsbad where he assisted in the development of masonic rituals, a particular convent that figures inconspiracy theories regarding the origin of theIlluminati.
He was elected by theEstates of the Dauphiné (along withJean Joseph Mounier andAntoine Barnave) to theEstates General of 1789, as one of their representatives to theSecond Estate.
He joined the counter-revolution after thedeclaration of the French Republic in September 1792. He, along with other dissident nobles such as thecomte de Clermont-Tonnerre fought under the comte de Précy and assisted theefforts of the city of Lyon to resist the new regime as colonel of the Royal-Limousin regiment.
He died in 1793 inLyon.
