TheGrand Veneur was responsible for the royal hunt. The title was created in 1413 byCharles VI at roughly the same time as those ofGrand Falconer of France and the "Capitaine du vautrait". TheGrand Veneur took care of the king'shunting dogs (roughly 100hounds) for thestag hunt. UnderCharles VIII, he oversaw nine squires (écuyers), nine huntsmen (veneurs), two aides, six valets for the hounds (valets de limiers) and one dog handler for the foxhounds. The service gained even greater prestige underFrancis I andHenry II, and the position reached a high point underHenry IV; in 1596, 182 persons were employed by the royal hunt, which included lieutenants, sous-lieutenants, gentlemen, valets for the hounds, mounted and unmounted valets for the dogs, and finally a surgeon and anapothecary.
From the 16th century, the holder of the position received an annual salary of 1200livres, which was a relatively small sum within the royal household. TheGrand Veneur also received additional revenues (up to 10,000 livres). According toSaint-Simon, in 1714, the newDuke de La Rochefoucauld sold, for a sum of 500,000 livres. his office ofGrand Veneur, which he had just inherited upon the death of his father.[2]
Up to a point, theGrand Veneur de France position is comparable to the one ofMaster of the Buckhounds in the English monarchy.
The word French "veneur" (huntsman), derives from theMiddle French word "vener" (to hunt), (itself from the Latinvenor, verb meaningto hunt), from which also was derived the archaic English words "venerer" (hunter) and "venery" (the hunt).
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