François d'Escoubleau de Sourdis

He was born at Châtillon-sur-Sèvre in Poitou, the eldest son of François d'Escoubleau and Isabeau Babou de la Bourdasière.

His father was seigneur of Jouy, Auneau and Mondoubleau, marquis d'Alluye, and governor of Chartres, and François himself held the title of Count of La Chapelle.

He was named commendatory abbot of Preuilly, of Montréal, and of Aubrac (1597-1600) and created cardinal priest in the consistory of 3 March 1599 by Pope Clement VIII.

In Bordeaux, de Sourdis embarked on a number of urban improvements such as draining swampy areas of the city, renovating the medieval Archbishop's Palace, ordering enhancements to the chapel of Saint Michael's Basilica, and building the Cloister of the Cordeliers in the town of Saint-André-de-Cubzac (which today houses the local public library) and the church of Saint-Bruno of Bordeaux (1611-1620).

In 1603 de Sourdis welcomed Reverend Dermit MacCarthy, a priest of the Diocese of Cork, and forty companions, who formed the core of the new Irish College at the University of Bordeaux.