Captal (Lat. capitalis, first, chief ), was a medieval feudal title in Gascony. According to Du Cange the designation captal (capital, captau, capitau) was applied loosely to the more illustrious nobles of Aquitaine, counts, viscounts, etc., probably as capitales domini, principal lords, though he quotes more fanciful explanations.1
As an actual title the word was used only by the lords of Trene, Puychagut, Epernon and Buch1 (a lordship being an amalgamation of two or more seigniories).
It is best known in connection with the soldier Jean III de Grailly, Captal de Buch (d. 1376), memorialized by Jean Froissart as the confidant of the Black Prince and a champion of the English cause against France in the 14th century.1
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References
- One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Captal". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 23.