Governor of the Bastille nine years after his birth. He was a Black Musketeer of the King, officer in the Gardes Françaises until 1763-1764, then captain of a cavalry regiment. During the Storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, De Launay was arrested and escorted to the town hall by one of the leaders of the Revolution, Pierre-Augustin Hulin. In the Place de Greve the furious crowd attacked the escort, assaulting and eventually beheading Governor Launay. After the capture of the fortress, Prosper Soulès assumed the interim duties of acting commander. Governor of the Bastille The Bastille or Bastille Saint-Antoine was completed in
Louis Le Provost de Launay studied law in Paris and obtained his license. For a period he was secretary to Théodore Grandperret. At the start of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 he joined the "Chasseurs d'Afrique" as a private soldier, and later was made a sub-officer. After the war he received his doctorate in law and was admitted to the Bar in 1872. In 1875 Le Provost de Launay was elected general councilor for Côtes-du-Nord representing the canton of La Roche-Derrien. He was elected mayor of Penvénan on 18 May 1884. He was replaced on 10 December 1893 by Pierre Le Provost de Launay. In