AUBUSSON  , a

town of France, capital of an arrondissement in the department of Creuse, picturesquely situated on the river Creuse 24 M . S.E. of Gueret by rail . Pop . (1906) 6495 . It has celebrated manufactories of carpets, &c., employing about 2000 workmen, the artistic standard of which is maintained by a national school of decorative arts, founded in 1869 . Nothing certain is known as to the foundation of this industry, but it was in full activity at least as far back as 1531 . From the loth to the 13th century Aubusson was the centre of a viscounty, and the viscountess Marguerite, wife of Rainaud VI., was sung by many a troubadour . After the death of the viscount Guy II . (a little later than 1262) Aubusson was incorporated in the countship of La Marche by Hugh XII. of Lusignan, and shared in its fortunes . Louis XIV. revived the title of viscount of Aubusson in favour of Francois, first marshall de la Feuillade (i686) . From the family of the old viscounts was descended Pierre d'Aubusson (q.v.) . Admiral Sallandrouze de Lamornaix (184o—19o2) belonged to a family of tapestry manufacturers established at Aubusson since the beginning of the 19th century .

Aubusson was also the native

place of the novelists Leonard Sylvain, Julien Sandeau and Alfred Assollant (1827—1886) . See Le Pere Anselme, Hist. genealogique de la maison de France, vol. v. pp . 318 et seq.; P . Mignaton, Hist. de la maison d'Aubusson (Paris, 1886) ; Cyprien Perathon, Hist. d'Aubusson (Limoges, 1886) . (A .