Amirauté de Bayonne
Item
Country
FR
Name of institution (English)
Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
(Bayonne and Basque Country)
(Bayonne and Basque Country)
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
fra
Contact information: postal address
39, avenue Duvergier de Hauranne, 64100 Bayonne
Contact information: phone number
0033 0559039393
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
arch-bay@le64.fr
Reference number
B 8694 to B 8868
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Admiralty of Bayonne
Title (official language of the state)
Amirauté de Bayonne
Language of title
fra
Creator / accumulator
Amirauté de Bayonne
Date(s)
1660/1792
Language(s)
fra
Extent
174 storage units
Type of material
Textual Material
Scope and content
The Amirauté de Bayonne fonds comprises documentation related to navigation and trade. It is divided into 14 series dedicated to different types of documents, including information on the internal management of the institution, as well as judicial documentation (hearings, inquiries, and judgments, etc.), and trade and navigation affairs (declarations of ownership of vessels, registration of tonnage certificates and ships captures, for instance).
The Sephardic community of Bayonne played an important role in the French trade and its integration into the Atlantic commercial networks in the 17th and 18th centuries. Therefore, this fonds is a rich source of information on the commercial activity developed by Iberian conversos and Sephardic Jews settled in this port city. For instance, it is the case of David Sylveira (1721-1805), a Sephardic merchant born in Saint-Esprit (Bayonne). On January 21, 1757, he presented a statement before the court of the Amirauté de Bayonne declaring that he had acquired a ship called "La Colombe de Louisbourg" for 5,000 pounds. After the deal was done, the ship was renamed "Le Requin", and it was stationed at the port of Bayonne. The sellers were three sailors from the town of Saint-Malo. January 21, 1757 (B 8743, fol. 62v). On March 3, 1757, the ship received authorisation from the French Admiralty to engage and act against enemy ships. To obtain this authorisation, the Rabelo brothers (Aron Gomes Rabelo and Abraham Gomes Rabelo) paid a deposit of 15,000 pounds (B 8744, fols. 3v-5).
This is only an example, among other documents related to Sephardic merchants and ship owners that can be found throughout this fonds. A special attention should be paid to the series "Déclarations de propriété de vaisseaux" (Declarations of vessel ownership), "Enquêtes sommaires" (Summary investigations), "Audiences" (Hearings), "Jugements" (Judgments) and "Inscription des contrats de grosse aventure" (Registration of large venture contracts).
The Sephardic community of Bayonne played an important role in the French trade and its integration into the Atlantic commercial networks in the 17th and 18th centuries. Therefore, this fonds is a rich source of information on the commercial activity developed by Iberian conversos and Sephardic Jews settled in this port city. For instance, it is the case of David Sylveira (1721-1805), a Sephardic merchant born in Saint-Esprit (Bayonne). On January 21, 1757, he presented a statement before the court of the Amirauté de Bayonne declaring that he had acquired a ship called "La Colombe de Louisbourg" for 5,000 pounds. After the deal was done, the ship was renamed "Le Requin", and it was stationed at the port of Bayonne. The sellers were three sailors from the town of Saint-Malo. January 21, 1757 (B 8743, fol. 62v). On March 3, 1757, the ship received authorisation from the French Admiralty to engage and act against enemy ships. To obtain this authorisation, the Rabelo brothers (Aron Gomes Rabelo and Abraham Gomes Rabelo) paid a deposit of 15,000 pounds (B 8744, fols. 3v-5).
This is only an example, among other documents related to Sephardic merchants and ship owners that can be found throughout this fonds. A special attention should be paid to the series "Déclarations de propriété de vaisseaux" (Declarations of vessel ownership), "Enquêtes sommaires" (Summary investigations), "Audiences" (Hearings), "Jugements" (Judgments) and "Inscription des contrats de grosse aventure" (Registration of large venture contracts).
Archival history
Until 1980, this fonds was divided throughout different archives. A part was kept in the archives service of Bayonne, and the other in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques. This year, the whole fonds was grouped together in the latter institution and re-inventoried.
Administrative / Biographical history
The Amirauté de Bayonne (Admiralty of Bayonne) was created in 1469. It was one of the six seats of the Amirauté de Guyenne (Admiralty of Guyenne). Its jurisdiction extended from North to South, from Cazaux to Hendaye. The Amirauté had both administrative and judicial functions, dealing with issues related to navigation and trade in this area.
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
The collection is organised chronologically and according to document type.
Access, restrictions
Extensive documentation is available online:
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Kevin Soares, 2022
Linked resources
Filter by property
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Archives départementales des Pyrénées-Atlantiques (Pôle de Bayonne et du Pays basque) | Collections (official language of the state) |