Fonds de la commune de Bayonne, archives antérieures à 1790
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
Title (English)
Municipality of Bayonne fonds, archives dating from before 1790
Title (official language of the state)
Fonds de la commune de Bayonne, archives antérieures à 1790
Language of title
fra
Creator / accumulator
Commune de Bayonne
Date note
15th century/18th century
Language(s)
fra
Type of material
Textual Material
Scope and content
This fonds comprises documentation related to the administration of the municipality of Bayonne. It is divided into nine series: AA: Actes constituifs et politique de la commune (Municipal constitutions and policies); BB: Administration communale (Municipal administration); CC: Impôts et comptabilité (Taxes and accounting); EE: Affaires militaires: Marine (Military affairs: Navy); FF: Justice, Procédures, Police (Justice, Trials, Police); GG: Cultes, instruction, assistance publique (Cults, education, public assistance); HH: Agriculture, industrie, commerce (Agriculture, industry, commerce); and II: Documents divers (Miscellaneous records).
This collection includes precious information regarding the influential Sephardic community of Bayonne. Of particular relevance are the birth and marriage records contained in series GG, in which there are numerous records regarding Portuguese New Christian immigrants and, in a later period, also Portuguese Jews. See Iglesias (2002).
Scattered throughout other series, it is also possible to find rich information on New Christians and Jews settled in Bayonne and their relations with the hosting authorities and societies. Some examples are the following:
BB-11, doc. 17; 1591: Document related to the municipal administration of Bayonne, which determined that the Portuguese living in the city were to be expelled.
CC-44: Register books of entry and exit of goods through the port of Bayonne. It contains information about some Portuguese traders, most of them New Christians, such as João Pereira Fernandes (resident in Peyrehorade), Henrique Fernandes (Saint-Esprit, Bayonne), Fernandes Rodrigues (Biarritz), Manuel Nunes de Oliveira, Diogo Rodrigues Cardoso, Rodrigues Pinheiro, Diogo Lopes de Sousa, Simão Lopes, Rodrigues de Morais, Tomaz de Borba, Martin de Borba, João Mendes Coelho, among others. See Serra (1963).
GG-229, doc. 26, August 1550: Royal charter of King Henri II of France, granting permission to all Portuguese New Christian merchants to live in France. It included permission to engage in commercial activities, acquire property, reside and circulate in France. The document also includes another Royal charter of Henri III, on November 11, 1574, confirming these privileges.
GG-229, doc. 13, January 2, 1636: Letter from the governor to local authorities in Bayonne ordering the punishment and banishment of the Portuguese of the quartier of Saint-Esprit who were somewhat troublesome or acted against the law or the interests of the French Crown. The same letter refers to some groups' hostility against the Portuguese.
This collection includes precious information regarding the influential Sephardic community of Bayonne. Of particular relevance are the birth and marriage records contained in series GG, in which there are numerous records regarding Portuguese New Christian immigrants and, in a later period, also Portuguese Jews. See Iglesias (2002).
Scattered throughout other series, it is also possible to find rich information on New Christians and Jews settled in Bayonne and their relations with the hosting authorities and societies. Some examples are the following:
BB-11, doc. 17; 1591: Document related to the municipal administration of Bayonne, which determined that the Portuguese living in the city were to be expelled.
CC-44: Register books of entry and exit of goods through the port of Bayonne. It contains information about some Portuguese traders, most of them New Christians, such as João Pereira Fernandes (resident in Peyrehorade), Henrique Fernandes (Saint-Esprit, Bayonne), Fernandes Rodrigues (Biarritz), Manuel Nunes de Oliveira, Diogo Rodrigues Cardoso, Rodrigues Pinheiro, Diogo Lopes de Sousa, Simão Lopes, Rodrigues de Morais, Tomaz de Borba, Martin de Borba, João Mendes Coelho, among others. See Serra (1963).
GG-229, doc. 26, August 1550: Royal charter of King Henri II of France, granting permission to all Portuguese New Christian merchants to live in France. It included permission to engage in commercial activities, acquire property, reside and circulate in France. The document also includes another Royal charter of Henri III, on November 11, 1574, confirming these privileges.
GG-229, doc. 13, January 2, 1636: Letter from the governor to local authorities in Bayonne ordering the punishment and banishment of the Portuguese of the quartier of Saint-Esprit who were somewhat troublesome or acted against the law or the interests of the French Crown. The same letter refers to some groups' hostility against the Portuguese.
Administrative / Biographical history
Located in southwestern France, the city took the name of Baiona (meaning "good river" in Basque) in the 10th century. Since then, commercial activity played a decisive role in the development of Bayonne. In 1152, Eleanor (1122-1204), Duchess of Aquitaine, married Henry II (1133–1189), King of England, and gave rise to a prosperous period that lasted almost three centuries. The port became a vital settlement for commerce between France and England. In 1451, Bayonne came under French domination.
The first Jewish settlement in Bayonne was in the Saint-Esprit district. It dates back to Spanish and Portuguese New Christians' settlement in that place in the 16th century. In 1550, they were granted residence rights as New Christians, benefiting from a generally favourable context until 1636. Afterwards, several New Christian families were expelled from Bayonne.
From the mid-17th century, the Bayonne community organised a secret congregation named Nefuẓot Yehudah ("The Dispersed of Judah"). Their cemetery was established in 1660.
New relevant changes occurred in 1723 when permission to observe Judaism openly was officially acknowledged in France. At the beginning of the 18th century, the community numbered 700 individuals. In 1753, there were 3,500 people. During this period, the community was also connected with smaller communities in Bidache, Peyrehorade, and other nearby towns.
Despite facing some opposition, Jews took part in the elections to the Estates-General in 1789 and were recognised as French citizens in 1790.
In the Napoleonic period, the community benefited from the city's increasing prosperity. In 1837, a new synagogue was built. However, the Jewish population fell to 1,293 in 1844 and, by 1926, had decreased to 45 families.
After the Franco-German armistice in June 1940, Bayonne became a vital reference to Jewish refugees, predominantly from Belgium and Luxembourg. The official police census of March 15, 1942, registered 308 Jewish families.
In April 1943, almost all Jews in Bayonne and the surrounding district were forcibly evacuated. After World War II, the community was slowly rebuilt. In 1960, about 120 families lived in the city. With the arrival of immigrants from North Africa, the Jewish community more than doubled. In 1969, close to 700 Jews were living in Bayonne.
The first Jewish settlement in Bayonne was in the Saint-Esprit district. It dates back to Spanish and Portuguese New Christians' settlement in that place in the 16th century. In 1550, they were granted residence rights as New Christians, benefiting from a generally favourable context until 1636. Afterwards, several New Christian families were expelled from Bayonne.
From the mid-17th century, the Bayonne community organised a secret congregation named Nefuẓot Yehudah ("The Dispersed of Judah"). Their cemetery was established in 1660.
New relevant changes occurred in 1723 when permission to observe Judaism openly was officially acknowledged in France. At the beginning of the 18th century, the community numbered 700 individuals. In 1753, there were 3,500 people. During this period, the community was also connected with smaller communities in Bidache, Peyrehorade, and other nearby towns.
Despite facing some opposition, Jews took part in the elections to the Estates-General in 1789 and were recognised as French citizens in 1790.
In the Napoleonic period, the community benefited from the city's increasing prosperity. In 1837, a new synagogue was built. However, the Jewish population fell to 1,293 in 1844 and, by 1926, had decreased to 45 families.
After the Franco-German armistice in June 1940, Bayonne became a vital reference to Jewish refugees, predominantly from Belgium and Luxembourg. The official police census of March 15, 1942, registered 308 Jewish families.
In April 1943, almost all Jews in Bayonne and the surrounding district were forcibly evacuated. After World War II, the community was slowly rebuilt. In 1960, about 120 families lived in the city. With the arrival of immigrants from North Africa, the Jewish community more than doubled. In 1969, close to 700 Jews were living in Bayonne.
Sources:
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: corporate bodies
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
The Commune de Bayonne fonds is divided into two sections (before and after 1790), each arranged according to document type represented by different alphanumeric archival codes. Series are organised chronologically.
Author of the description
Kevin Soares, 2022
Bibliography
Published primary sources
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| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Archives départementales des Pyrénées-Atlantiques (Pôle de Bayonne et du Pays basque) | Collections (official language of the state) |