Notaires
Item
Country
FR
Name of institution (English)
Departmental Archives of Haute-Garonne
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
fra
Contact information: postal address
11 boulevard Griffoul-Dorval, 31400 Toulouse
Contact information: phone number
0033 (0)534325000
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
archives@cd31.fr
Reference number
3 E
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Notaries
Title (official language of the state)
Notaires
Language of title
fra
Creator / accumulator
Notaries
Date note
14th century / 20th century
Language(s)
fra
Extent
4,273 linear metres (45,770 storage units) (Minutes et répertoires);
3 linear metres (25 storage units) (Contrats de mariage passés devant les notaires de Toulouse)
3 linear metres (25 storage units) (Contrats de mariage passés devant les notaires de Toulouse)
Type of material
Textual Material
Scope and content
The Notaires fonds comprises documentation related to the activity of the notaries of the Haute-Garonne department. It includes notarial deeds, such as minutes, marriage contracts, and wills, among others.
Some of these documents contain information related to Iberian conversos settled in France, such as the following examples:
3 E 5418, fols. 203-207v: marriage contract of Anthonie de Lopez, which contains a reference to the dowry amounting to 4,000 pounds. Toulouse, January 15, 1529. Some scholars consider that Anthonie de Lopez (or Antoinette de Louppes de Villenueve) was a descendent of Mayer Paçagon, an Aragonese Jew from Catalonia who was forcefully converted to Christianity and took the name of Juan López de Villanueva.
3 E 4657, fol. 327v: notarial deed dating from 1673 that contains information about Hélène de Bais, the widow of Vaz de Oliveira. She obtained letters of naturality at the same time as Gaspard Cabrero, registered in December 1661 by the "Chambre des comptes de Montpellier" (Chamber of Accounts of Montpellier).
3 E 6365, II, fol. 299: deed through which Pierre Souares and his wife Isabeau Alvares, conversos of Portuguese origin, loaned an amount of money from Jean Dupin and Martial de Cordes.
3 E 543, 3872, and 6374, I, fol. 410: contains a reference to Joseph de Medina and Emmanuel Fernandes Miranda, brothers and members of the Henriques family, one of the most well-known Sephardic families of Portuguese origin in 18th-century France.
Some of these documents contain information related to Iberian conversos settled in France, such as the following examples:
3 E 5418, fols. 203-207v: marriage contract of Anthonie de Lopez, which contains a reference to the dowry amounting to 4,000 pounds. Toulouse, January 15, 1529. Some scholars consider that Anthonie de Lopez (or Antoinette de Louppes de Villenueve) was a descendent of Mayer Paçagon, an Aragonese Jew from Catalonia who was forcefully converted to Christianity and took the name of Juan López de Villanueva.
3 E 4657, fol. 327v: notarial deed dating from 1673 that contains information about Hélène de Bais, the widow of Vaz de Oliveira. She obtained letters of naturality at the same time as Gaspard Cabrero, registered in December 1661 by the "Chambre des comptes de Montpellier" (Chamber of Accounts of Montpellier).
3 E 6365, II, fol. 299: deed through which Pierre Souares and his wife Isabeau Alvares, conversos of Portuguese origin, loaned an amount of money from Jean Dupin and Martial de Cordes.
3 E 543, 3872, and 6374, I, fol. 410: contains a reference to Joseph de Medina and Emmanuel Fernandes Miranda, brothers and members of the Henriques family, one of the most well-known Sephardic families of Portuguese origin in 18th-century France.
Archival history
From early on, the French Crown was concerned to preserve notarial records. In 1304, an ordinance obliged notaries to conserve their deeds and determined that, after their death, their heirs were expected to transfer the deceased's registers to another notary.
On May 12, 1707, the notaries of Toulouse decided to rent a room in the Augustinian convent to preserve the notarial archives, including those deeds of notaries whose offices had been suppressed. In 1770, this repository preserved records of 166 notaries, and it continued active after the French Revolution. Finally, in 1836, this repository was transferred to a building of the Court of Appeal, although the documentation remained to be classified and ordered.
In May 1893, a former archivist proposed a plan to the Chamber of Notaries for the proper installation and classification of all documentation. He also suggested that all old deeds were to be deposited in the archive. However, it was only on March 14, 1928, that a law authorised notaries to deposit their deeds over 125 years old in the departmental archives after obtaining the agreement of the general council.
By a law of January 3, 1979, the period during which notaries are obliged to keep their deeds and those of their predecessors was reduced to 100 years. On July 15, 2008, it was reduced to 75 years, except for deeds concerning minors, for which the period of 100 years was maintained.
On May 12, 1707, the notaries of Toulouse decided to rent a room in the Augustinian convent to preserve the notarial archives, including those deeds of notaries whose offices had been suppressed. In 1770, this repository preserved records of 166 notaries, and it continued active after the French Revolution. Finally, in 1836, this repository was transferred to a building of the Court of Appeal, although the documentation remained to be classified and ordered.
In May 1893, a former archivist proposed a plan to the Chamber of Notaries for the proper installation and classification of all documentation. He also suggested that all old deeds were to be deposited in the archive. However, it was only on March 14, 1928, that a law authorised notaries to deposit their deeds over 125 years old in the departmental archives after obtaining the agreement of the general council.
By a law of January 3, 1979, the period during which notaries are obliged to keep their deeds and those of their predecessors was reduced to 100 years. On July 15, 2008, it was reduced to 75 years, except for deeds concerning minors, for which the period of 100 years was maintained.
Administrative / Biographical history
The oldest notary register kept in France dates from 1248, written by Guiraud Amalric, notary of Marseille. Notaries were appointed by a lay or ecclesiastical lord or worked under direct Royal or Papal authority. From the 14th century onwards, new legislation was implemented to gradually regulate notarial activity. King Phillipe IV (1285-1314) issued the first piece of relevant legislation in 1304, reinforcing the notaries' authority and determining new methods of appointing royal notaries and rules to validate deeds. In the following centuries, new orders were given so that, in the 18th century, the notarial activity followed a uniform pattern throughout the kingdom.
The French Revolution brought many changes. Laws of September 29 and October 6, 1791, abolished the venality and heredity of the notary's office and fixed the number of notaries for each French department.
In the second half of the 19th century, notaries suffered a significant loss of influence. Later, World War I seriously impacted notarial activity in France, since numerous notaries were mobilised to the front line, abandoning their offices.
New important legislation was taken in 1945, which placed the notaries under the control of the Ministry of Justice and defined the chain of bureaucracy and the competencies of each institutional body.
The French Revolution brought many changes. Laws of September 29 and October 6, 1791, abolished the venality and heredity of the notary's office and fixed the number of notaries for each French department.
In the second half of the 19th century, notaries suffered a significant loss of influence. Later, World War I seriously impacted notarial activity in France, since numerous notaries were mobilised to the front line, abandoning their offices.
New important legislation was taken in 1945, which placed the notaries under the control of the Ministry of Justice and defined the chain of bureaucracy and the competencies of each institutional body.
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
The fonds is organised by document type. Series are organised chronologically.
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Kevin Soares, 2022
Bibliography
Linked resources
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| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Archives départementales de la Haute-Garonne | Collections (official language of the state) |