Cour des Jurats de Bordeaux

Item

Country

FR

Name of institution (English)

Gironde Departmental Archives

Name of institution (official language of the state)

Language of name of institution

fra

Contact information: postal address

72 cours Balguerie-Stuttenberg, 33300 Bordeaux

Contact information: phone number

0033 (0)556996600

Contact information: web address

Contact information: email

Reference number

12 B

Type of reference number

Archival reference number

Title (English)

Court of the Jurats of Bordeaux

Title (official language of the state)

Cour des Jurats de Bordeaux

Language of title

fra

Creator / accumulator

Cour des Jurats de Bordeaux

Date note

1635/18th century

Language(s)

fra

Extent

615 storage units

Type of material

Textual Material

Scope and content

The Cour des Jurats de Bordeaux fonds comprises mostly judicial documentation related to the "jurats", who were local judicial officials. It includes sentences, conclusions of the public prosecutor, commitments, civil and criminal records, and the "concierge" journal. Given the broad range of issues over which the "jurats" had jurisdiction, this fonds constitutes an important resource for the study of the Sephardim in France.
The following are some noteworthy examples:
12 B 5/31; July 9, 1636: sentence of a case that opposed the syndic of the College of the Society of Jesus and Saint-James Hospital against Jehan Lacoste-Fortado, identified as a Portuguese merchant who had abandoned his child.
Sentences, 12 B 9/28: August 20, 1695: sentence of a crime of homicide involving Louis Mendes France, a Portuguese converso.
Sentences, 12 B 11/14; August 11, 1723: sentence regarding the homicide of Isaac Rodrigues, a servant of Samuel Gradis, a Jew of Portuguese origin. Arnaud Favout, known as "Roquefort", a shoemaker of the Sauvetat Saint-André, was condemned to the galleys for life.
Sentences, 12 B 11/5; August 12, 1720: sentence of a case involving Jacques Toledo, an Iberian converso, who was sentenced to pay 150 pounds for certain damages and a 30 pound fine.
Sentences, 12 B 11/6; February 5, 1721: sentence of a case involving Aron Campos, David Mezes, and David Paes, all identified as Portuguese Jews, charged with assassination, public violence and illegally carrying weapons. They were condemned to being whipped and to pay for damages.
Sentences, 12 B 13/13; August 18, 1744: sentence against David Pinto, a Portuguese Jewish merchant, accused of theft and concealment. He was condemned to have his wine seized.
Sentences, 12 B 13/24; August 18, 1744: sentence of a case involving Rachel Lopes, a Portuguese Jewess and daughter of Pierre Lopes, and Joseph Albares, also a Portuguese Jew, for the crime of kidnapping.
Sentences, 12 B 13/37; July 10, 1753: sentence regarding a crime of theft and concealment, for which a woman was condemned to be hanged and Abraham Nogues[sic] d'Almeyda, identified as a Portuguese Jew, to being whipped and banished for ten years.

Archival history

The Court of Jurats of Bordeaux fonds, preserved at the Archives Départementales de la Gironde, was transferred from the deposits of the Tribunal Civil (Civil Court), where it was stored.

Administrative / Biographical history

In the Early Modern Period, European monarchies often created judicial institutions with the intention of reducing the jurisdiction and autonomy of municipal magistrates. That was the case of the "jurats" (local judicial officials). In Bordeaux, they had exclusive jurisdiction over certain matters until the French Revolution. For instance, the "jurats" judged matters related to murder, rape, sacrilege, and, in some cases, also fraudulent bankruptcy. They could impose a broad range of penalties, including whippings, banishments, imprisonments, fines, and others. In terms of jurisdiction over public crimes, the "jurats" were responsible for maintaining public order and supervising public morality.
The "jurats" of Bordeaux had jurisdiction over a territory that did not exactly coincide with the city area since there were enclaves corresponding to different seigneuries, who had the right to appoint their own judicial officials.

Access points: locations

Access points: persons, families

Access points: corporate bodies

Access points: subject terms

Access points: document types

System of arrangement

The fonds is organised either by types of documents or geographic areas. Series are arranged chronologically.

Finding aids

Cavignac, Jean. 1965 "Cour des Jurats de Bordeaux". Table of sentences. Alphabetical tables of subjects, places, persons, followed by a list of documents kept outside the 12 B series (typecript document available in the archive).

Links to finding aids

Author of the description

Kevin Soares, 2023

Item sets

Linked resources

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Title Alternate label Class
Archives départementales de la Gironde Collections (official language of the state)