Mémoires sur le commerce (XVIIIe siècle)
Item
Country
FR
Name of institution (English)
The National Archives (Pierrefitte-sur-Seine site)
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
fra
Contact information: postal address
59 rue Guynemer, 93380 Pierrefitte-sur-Seine
Contact information: phone number
0033 (0)175472002
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
contact.archives-nationales@culture.gouv.fr
Reference number
F/12/13100 to 13102
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Memoirs on trade (18th century)
Title (official language of the state)
Mémoires sur le commerce (XVIIIe siècle)
Language of title
fra
Creator / accumulator
Contrôle général des finances
Intendants du commerce
Date note
18th century
Language(s)
fra
Extent
3 boxes (85 storage units)
Type of material
Textual Material
Scope and content
The Mémoires sur le commerce (XVIIIe siècle) fonds mostly comprises correspondence from the "contrôle général des finances" (controller-general of finances) and the "intendants du commerce" (trade intendants) with the "inspecteurs des manufactures" (factory inspectors), French consuls abroad, boards of commerce and private individuals. It also includes memoirs and various petitions. This fonds must have been extracted from the archives of the Administration du commerce (Commerce Administration), probably at the beginning of the 19th century, to serve as documentation for the departments in charge of commercial matters at the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Given the importance of Iberian conversos and Sephardic Jews in 18th-century commercial life in France, this collection includes materials of interest about these minorities. It is the case of a collection of reports and other documents regarding commercial relations with various countries, which includes a file with information on Portuguese and Spanish Jewish merchants in the 1770s and 1780s (F/12/13101). Among these records is a declaration presented by David Naquet from Carpentras, Benjamin Naquet from Lyon, Moïse David, and Abraham Neveu from Carcassonne, claiming their registration in the Spanish Jewish nation and defending their right to benefit from the privileges granted to the Portuguese and Spanish Jews by recent letters patent.
Given the importance of Iberian conversos and Sephardic Jews in 18th-century commercial life in France, this collection includes materials of interest about these minorities. It is the case of a collection of reports and other documents regarding commercial relations with various countries, which includes a file with information on Portuguese and Spanish Jewish merchants in the 1770s and 1780s (F/12/13101). Among these records is a declaration presented by David Naquet from Carpentras, Benjamin Naquet from Lyon, Moïse David, and Abraham Neveu from Carcassonne, claiming their registration in the Spanish Jewish nation and defending their right to benefit from the privileges granted to the Portuguese and Spanish Jews by recent letters patent.
Archival history
This fonds entered the National Archives in 1992. It was originally created by the Service des Archives économiques et financières du ministère de l'Economie" (Economic and Financial Archive Services of the Ministry of Economy) with documentation stored at the archives of the Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques (National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies).
Administrative / Biographical history
The gradual establishment of the central administration of finance from Francis I (reign: 1515-21) to Louis XIV (reign: 1643-1715) led to the organisation of the Contrôle Général des Finances in 1665, a ministerial department of finance headed by the "contrôleur général des finances" (controller-general of finances).
Before Louis XIV, the administration of finance was carried out in a collegial manner by several controllers-general (who were responsible for approving all expenditure and revenue documents) and intendants (who had specialised geographical or thematic areas of intervention). At certain times, one of the intendants took precedence over all of his colleagues; he then became the "surintendant des finances" (superintendent of finances).
On the arrest of superintendent Nicolas Fouquet (1615-80) and the death of Cardinal Mazarin (1602-61), Louis XIV decided that there would no longer be a superintendent of finance and that he would henceforth be the sole authoriser of expenditure. In 1665, he abolished the two remaining offices of controller-general and replaced them with a single controller-general, who would be the head of the financial administration. The first was Colbert (1619-83).
The intendants, still working in specialised sectors, became subordinates of the controller general, in the same way as the first "commis des finances" (clerk of finances). The latter, a key figure in the administration of finance, was in charge of the most important sectors in the financial field and ensured the continuity of the administration of the Contrôle Général during periods of rapid change of controllers general.
The controller-general was in charge not only of the finances but also of the whole economy of the kingdom. In financial matters, his responsibilities included the royal treasury, taxes and revenues, and the royal estate. In economic matters, he controlled agriculture, forests, mines, public works, town planning, industry, trade, public health and hospitals, etc. Only the areas under the responsibility of the secretaries of state (when he was not himself one of the secretaries of state) and the chancellor escaped him. Still, the archives of the Contrôle général contain, through financial means, a number of files relating to these areas which were in principle outside his control, particularly in matters of war and the Navy.
The "intendants du commerce" (trade intendants) exercised their office under the dependence of the Conseil du Commerce (Trade Council). Created in 1700, the Conseil du Commerce was under the control of the controller-general of finances, as it was reinforced in 1722. For this reason, the "intendants du commerce" exercised their office in close connection with the controller-general.
Before Louis XIV, the administration of finance was carried out in a collegial manner by several controllers-general (who were responsible for approving all expenditure and revenue documents) and intendants (who had specialised geographical or thematic areas of intervention). At certain times, one of the intendants took precedence over all of his colleagues; he then became the "surintendant des finances" (superintendent of finances).
On the arrest of superintendent Nicolas Fouquet (1615-80) and the death of Cardinal Mazarin (1602-61), Louis XIV decided that there would no longer be a superintendent of finance and that he would henceforth be the sole authoriser of expenditure. In 1665, he abolished the two remaining offices of controller-general and replaced them with a single controller-general, who would be the head of the financial administration. The first was Colbert (1619-83).
The intendants, still working in specialised sectors, became subordinates of the controller general, in the same way as the first "commis des finances" (clerk of finances). The latter, a key figure in the administration of finance, was in charge of the most important sectors in the financial field and ensured the continuity of the administration of the Contrôle Général during periods of rapid change of controllers general.
The controller-general was in charge not only of the finances but also of the whole economy of the kingdom. In financial matters, his responsibilities included the royal treasury, taxes and revenues, and the royal estate. In economic matters, he controlled agriculture, forests, mines, public works, town planning, industry, trade, public health and hospitals, etc. Only the areas under the responsibility of the secretaries of state (when he was not himself one of the secretaries of state) and the chancellor escaped him. Still, the archives of the Contrôle général contain, through financial means, a number of files relating to these areas which were in principle outside his control, particularly in matters of war and the Navy.
The "intendants du commerce" (trade intendants) exercised their office under the dependence of the Conseil du Commerce (Trade Council). Created in 1700, the Conseil du Commerce was under the control of the controller-general of finances, as it was reinforced in 1722. For this reason, the "intendants du commerce" exercised their office in close connection with the controller-general.
Sources:
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 divided into three series according to economic activities and geographic areas: Mémoires et pièces relatifs à l'industrie française, à l'industrie textile et au commerce maritime (Memoranda and documents relating to French industry, the textile industry and maritime trade); Mémoires et pièces relatifs aux relations commerciales avec divers pays (Afrique, Angleterre, Espagne, états italiens, Etats-Unis d'Amérique, Europe du Nord) (Memoranda and documents relating to commercial relations with various countries (Africa, England, Spain, Italian states, United States of America, Northern Europe)); and Mémoires et pièces relatifs aux relations commerciales avec divers pays (Levant, Montbéliard et Franche-Comté, Portugal), traite des noirs et commerce avec les colonies françaises (Memoranda and documents relating to trade relations with various countries (Levant, Montbéliard and Franche-Comté, Portugal), slave trade and trade with the French colonies). Archival units are organised chronologically.
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Kevin Soares, 2023
Linked resources
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