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Legal Records, 17th Century France

An inventory of the collection at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: MRC
Date: 23 Oct 2017



Biographical History

Names mentioned in the documents include academics, members of the aristocracy, and religious orders including the Jesuits. Among the persons of note are the following.

Cardinal Armand Jean du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu (1585-1642), a French clergyman, nobleman, and statesman. He served as Foreign Secretary and chief minister to Louis XIII of France and had extensive power and influence.

Roger de Rabutin, Comte de Bussy (1618-1693), a French memoirist and relative of Madame de Sévigné, is mentioned several times, as is his wife Louise de Rabutin (née Louise de Rouville).

Henry de La Tour d'Auvergne (1555-1623) was a French aristocrat, Duc de Boüillon, Prince of Sedan and Marshal of France.

"La Dame de Sassy" is almost certainly Marie/Marguerite Gaudon, wife of Nicolas Vauquelin de Sassy and widow of Pierre de Troussebois, Marquis de Ris. See for example: Catalogue des factums et d'autres documents judiciaires anterieurs a 1790, Bibliotheque Nationale, Département des Imprimés (1902), Volume 6, pp. 268-270).


Scope and Contents of the Collection

This small collection of Legal Records, 17th Century France consists of twenty-eight printed signatures in French. Neither the printer nor the publisher is known. The signatures are of varying length and have been trimmed to roughly the same height and width. It cannot be determined whether any of the items were intended eventually to be bound together.

Most of the items in folder 1 are connected with the disposition of the estate of Cardinal Armand Jean du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu. Other items in the collection pertain to libel and slander cases, inheritances, and various other civil and criminal matters. A few items concern the Jesuits in Paris and Reims, and three relate to the case of "la Dame de Sassy," who is accused of murdering, or attempting to murder, her first husband; the accusation is brought by her former brother-in-law, Poitevin de Villiers.


Arrangement of the Collection

Items remain in the order in which they were received when purchased.


Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.


Subject Headings

Persons

Bouillon, Henri de la Tour-d'Auvergne, Duc de, 1555-1623.
Bussy, Roger de Rabutin, comte de, 1618-1693.
Certain de Germay family.
Richelieu, Armand Jean du Plessis, duc de, 1585-1642.

Corporate Bodies

Jesuits -- France -- 17th century.

Subjects

Law -- France -- 17th century.
Upper class -- France.

Places

France -- History -- 17th century.

Genres and Forms

Briefs (legal documents)
Genealogies (histories)
Legal documents.
Wills.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Legal Records, 17th Century France,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Purchase, 2017.


Table of Contents

Printed material


Inventory