Hippolyte de Barrau

Justin Hippolyte of Barrau , born with Rodez the March 23rd 1794 and died in Carcenac-Salmiech (Aveyron) the October 4th 1863.

Its youth

Hippolyte de Barrau is born on March 23rd, 1794 in the town of Rodez, old capital of the Rouergue and chief town of the department of Aveyron. At the time of her birth, his/her mother was recluse at it by order of the revolutionary authorities of Aveyron. Its family belongs to the Noblesse of this province. Its father was Bodyguard of the king Louis XVI and its family have to suffer from the French revolution much. The family castle was set fire to by the revolutionists on November 1st, 1793, the goods of the family plundered and confiscated, her imprisoned members and the father of Hippolyte de Barrau, was tracked and obliged to hide during long month in order to escape the revolutionary Tribunal.

Like its family, it is of opinion legitimist, but its responsibilities will lead it during its career to be used honestly under several modes as an adviser as prefecture.

The army

Its first finished studies, Hippolyte de Barrau between with the military special school of Saint-Cyr military school: “In Saint-Cyr military school, the life of the future officers is neither sugar nor honey, rebel or rather man of character, Hippolyte is broken by, is twice threatened of council of war for “pessimistic remarks” made the shortly after the retirement of Russia. ”

At the exit of the school, it is Bodyguard of the king Louis XVIII then lieutenant of cavalry. Of a not very easy nature like others of its family, it causes and fights several times in duel. “My captivity finished the 24. I was already on the ground, the saber in hand, to empty in last spring my quarrel with the ordering captain. ”. Another time, it is a duel with the gun.

However, and its difficult relations with its hierarchically superiors encourage there, Hippolyte de Barrau raises questions as for its true vocation: “The reflections whose my stops leave me all the leisure make me infinitely appreciate my independence and lay out me little in favor of the military service. The military life lost its old advantages by opening the door of the ranks with crusher-run aggregate; it lost those of modern times, such as the Empire had done them with its continual wars; it remains only much of assujetissement and the ruinous expenditure. The leisures of peace develop in the chiefs the meticulousness of the command which becomes thus unbearable, then the competitions born between those which already made the war and those which did not do it, the division of the opinions, and the numerical inferiority of the royalists in the army, all that lays out to me to require to be put of availability. Soldiering does not go to my spirit little laid out with the rule and the discipline. ”

Some time later, he learns that he is put at the retirement of office.

Its opinions and counter-revolutionaries activities

During the Hundred Days, it contacts with projects of counter-revolution: “Consequently, I was reduced to use my voyage while drawing up relationship with the principal leaders of Toulouse in order to form, to thus link our department with their with the same aim. I learned on this occasion that there existed in Toulouse a Central committee which received the orders of Its Highness, which as well in the city as in the countryside there was a secret organization by companies and than the Prince was held with the current of all that was fixed. Mr Léopold de Rigaud, former musketeer, man of resolution, was with the head of the secret Committee. ”

Hippolyte de Barrau is Chevalier of the Faith (Affaire Fualdès - plot of Goudalie): “The promoters of the movement in Aveyron were Sirs de Bertier, brothers of my cousin, Madam de Solages, and Mister of the Rock-Aymon. Stone highly urged me to make common cause with them, but I defended myself some for several reasons which appeared reasonable to him. However, so with the expiry of my leave, I did not receive any order of war, I would look at myself as untied and would put to me at their disposal. ”

The Order of the Knights of the Faith is a catholic, royalist and secret Order.

Its principal writings

Among its many manuscripts and studies on various subjects, historical sciences take a broad place. Its principal work, of which some still make authority nowadays, is:

Relative study with the history of the body of the Police officers (unfinished study)
historical Documents on Rouergue, its families and its men remarkable in old and modern times (4 volumes, 1853-1860)
equestrian Orders. Documents on the Orders of the Temple and Saint-Jean-of-Jerusalem in Rouergue - follow-ups of a historical note on Legion-in Honneur and of the table reasoned of its members in the same country
the revolutionary Age in Rouergue. Historical study (1789-1801) . Work prepared, written and published in collaboration with his/her brother, Eugene de Barrau, and its nephew, Fernand de Barrau.
Memories private of Ruthénois
Of the invisible world or research on the facts of a supernatural order

The politician

General adviser
Mayor
In 1834, it stands as a candidate to the election of the Député S to Rodez, but it is beaten

The prefectoral one

It is initially to advise of prefecture, then, under the mode of the Second Empire of Napoleon III it is secretary-general of the Préfecture of Aveyron, of 1853 to its revocation with the beginning of the year 1855.

From its last years to the prefecture of Aveyron, it is known as this: “Aveyron will have a long time the memory of its services and the courageous energy which it showed during the invasion of the prefecture in December 1851. Knowing at bottom the businesses of the department, he was the council and the friend of several prefects distinguished and enjoyed at the most point from the public consideration, when in 1854, he was suddenly revoked of his functions, in consequence of the hostility certain people whom her influence offusquait. ”

Other activities and functions

having been put in 1829 at the retirement of office of the Armed , it is devoted then to the Histoire, the Archéologie, the Natural science, the Botanique, the Minéralogie, etc It constitutes with his/her brother, Adolphe de Barrau, an herbarium of more than 2.000 parts.
He is the founder and the writer of the Gazette of Rouergue , transitory newspaper of opinion legitimist, published under the Monarchy of July
Membre and president of various groupings and authorities within the department of Aveyron: chair agricultural meeting of Cassagnes and viticultural meeting of Marcillac, vice-president of the horse commission of the department of Aveyron, state education, etc
Capitaine ordering of the national guard of the commune of Salmiech

A man of culture

In addition to its activities of historian and naturalist, it is in 1836 the initiator of the Société of the letters, sciences and arts of Aveyron and one of its principal founders. He is the first president and will remain it until its death: “I completed enough a large company: it is the formation of a company literary, scientific and industrial, made up of the men distinguished from all the opinions, such Mister of Bonald, Mister de Gaujal, the Général Tarayre, the bishop of Rodez, Girou de Buzareingues, Mister de Guizard, etc, and which elected me for president on February 7th. This combination of heterogeneous elements is enough a great hit of force. ”.

Within the framework of this Company, Hippolyte de Barrau undertakes many research tasks on the local history (files, memories, articles, notes).

This learned society remains nowadays, it became a local and regional cultural institution very recognized and undertakes its work in collaboration with universities (University of Paris I Sorbonne, Université of Toulouse it Mirail, etc), CNRS, the National library of France, the École of the Charters.

Member of learned societies

Founder and first president of the Company of the Letters, Sciences and Arts of honorary Aveyron
Member of the central Company of Agriculture of Aveyron
Member of the Company of agriculture of the Cantal (?)
Member of the Institute of the provinces, the learned societies and the scientific congresses

Decorations

Knight of the Legion of Honor
Medal-holder of Grey waxbill

Quotations

“I will be thirty years old, it is the age where the man must return from his mislayings. ” (Hippolyte de Barrau)
“One of the most brilliant spirits of the rouergat. ” (Robert Taussat (president of the Company of the Letters, Sciences and Arts of Aveyron of 1984 to 2004) while speaking about Hippolyte de Barrau)

Others

In Rodez, New street, is a plate in the memory of “Hippolyte de Barrau, cofounder of the Company of the Letters, Sciences and Arts of Aveyron”, and an avenue since December 12th, 2005 bears its name (deliberation of the Municipal council of Rodez) to the locality Conque Midsummer's Day (or Valley Midsummer's Day), district of Saint-Felix it Gineste. In Carcenac-Salmiech, vis-a-vis the church of the village, is the place Hippolyte de Barrau, historian of Rouergue.

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