Louis de Boislandry

François Louis the Large one of Boislandry (Paris, May 5th, 1750; + Champgueffier, Seine-et-Marne, October 28th, 1834). Trader, banker, economist, alderman of Versailles (1788-1789) then appointed Third state with the General states, become Constituent Assembly (1789-1791), friend of Fayette, emigrated with Philadelphia (1793-1796).

It belonged to a family Norman, town of the Eagle (Orne). Married (with Paris in 1774) with Julie the Large one of Boislandry, his/her German cousin, girl of Jean Mathieu de Boislandry, banker in Paris, and of Charlotte Collombel of Wood-Aulard.

The State of the House of King Louis XVI dated July 1st, 1776 quotes Louis the Large one of Boislandry among its 12 carriers. Two of his/her first cousins Boislandry were officers and were useful in the bodyguards of the King, company of Luxembourg.

January 12th, 1783, Louis-Guillaume Veillard, of Passy, writes a letter with Benjamin Franklin on behalf of “Louis de Boislandry, merchant of the Eagle” which wishes to discuss with Franklin. According to the Almanac of Versailles for 1789 , Boislandry was negotiating wholesale and member of the Municipal council of this city. Various acts and accounts indicate that he was at the same time banker, interested in the armament of ships, and various other companies, such as famous Caisse of Discount of Paris.

The day before the revolutionary period, Louis de Boislandry published several opuscules, in particular Vues impartial on the establishment of the provincial assemblies (1787), a " Open letter on the preparations of the elections of 1789" (written in collaboration with the of Versailles Laurent Lecointre, future ordering National guard, administration of the department of Seine-et-Oise and deputy chair Legislative, then with Convention) and one of the declaration plans of the Human rights and the Citizen. Of this last one can quote an article, whose spirit was retained: “All the men are not born equal in force, richnesses, intelligence, address, spirit, talent: but these inequalities disappear in front of the law”.

Boislandry was elected appointed with the State-Generals for the Viscount and prévôté of Paris out the walls (vis-a-vis a candidate Couteulx, celebrates family of bankers originating in Rouen). Having noted the insufficiency of the police force of Versailles and guard of the castle, he proposed to create an irregular force which would have mission of taking care of the safety of the person of the King. This project was adopted and its execution led to the reorganization of the National guards of Versailles. But the operation was late and defective. Named member of the ecclesiastical Committee and the Committee of Finances, it deployed a great activity, especially in the second. Various affinities brought it closer to Fayette of which it pursued the policy and with which it belonged to the Club of Breaking into leaf. It was announced by a speech against the increase in assignats (September 10th, 1790) and by various administrative and economic matter interventions, in particular against the grantings and customs duties. Boislandry particularly fought monetary inflation because of miseries and the injustices which end up resulting from it, and which weigh most heavily on the poorest part of the nation. Cf its opuscules On the assignats (1790) and Observations on the dangers of the paper money and the insufficiency of this resource (s.d.). The Constituent one being itself dissolved, it withdrew public life.

The 14 pluviose year II, the Committee of the Emigration and Abroad of the commune of Rouen informs the President of the section of Lombards of the request of Boislandry to be established with Rouen, and requests information on its account. It normally lives Paris, 230 (or 43) street Saint Martin's day. He emigrated soon with his wife (and his/her children?) with Philadelphia. It passes to have continued to make trade abroad and to have acquired thus resources who allowed him, not to not only suffer materially from the events, but still to come to assistance of other emigrants. François Louis de Boislandry leaves New York on October 17th, 1796, on the neutral ship the “Fox”, bound for Nantes. Boislandry unloads, regulates some with the law, provided with a passport of the Committee of Public Hello dated from the 27 nivose year III authorizing it to go to the the United States of America; this passport was aimed at Philadelphia by the ambassador plenipotentiary for the French Republic. It is at that time that it made make its portrait, and that of its wife, by Lecarpentier. It is found, under the Directory, inhabitant with Bordeaux, street Arnaud Miqueu, where it had taken again operations of trade (1797 - 1798). Delivered passport with “François Louis Boislandry” in Bordeaux in 1799: “Description: Cut: 1,83; Eyes: Brown; Hair: Gray; Face: Serious oval; Nose: A little large; Chin: Round; Old: 48; Profession: Trader; Residence: Bordeaux; Country of origin: France (the Seine); Commune of origin: Paris; Starting date: March 13rd, 1799; Destination: Swiss”

Under the Consulate, Louis de Boislandry decided to go back to Paris and is established 8 rue Française, division of the good council, 12 rue Vendôme, in the marsh, then, as from 1818, 14 rue Poultier, with the angle of the quay of Béthune, in the Saint-Louis island. He bought the 15 messidor year VIII (July 4th, 1800) the field of Champgueffier, with the Vault-Iger (Seine-et-Marne), in Louis Silvy, for the sum of 115.000 francs “in cash of gold and money”. This property included/understood the Château of Champgueffier, a windmill, the farms of Champgueffier and of Be worth. “The exploitation was almost abandoned; the castle and the farms fell in ruins, like many of other buildings at that time disturbed. ” It was devoted to the reconstitution of this field which it increases by buying the firm neighbors of the Vault-Iger and the High-Likings, as well as wood. It thus constituted a property which, with detached pieces, formed a whole of approximately a thousand of hectares on the communes of the Vault-Iger, Gastins, Voinsles, Puy and Pecy. Louis de Boislandry had chosen this property of Champgueffier because located close to the castle of the Barn-Blaineau, where his/her friend Fayette resided.

Boislandry, which had celebrated in worms the charms of agriculture, paid, in prose, a more durable homage to the life of the fields in its work entitled: Examination of the principles most favorable to progress of agriculture, manufactures and the trade in France (Paris 1815, at Auguste Renouard). This book constitutes, not only one complete table of the economic situation in which France at the beginning of the Restoration was, but still a political profession of faith. The author there proclaims his admiration for the liberal work of Constituent and his faith in the representative mode, but it there cursed the persons in charge of revolutionary violences and vilifies the Imperial Government. He puts his hopes in the constitutional monarchy. The same feelings are found, beside a study on the international situation of France, in the foreword of its last book: Of the taxes and the loads of the people in France (Paris 1824, at Bosange).

Louis de Boislandry was cousin-Germain of Damien Orphée, Viscount of Boislandry, brigadier

Louis de Boislandry is buried with the Vault-Iger (Seine-et-Marne). From where posterity.

Sources: files of the family of Boislandry.

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