Jean Frédéric Phélypeaux, Comte de Maurepas papers
Biographical / Historical note
Jean Frédéric Phélypeaux, Comte de Maurepas (1701-1781) held the position of Secretary to the Royal Household and Minister of Marine in the court of Louis XV. He succeeded his father as State Secretary at age fourteen, and thereafter became one of the most powerful nobles at the French court. He maintained this power until 1749, when he was accused of writing derogatory epigrams about Madame de Pompadour, the King's mistress. He was then banished from court until 1774, when he was recalled by Louis XVI and established as one of the King's councilors. Until his death, Maurepas lived in rooms directly above the royal family at Versailles; this proximity allowed Louis to confer with Maurepas soon after the Comte arose for the day. The personality of the Comte de Maurepas has never been fully established; by some he was seen as a skilled politician, a statesman and a diplomat, while his opponents considered him a bad administrator, superficial and satirical.
Scope and Contents
The Jean Frédéric Phélypeaux, Comte de Maurepas Papers are comprised of one box containing, for the most part, secretary's copies of documents made for Maurepas' use, the majority of which concern his duties as Minister of Marine. Maurepas was responsible for building up the Royal Navy to meet the threat from the expansion of British sea power; he also instituted changes in French training standards to meet this challenge. Many of the papers deal with the Acadian Expedition of 1746, which was an attempt to retake lost French territory in what is now Newfoundland and Nova Scotia from the English, specifically a fortified base at Louisville on Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. The resulting debacle for the French is reflected in the papers. The remainder of the papers concern various maritime issues in French Canada and America, including naval protection of French fishermen, the iron industry in Canada and Indian wars in French Louisiana.
The Jean Frédéric Phélypeaux, Comte de Maurepas Papers are in French.
Creator
Dates
- Creation: 1739-1747
Language of Materials
French
Extent
1 box(es)
Access
The Jean Frédéric Phélypeaux, Comte de Maurepas Papers is open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact the Rare Collections & Preservation Department prior to visiting. Upon arrival, researchers will also be asked to fill out a registration form and provide photo identification.
Use
In consultation with a curator, reproductions may be made upon request. Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from a curator. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Jean Frédéric Phélypeaux, Comte de Maurepas Papers were purchased at the Parke-Bernet Auction of March 6, 1962 by the University of Rochester Library and by gift of Robert F. Metzdorf.
Preferred Citation
[Item title, item date], Jean Frédéric Phélypeaux, Comte de Maurepas Papers, D.10, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester
Genre / Form
Geographic
Occupation
Topical
Uniform Title
Subject
- Maurepas, Jean-Frédéric Phélypeaux, comte de, 1701-1781 (Person)
- France. Marine (Organization)
- Title
- Jean Frédéric Phélypeaux, Comte de Maurepas papers
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Rare Books and Special Collections staff
- Date
- undated
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Library Details
Part of the Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation Library