Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation
Jean Frédéric Phélypeaux, Comte de Maurepas papers
Maurepas, Jean-Frédéric Phélypeaux, comte de, 1701-1781
D.10
/repositories/2/resources/897
1 box(es)
1739-1747
French
.
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.
Related Archival Materials
Other collections in the Department of Rare Books & Special Collections relating to the Jean Frédéric Phélypeaux, Comte de Maurepas Papers are:
The Maurepas Papers: A Unique Collection of French XVIII Century Historical Documents, (Parke-Bernet Galleries Inc., New York, 1962). (This catalog, as well as photocopies of Lots 20, 23, 26, 31, 32, and 34, is included with the register located in the Department of Rare Books & Special Collections and contains a more descriptive listing of the individual items.
Other collections outside the Department of Rare Books & Special Collections relating to the Jean Frédéric Phélypeaux, Comte de Maurepas Papers are:
The Maurepas Collection, Cornell University.
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.
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.
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.
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
Politicians
Diplomats
Fisheries
Iron-works
Siege of Louisbourg (Canada : 1745)
Indian Wars (Chickasaw : 1739-1740)
Louisiana
Records (Documents)
Maurepas, Jean-Frédéric Phélypeaux, comte de, 1701-1781
France. Marine
Series I: The cod and herring catch, Canada/repositories/2/archival_objects/1709061739-1746Cod and herring catch, Lot 20, No. 1: Petition of cod-fishers, in clerk's hand/repositories/2/archival_objects/17091311Cod and herring catch, Lot 20, No. 2: Printed petition of cod-fishers/repositories/2/archival_objects/170914173912Cod and herring catch, Lot 20, No. 3: Correspondence from Vincent (Merchant) to Maurepas/repositories/2/archival_objects/170915174613Cod and herring catch, Lot 20, No. 4: Statistical table of herring catch, in clerk's hand/repositories/2/archival_objects/170916174114Series II: Instruction of French Naval cadets/repositories/2/archival_objects/170907Lot 23: Manual for Naval Officers by DuGuay, lieutenant in the Navy/repositories/2/archival_objects/17091715Series III: Canadian ironworks/repositories/2/archival_objects/1709081743Lot 26: Report on the ironworks of Saint-Maurice, Canada/repositories/2/archival_objects/170918174316Series IV: The Acadian expedition of 1746; attempt to recapture Louisbourg/repositories/2/archival_objects/170909Lot 31, No. 1: Jean-Baptiste-Louis-Frédéric de la Rochefoucauld, Duc d'Enville to Maurepas/repositories/2/archival_objects/170919October 6, 174517Lot 31, No. 2: Duc d'Enville to Maurepas/repositories/2/archival_objects/170920January 18, 174618Lot 31, No. 3: Duc d'Enville to Maurepas/repositories/2/archival_objects/170921January 28, 174619Lot 31, No. 4: Duc d'Enville to Maurepas, undated/repositories/2/archival_objects/170922110Lot 31, No. 5: Duc d'Enville to Maurepas, undated/repositories/2/archival_objects/170923111Lot 31, No. 6: Duc d'Enville to Maurepas/repositories/2/archival_objects/170924February 14, 1746112Lot 31, No. 7: Duc d'Enville to Maurepas, undated/repositories/2/archival_objects/170925113Lot 31, No. 8: Duc d'Enville to Maurepas/repositories/2/archival_objects/170926February 25, 1746114Lot 31, No. 9: Duc d'Enville to Maurepas/repositories/2/archival_objects/170927February 28, [1746]115Lot 31, No. 10: Duc d'Enville to Maurepas/repositories/2/archival_objects/170928March 21, [1746]116Lot 31, No. 11: Duc d'Enville to Maurepas/repositories/2/archival_objects/170929April 8, 1746117Lot 31, No. 12: Duc d'Enville to Maurepas/repositories/2/archival_objects/170930April 18, [1746]118Lot 31, No. 13: Duc d'Enville to Maurepas, undated/repositories/2/archival_objects/170931119Lot 31, No. 14: Duc d'Enville to Louis XV/repositories/2/archival_objects/170932October 22, 1746120Lot 31, No. 15: De Montlouet to Maurepas/repositories/2/archival_objects/170933October 22, 1746121Lot 31, No. 16: Duc d'Enville to Maurepas/repositories/2/archival_objects/170934April 16, 1746122Report on the expedition, issued by Maurepas' Office, in clerk's hand/repositories/2/archival_objects/170935123Lot 31, No. 18: De Montlouet to Maurepas/repositories/2/archival_objects/170936[October 22, 1746]124Lot 31, No. 19: Louis de Nouailles D'Ayme to Maurepas/repositories/2/archival_objects/170937125Series V: The loss of Louisbourg/repositories/2/archival_objects/1709101745-1747Plans to retake Acadia and Newfoundland and to defend the Isle Roale (Cape Breton)/repositories/2/archival_objects/170938126Lot 32, No. 2: [How Louisbourg was lost,] Report of Francois Bigot to Maurepas, with the Minister's annotations/repositories/2/archival_objects/170939 [August 15, 1745]127Series VI: Louisiana campaign/repositories/2/archival_objects/1709111739-1740War Against the Chickasaws and Natchez, Lot 34: [Report on conditions in Louisiana, 1739-1740,] in clerk's hand/repositories/2/archival_objects/170940128