Bertrand de Moleville Counterrevolution Papers, 1805

Contents and Arrangement

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Collection Overview

Creator:

Bertrand-de-Molleville, Ant.-Fr. (Antoine-François) (1744-1818)

Title:

Bertrand de Moleville Counterrevolution Papers

Repository:

Manuscripts Division

Permanent URL:

http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/fq977v53b

Dates:

1805

Size:

1 box, 0.2 linear feet

Storage Note:

ReCAP (scarcpxm): Box 1

Language:

French and English

Abstract: Consists of manuscripts and related material regarding Bertrand de Moleville's proposals to the British government for invading France and Spanish America. The marquis de Bertrand de Moleville was a nobleman and navy minister in the French Constitutional Cabinet. He urged Louis XVI to flee Paris and was accused of being one of the "Austrian Committee," the shadowy circle accused of anti-revolutionary plots. He emigrated to England in 1793.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of manuscripts and related material regarding Bertrand de Moleville's proposals to the British government for invading France and Spanish America. Included is a manuscript (1805) in English detailing a plan for a counterrevolution to recapture France from Napoleon Bonaparte and return the monarchy and King Louis XVIII to the French throne. Bertrand de Moleville gives details of where the soldiers of the army should come from, how much the expedition would cost the king of England, and how it should be executed. He suggests to the British monarch that the army capture the Ile d' Oléron which would present very little resistance, from there to capture the Ile de Ré́ and the Ile d' Aix, and finally to enter the French mainland at Rochefort.

The collection also contains manuscript material regarding Bertrand de Moleville's secret plans for an invasion of Spanish America, establishing an independent Mexico: his cover letter (in French, dated 2 January 1805) conveying the proposal to British government official Jonathan McArthur, requesting that he forward the material to Lord Melville, First Lord of the Admiralty; the four-part plan (in French); and an English précis of the proposal with McArthur's recommendation (7 January 1805) to Melville.

Arrangement

Arranged by country.

Collection Creator Biography:

Bertrand-de-Molleville

The marquis de Bertrand de Moleville was a nobleman and navy minister in the French Constitutional Cabinet. He urged Louis XVI to flee Paris and was accused of being one of the "Austrian Committee," the shadowy circle accused of anti-revolutionary plots. He emigrated to England in 1793.

Collection History

Acquisition:

Invasion of France manuscript was the gift of Chas A. D. Burk in 1909 .

Invasion of Mexico material was purchased from William Reese Co. in 2011 (AM2012-29).

Appraisal

No materials were separated during 2011 processing.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by John Delaney on 2011 September 30. Finding aid written by John Delaney on 2011 September 30.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

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