Item 49: Portrait and Biography of Jacques Necker (Removed to Oversized Box #1), 1823; Purchased in 1940s
Item — Box: 2, Folder: 49
Dates
- Created: 1823; Purchased in 1940s
Creator
Disclaimer for Name and Subject Authorities
Some of the name and subject authority tags have been assigned by educated guessing and estimation of persons and subjects by region, age, profession, and familial relationships. They have been thoroughly researched by using primary and secondary sources available digitally, and named in each description, or in some cases linked directly to the person tag.
Access:
All series and subseries within this collection are open for research, with the exception of a few files within the Academia series that are restricted. The Academia series contains financial and sensitive institutional records from Wilkes College, and financial report records from Princeton University that will remain restricted for 80 years upon creation.
Extent
1 items
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Type of Material:
Portrait and Biography
Condition Note:
Good: slight staining; no noticeable tears or holes; ink is well-preserved
Measurements:
14 ⅝ in. x 8 ½ in.
Description:
The following is a printed portrait of Jacques Necker in professional attire with the title “Mr. Necker.” below it. Included is a brief biography describing Necker’s life, his tenure as Prime Minister and treasurer of France, and his associations with the French Revolution. Necker served as the finance minister of France for King Louis XVI, where he revolutionized the field by producing the Compte rendu, a complete budget of the Kingdom of France intended for the public, for which he was fired. He was brought back with a public celebration when the debt from the American Revolutionary War became too much to handle and France experienced a famine. He was fired again when he couldn’t combat the famine, to which the public responded by storming the Bastille, which eventually led to the French Revolution. Through the Revolution, he worked with various forms of leadership to keep France economically stable, but when the National Treasury ran out of money, he stole 400,000 livres, the equivalent of $100 million USD, and fled the country. He escaped to Switzerland, but his money was confiscated by the French government. He continued to publish political books until his death in 1804. The annotations referring to Necker’s letter describe Item 47 and the signature of G[ilbert]. S[tuart]. McClintock (1886-1959) refers to the first member of the Wilkes University Board of Trustees, who collected various historical documents and donated many of his belongings to Wilkes University. While most online texts only mention Necker and Staёl’s lands being located in the state of New York, Necker paid taxes on land located in Orwell Township, County of Bradford [Pennsylvania] for approximately 10 years. This title was later reverted to Le Ray [Chaumont, Jacques-Donatien Le Ray de, 1725-1803]. Robert Morris acquired lands in Susquehanna and Bradford Counties in 1794. Le Ray purchased some of these lands, including a parcel of 4400 acres. This may refer to the same 4400 acres that Necker mentions within this letter. Although not established until 1827, Le Raysville, Pennsylvania [present day Bradford County], is named for Le Ray de Chaumont further supporting that Le Ray likely owned lands in this region of Pennsylvania. In another text, Necker and his daughter were noted as having been involved in a transaction with Le Ray de Chaumont in which Chaumont purchased lands in present day Bradford, Susquehanna, and Wayne Counties. While Necker states in this letter that his land is located in Luzerne County, historically, Luzerne County included modern day Lackawanna, Wyoming, Susquehanna, and Bradford Counties as demonstrated by this 1796 map of Pennsylvania. Therefore, it is very likely that Necker’s lands mentioned in this letter are located in northern Pennsylvania, possibly in modern day Bradford County. For more information, see Item 47 of the collection.
Location:
Coppet, Switzerland; “Lake Leman” [Lake Geneva]; Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Transcription:
[Portrait]
Mr. Necker.
[Front annotation; written in pencil; likely archivist’s notes] This letter of Necker mentions the lands he owned in Luzerne County & it is part of my Wyoming Valley collection.
[Front text; printed] Necker, nek’kȩr, [Fr. pron. nâ’kaiR’,] (JλCQUES,) an eminent Swiss financier, and prime minister of France, born at Geneva in September, 1732. On leaving college he became a clerk in a banking-house in Paris, and, having acquired a large fortune as partner of the great banker Thélusson, he retired from business in the prime of life, and aspired to public honours and more brilliant financial achievements. In 1773 he gained the prize offered by the French Academy for a eulogy on Colbert, and published a treatise on the corn-laws, “Sur la Législation des Grains.” The disorder of the finances was so alarming that, without regard to official routine, he was appointed director of the treasury in 1776, and director-general of the finances in 1777. By publicity, order, and economy, he restored the public credit and lightened the burdens of the people. His famous compte rendu of 1781 (which was the first public exposition of the revenue and expenses of the State) was received with great favour; but his reforms made for him many enemies at court and elsewhere. To defend himself against their intrigues, he asked for a seat in the council, which was refused because he was a Protestant. He immediately resigned, (1781,) and retired to Coppet, on Lake Leman. In 1784, he published his excellent work “On the Administration of the Finances,” of which eighty thousand copies were sold in a few days. The convocation of the States-General was decreed by the royal council in August, 1788. The court was convinced that the skill of Necker was indispensable in the political and financial crisis that followed. He succeeded Brienne as prime minister, or contrôleur-général of finances, about September 1, 1788, and the next day the funds rose 30 percent. He favoured the Revolution by granting to the Tiers-État a double number of deputies. He is censured for this concession, and for temporizing in the contest between the Tiers-État and the other orders after the meeting of the States-General in 1789. The court having adopted more violent measures than he approved, he tendered his resignation, (June 23,) which was not ac-cepted. On the 11th of July he was suddenly dismissed by a note from the king, who ordered him to leave the kingdom privately; and the same night he departed for Brussels. Indignant at his dismissal, the populace of Paris rose in arms, stormed the Bastille, and obtained a bloody triumph over the court. Necker was recalled on the 21st of July, and, when he entered Paris, was received with enthusiastic demonstrations by the people. His first act was an amnesty for political offenses. But he was too conservative to satisfy the popular party, and resigned his office in September, 1790. He passed the rest of his life at Coppet, where he wrote several political and religious treatises. Died in 1804. The highly-gifted Madame de Staël was his daughter. See MADAME DE STAËL, “Vie privée de M. Jacques Necker.” 1804; DROZ, “Histoire du Règne de Louis XVI; “THIERS, “ History of the French Revolution;” LANJUINAIS, “Études biographiques sur Antoine Arnauld, P. Nicole et J. Necker,” 1823; SAINTE-BEUVE, “Causeries du Lundi;” A. L. DE STAËL-HOLSTEIN, “Notice sur Necker,” 1821; “Nouvelle Biographie Générale;” “Edinburgh Review” for January, 1803, (by SYDNEY SMITH.)
(OVER) [Written in pencil]
[Back annotation; written in pencil; likely archivist’s notes] Necker & his daughter owned lands in Luzerne County + I have found copies of their deed in the very early deed books. This letter refers to his lands here + is part of my Wyoming Valley Collection Purchased Jan 1949 # a e. G[ilbert]. S[tuart]. McClintock
[Front annotation; written in pencil; likely archivist’s notes] This letter of Necker mentions the lands he owned in Luzerne County & it is part of my Wyoming Valley collection.
[Front text; printed] Necker, nek’kȩr, [Fr. pron. nâ’kaiR’,] (JλCQUES,) an eminent Swiss financier, and prime minister of France, born at Geneva in September, 1732. On leaving college he became a clerk in a banking-house in Paris, and, having acquired a large fortune as partner of the great banker Thélusson, he retired from business in the prime of life, and aspired to public honours and more brilliant financial achievements. In 1773 he gained the prize offered by the French Academy for a eulogy on Colbert, and published a treatise on the corn-laws, “Sur la Législation des Grains.” The disorder of the finances was so alarming that, without regard to official routine, he was appointed director of the treasury in 1776, and director-general of the finances in 1777. By publicity, order, and economy, he restored the public credit and lightened the burdens of the people. His famous compte rendu of 1781 (which was the first public exposition of the revenue and expenses of the State) was received with great favour; but his reforms made for him many enemies at court and elsewhere. To defend himself against their intrigues, he asked for a seat in the council, which was refused because he was a Protestant. He immediately resigned, (1781,) and retired to Coppet, on Lake Leman. In 1784, he published his excellent work “On the Administration of the Finances,” of which eighty thousand copies were sold in a few days. The convocation of the States-General was decreed by the royal council in August, 1788. The court was convinced that the skill of Necker was indispensable in the political and financial crisis that followed. He succeeded Brienne as prime minister, or contrôleur-général of finances, about September 1, 1788, and the next day the funds rose 30 percent. He favoured the Revolution by granting to the Tiers-État a double number of deputies. He is censured for this concession, and for temporizing in the contest between the Tiers-État and the other orders after the meeting of the States-General in 1789. The court having adopted more violent measures than he approved, he tendered his resignation, (June 23,) which was not ac-cepted. On the 11th of July he was suddenly dismissed by a note from the king, who ordered him to leave the kingdom privately; and the same night he departed for Brussels. Indignant at his dismissal, the populace of Paris rose in arms, stormed the Bastille, and obtained a bloody triumph over the court. Necker was recalled on the 21st of July, and, when he entered Paris, was received with enthusiastic demonstrations by the people. His first act was an amnesty for political offenses. But he was too conservative to satisfy the popular party, and resigned his office in September, 1790. He passed the rest of his life at Coppet, where he wrote several political and religious treatises. Died in 1804. The highly-gifted Madame de Staël was his daughter. See MADAME DE STAËL, “Vie privée de M. Jacques Necker.” 1804; DROZ, “Histoire du Règne de Louis XVI; “THIERS, “ History of the French Revolution;” LANJUINAIS, “Études biographiques sur Antoine Arnauld, P. Nicole et J. Necker,” 1823; SAINTE-BEUVE, “Causeries du Lundi;” A. L. DE STAËL-HOLSTEIN, “Notice sur Necker,” 1821; “Nouvelle Biographie Générale;” “Edinburgh Review” for January, 1803, (by SYDNEY SMITH.)
(OVER) [Written in pencil]
[Back annotation; written in pencil; likely archivist’s notes] Necker & his daughter owned lands in Luzerne County + I have found copies of their deed in the very early deed books. This letter refers to his lands here + is part of my Wyoming Valley Collection Purchased Jan 1949 # a e. G[ilbert]. S[tuart]. McClintock
Creator
Repository Details
Part of the Wilkes University Archives Repository
Contact:
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu