Seal keeper of France
The keeper of the seals of France ( Garde des sceaux de France ) was an official of the French monarchy in the ancien régime . Its main task was to represent and support the Chancellor of France . In the 19th century the title was taken up again and is still one of the titles of the Minister of Justice, who keeps the Great Seal of the Republic in his office , with which important state documents are to be affixed.
The official title was derived from the fact that one of the official duties was to keep the country's seal . These included the large seal that was used for the most important documents and the private seal for the other documents.
In the Middle Ages, the office was transferred to the Chancellor, who was temporarily appointed by the King and could also be deposed. In the event of the Chancellor's unavailability due to illness or absence from the court, the King temporarily entrusted the seal to another person as custodian, whose task was terminated when the Chancellor returned. Since no chancellors were appointed from around 1203 to 1316, the keeper of the seal was the most important non-military official in the kingdom during these years.
In the middle of the 16th century, after the trial of the Chancellor Guillaume Poyet , the idea arose to give the great offices of the crown for life. A person had to be named to represent the Chancellor in the event that the King fell out of favor. In 1551, Henry II created the office of the garde des sceaux , which was endowed with all the powers of the chancellor, such as overseeing the judiciary, sealing and sending royal documents, as well as presiding over the royal council. This office was therefore only of a temporary nature.
When relations between the king and the chancellor became strained, the king appointed a keeper of the seals (it was said that he took the seals away from the chancellor - reprenait les sceaux ), leaving the chancellor in an honorary role. In contrast to the chancellor, the keeper of the seal could be deposed by the king. It was consequently a political office, similar in its functions to, for example, the Surintendant des Finances .
Under King Louis XV. the Chancellors d'Aguesseau and de Lamoignon asked the king to appoint a keeper of the seals, not to replace them, but to support them in their work. Nevertheless, it was the keeper of the seals who kept the box with the seals and presided over the sealing of the royal documents. He was also head of justice and controlled the book trade, that is, censored subversive works.
Apart from the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV. the seal keepers were the first candidates for the office of chancellor. Under Louis XVI. four seal keepers followed each other as candidates until Chancellor René Nicolas de Maupeou died in 1792.
Seal keeper - in the 5th Republic
The title of keeper of the seal still exists today. The title holder is always the current Minister of Justice of France. The seal keeper is the custodian of all seals used so far, both of the kings of France and of all five republics. The keeper of the seal is appointed by the President of the Republic on the proposal of the Prime Minister.
Keeper of the seal as head of the law firm
In the 13th century and until 1316 the chancellery was run by the keeper of the seal
- Guérin , monk, around 1203–1227, chancellor 1226
- Philippe d'Antogny, 1227-1231
- Aubry Cornu, dean of Saint-Martin de Tours , 1231–1236
- Jean de la Cour, Dean of Saint-Martin de Tours , 1236-1244
- Nicolas Le Chien, Archdeacon of Dunois , 1244–1249
- Gilles von Saumur , Archbishop of Tire , 1249–1252
- Raoul de Grosparmy, 1252-1259
- Guy Faucoi, later Pope Clement IV , before 1260
- Simon de Brie, chamberlain of Saint-Martin de Tours , who later became Pope Martin IV , 1259–1261
- Philippe de Cahors, chamberlain of Saint-Frambaud in Senlis , 1262–1270
- Guillaume de Rampillon, Archdeacon of Paris, 1270
- Guillaume de Chartres, Dominican , in Tunis 1270
- Pierre Barbet, Archdeacon of Dunois , 1271–1273
- Henri de Vézélay, Chamberlain of Laon , 1273–1282
- Pierre Chalon, Dean of Tours, 1282–1290
- Jean de Vassoigne, Archdeacon of Bruges , 1291–1292
- Guillaume de Crépy, Archdeacon of Paris, 1293–1296
- Thibaut de Pouancé, Bishop of Dol , 1296–1297
- Pierre Flote , Knight, 1297–1302
- Étienne de Suizy, Archdeacon of Bruges , 1302–1304
- Pierre de Mornay, Bishop of Auxerre , 1304–1306
- Pierre de Grez, 1306
- Pierre de Belleperche , Bishop of Auxerre , 1306–1307
- Guillaume de Nogaret , Knight, 1307-1310
- Gilles I. Aycelin de Montaigut , Archbishop of Narbonne , 1310-1311
- Guillaume de Nogaret , 2nd time, 1311-1313
- Pierre de Latilly , Bishop of Châlons , 1313–1314
- Étienne de Mornay, Dean of Saint-Martin de Tours , 1314–1316
Keeper of the seal in the case of "withdrawn" or unavailable Chancellor
- Foulque Bardoul, Bishop of Avranches , keeper of the seals in Paris 1357–1359
- Jean de Dormans, Bishop of Lisieux , keeper of the seals 1358
- Jean de Dormans , keeper of the seals 1373
- Nicolas du Bosc, Bishop of Bayeux , keeper of the seals, 1398–1400
- Jean de Montagu, Archbishop of Sens , Keeper of the Seals, 1405–1413
- Adam Fumée, doctor, keeper of seals 1492–1494
- September 23, 1622 - January 21, 1623: Louis Lefèvre de Caumartin
- January 23, 1623 - January 2, 1624: Nicolas Brûlart de Sillery
- January 6, 1624 - May 31, 1626: Étienne II. D'Aligre
- June 1, 1626 - November 12, 1630: Michel de Marillac
- November 14, 1630 - February 25, 1633: Charles de L'Aubespine