François-Antoine de BOISSY D'ANGLAS
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President of the National Convention.
François-Antoine de Boissy d'Anglas was presiding over the Convention on the day rioters burst in brandishing on the end of a pike the head of his colleague Féraud. He saluted it and remained seated. Born in the Ardèche in 1756, a Protestant, a deputy of the Third Estate in 1789, he wrote the Constitution of Year III and ended a peer of France. His slab, today, can no longer be read.
The story
On 1 prairial year III — 20 May 1795 — hungry rioters burst into the Convention and brandished on the end of a pike the severed head of the deputy Féraud. François-Antoine de Boissy d'Anglas, in the president's chair, took off his hat, saluted the head, and refused to leave his seat. The gesture made his legend.
Born in 1756 at Saint-Jean-Chambre, in the Ardèche, into a Protestant family, he had been elected deputy of the third estate to the Estates-General of 1789. He wrote the Constitution of year III, the one that set up the Directory — the most durable text of his career.
Outlawed at the coup of 18 Fructidor, he escaped deportation by flight, came back to public life, became a senator, count of the Empire in 1808, peer of France in 1815. He died in 1826.
His slab in Division 28 can no longer be read: no name, no dates, no titles. A few steps away, the monuments of Beaumarchais, of Barras and of Marshal Davout still announce their rank.
The grave
A slab whose inscriptions are illegible: nothing more can be read of the name, the dates or the titles. The president of the Convention on 1 Prairial Year III, author of the Constitution of Year III, Count of the Empire and peer of France, thus rests without a legible text, a few steps from the monuments of Beaumarchais, Barras and Marshal Davout — which, for their part, announce their rank.
On site, do not miss
The inscriptions are illegible: neither name nor dates can be made out. Division 28 nonetheless gathers Beaumarchais, Barras, Davout and Saint-Simon.
Visitors' questions
Where is Boissy d'Anglas's grave?
In Division 28, chemin du Dragon, eighth row — but the inscriptions are now illegible. The Division gathers Beaumarchais, Barras, Marshal Davout and Saint-Simon: their monuments announce the rank.
Pierre-Jean de BérangerWhat happened on 1 Prairial Year III?
He was presiding over the Convention when the rioters broke in. They held up to him the severed head of the deputy Féraud on a pike: he bowed to it and refused to leave the chair. The gesture made his legend.
Paul BarrasWhat did he write?
The Constitution of Year III, the one that established the Directory — the most durable text of his career. He had been elected a deputy of the Third Estate to the Estates General of 1789, out of a Protestant family from the Ardèche.
SieyèsWas he proscribed?
Yes, on 18 Fructidor: he escaped transportation by flight. He came back to office afterwards, made a senator, then a Count of the Empire in 1808 and a peer of France in 1815, under three successive regimes.
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