Letter from Veuve Jacques Arnaud to... (1819)

NRA-L-000326 / 1819

Letter from Veuve Jacques Arnaud to Constant Paillard-Duclere seeking help with her son's military substitution, March 18, 1819

Veuve Jacques Arnaud asks deputy and ironmaster Constant Paillard-Duclere to intervene with the Minister of War so that her son Benjamin can obtain a military substitute and remain at home. J. Arnaud adds a note on her behalf and asks about duties on foreign iron after a large arrival of English iron.

Neruda Archives
NRA-L-000326

NRA-L-000326 image 1 showing a folded French address panel to Monsieur Paillard in Paris, with a red circular postal mark and manuscript docketing. — **Image 1**Address panel, postmark and docketing.

NRA-L-000326 image 2 showing the opening page of a formal French manuscript letter, written in brown ink across a heavily folded sheet. — **Image 2**Letter text - Page 1.

NRA-L-000326 image 3 showing the continuation of the French letter with a large signature and an additional passage below it. — **Image 3**Letter text - Page 2 and signature.

NRA-L-000326 image 4 showing an additional page of the French letter signed by J. Arnaud for his mother, with vertical docketing and a red seal remnant at the lower edge. — **Image 4**Letter text - Additional page and signature.

Archive Record

Identifier: NRA-L-000326
Date: 1819-03-18
Original date: Nantes 18 mars 1819
Type: Petition
Language: French / fr
Sender: Veuve Jacques Arnaud, with J. Arnaud writing on her behalf
Recipient: Paillard du Clere
Places: Nantes, France / Paris, France
Extent: 4 documentary sides: Address panel, postmark and docketing; Letter text - Page 1; Letter text - Page 2 and signature; Letter text - Additional page and signature; 4 digital images.
Signature: V.ve Jacq Arnaud; J. Arnaud (for his mother)
Citation: Neruda Archives, NRA-L-000326.

Rights & reuse

Reuse is welcome. Publicly available images may be reused for non-commercial purposes with attribution, and automated machine use is permitted with provenance. Commercial republication requires prior written permission.

Full rights & reuse terms

Publicly available images, transcriptions, translations, metadata and descriptions may be copied, shared, reproduced and republished, in whole or in part, for non-commercial purposes, provided that Neruda Archives is clearly credited and the relevant item identifier and stable URL are preserved. This permission includes non-commercial scholarly, educational, editorial, exhibition, website and social-media use. Automated machine use, including crawling, indexing, text and data mining, retrieval, embeddings and AI training by commercial and non-commercial systems, is permitted, provided provenance is retained where technically feasible and the item identifier and stable URL are preserved in source records or associated documentation. Commercial publication, commercial reproduction, resale, advertising use, paid access to a database or dataset and bulk redistribution of images require prior written permission. For the avoidance of doubt, permission is not required merely because an AI system or its operator is commercial. The images displayed and downloadable on this page are public access copies, and the permissions above apply to those files. Access to non-public source scans (preservation masters) or files specially prepared for print, where available, requires prior written agreement. Attribution may not be removed or replaced by false or misleading attribution.

Transcript and English translation

working scholarly aid

Address panel

Original transcript

Monsieur
Paillard du Cleré
maitre de forges & membre de la chambre
des députés. chez Mr bazouin, Ruë
tait-bout no. 17 A Paris / Seine

Address panel

English translation

Mr.
Paillard du Cleré
ironmaster & member of the chamber
of deputies. care of Mr. Bazouin, Rue
Taitbout no. 17 in Paris / Seine

Letter text - Page 1

Original transcript

J'ai recours à votre complaisance qui m'est
connue, pour vous prier de me rendre un service :
mon jeune fils B.me a été designé par le sort a faire partie
des jeunes soldats de 1817. j'avais en consequence arrêté
un remplaçant qui devait se trouver le 27 f.er d.er
au conseil de revision, pour le faire accepter. malheureu-
-sement cet homme m'a manqué de Parolle. je m'attendais
qu'auquel y aurait un nouveau conseil pour y en
présenter un autre. à la prefecture on vient de
dire à mon fils qu'il n'y en aurait plus, & qu'on ne
pourrait se faire remplacer qu'au Corps, & encore
difficilement. il a obcervé qu'ici on avait pas la
même facilité qu'à paris; car dernierement Le
Ministre de la guerre a donné avis que les jeunes gens
qui avaient eu l'intention de se faire remplacer
& qui n'avaient pu jusqu'alors avaient encore
un nouveau delai jusqu'au 12 ct qu'on a
annoncé les jours de Conseil de revision, mais sans
dire & designer le dernier, passé lequel on ne
pourrait plus se faire remplacer. il avait donc
lieu d'en esperer un nouveau, surtout d'après
l'avis du Ministre. ils se trouvent plusieurs
personnes dans le même cas.
Je vous serais donc infiniment obligée de
solliciter auprès du Ministre l'obtenir que mon
fils Benjamin arnaud, designé sous le no 30. (4eme Canton
de nantes de la Classe de 1817) soit autorisé a faire accepter

Letter text - Page 1

English translation

I appeal to your well-known kindness and beg you to do me a service.
My young son Benjamin was drawn by lot as one of the conscripts of the class of 1817. I had accordingly engaged a substitute who was to appear before the review board on 27 February last for approval. Unfortunately, this man broke his word. I expected another board to be convened, so that I could present someone else. At the prefecture my son has just been told that there will be no further board and that a substitute can now be accepted only after he joins his unit, and even then with difficulty. He pointed out that we do not have the same opportunities here as in Paris, for the Minister of War recently announced that young men who had intended to provide substitutes but had so far been unable to do so were granted a further extension until the 12th of this month. The dates of the review boards had been announced, but it had not been stated which was the last, after which substitution would no longer be permitted. He therefore had reason to expect another board, especially in view of the Minister's notice. Several others are in the same position.
I should therefore be infinitely obliged if you would petition the Minister to authorise my son Benjamin Arnaud, drawn as No. 30 in the 4th Canton of Nantes in the class of 1817, to have his substitute accepted by the Loire-Inférieure Legion in Nantes, and to grant him the opportunity and time necessary to find another substitute if the first is rejected.

Letter text - Page 2 and signature

Original transcript

son remplaçant au Corps de la legion de la loire inf.re
a Nantes. & qu'on lui accorde la faculté &
le tems necessaire pour trouver un remplaçant au cas
de refus du premier.
Comme on a dit à mon fils que le 23 ct
on l'incorporait, je vous prie, de faire votre
possible pour que le Ministre l'autorise a rester chez
moi jusqu'à ce qu'il ait fourni un homme en s/ place
Veuillez S. V. P. exposer que c'est un fils de
veuve qu'il lui est indispensable. en mettant
tout l'empressement que je vous connais, vous
pourrez me rendre un service signale! excusez-moi
de toutes les peines que je vais vous causer
J'ai l'honneur de vous saluer avec consideration distinguée
V.ve Jacq Arnaud.

P. S. a l'instant je viens de voir un maire de nos Environs. qui m'a dit qu'il y avait eu un avis Ministerielle pour accorder un nouveau
delay aux Jeunes Gens. Mais qu'on ne leur avait pas fait connaitre
je suis faché que notre prefet n'ait pas sollicité du ministre un
dernier Conseil de Revision annoncé Expressement. si cela avait eu lieu
mon fils et plusieurs autres ne se trouveraient pas dans le même cas.
mais j'espere que par votre Entremise, on accordera un nouveau delay.
et qu'on donnera les mêmes facilités pour les Remplaçants. il est Bon
de vous observer qu'on n'a pas sollicités des temps auprès du conseil
et que la loi dit qu'on pourra en accorder sur l'advenance du
jeune soldat. [dernier mot illisible]

Letter text - Page 2 and signature

English translation

As my son was told that he would be incorporated on the 23rd of this month, I beg you to do your utmost to have the Minister authorise him to remain with me until he has provided a man in his place. Please explain that he is a widow's son and indispensable to her. With all the diligence I know you possess, you will be able to render me a very great service. Forgive me for all the trouble I am about to cause you.
I have the honour to greet you with the highest consideration.
Widow of Jacques Arnaud
P.S. I have just seen a mayor from the surrounding area, who told me that there had indeed been a ministerial notice granting young men a further extension, but that they had not been informed of it. I am sorry that our prefect did not ask the Minister for one final review board, expressly announced as such. Had that been done, my son and several others would not now be in the same position. But I hope that through your intervention a further extension will be granted and the same opportunities allowed for providing substitutes. I should point out that no extensions were requested from the board, and that the law says they may be granted upon the young soldier's arrival. [illegible]

Letter text - Additional page and signature

Original transcript

Pensez vous qu'il soit question du fer Etrangers. on demande
de plusieurs villes la diminution du droit d'entrée = si vous
connaissez quelques choses, veuillez m'en faire part. il vient
d'arriver dans ce mois 800000 k fer anglais.

Du moment de mettre ma lettre à la poste. je viens de recevoir
la lettre de mise en activité de mon fils, pour se presenter le
21 ct. je vais solliciter du retard: dans l'attente de votre prompte
Reponse. je vous salue de coeur
J. Arnaud
Pour ma mère

Letter text - Additional page and signature

English translation

Is anything being discussed concerning foreign iron? Several towns are asking for the import duty to be reduced. If you know anything, please tell me. This month alone, 800,000 kilograms of English iron have arrived.
Just as I was about to post my letter, I received my son's call-up notice, requiring him to report on the 21st of this month. I shall apply for a postponement. Awaiting your prompt reply, I send you heartfelt greetings.
J. Arnaud
For my mother

Later manuscript record

Original transcript

Répondu le 24 mars.

Later manuscript record

English translation

Answered 24 March.

Discovery Terms

Military conscription
Military substitutes
Widows
Political patronage
Iron trade
Import duties
Benjamin Arnaud
Constant Paillard-Duclere
Nantes
Paris

Transcriptions and English translations are provided as working scholarly aids, not as replacements for the images of the original documents. Some readings may remain uncertain, especially where handwriting, spelling, damage, abbreviations, names or places are difficult.

Some transcriptions and translations may be prepared with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed by Neruda Archives before publication. Better readings, corrections and alternative translations are welcome when they are supported by the manuscript image, context or reliable sources.

When suggesting a correction, please include the item ID, the relevant line or image area, the proposed reading or translation, and the evidence for it.

Suggest a better reading or correction

Relevant line or image area Proposed reading or translation Evidence or reason

Your name Your email

Your name and email are optional. Personal data is used only to assess, document and, where possible, respond to this correction. See the Privacy Notice.