Jean-Jacques Renouard de Villayer
Encyclopedia
Jean-Jacques Renouard, seigneur de Villayer (June 24, 1607 in Nantes
– March 5, 1691 in Paris
) was a member of the French
Conseil d'État, which had been delegated special legal authorities by the absolutist reigning King Louis XIV
.
In 1653 as the tenant of the Paris City Post, Renouard de Villayer ordered letter box
es to be set up at different places in Paris. Letters, prepaid with a uniform postage of 1 sol
, could be put in these boxes and were then delivered inside of the city within the same day. The receipts (billet de port payé), which were issued for this purpose and had to be attached to the letters as postage, are considered to be early precursors of the postage stamp
. There are no examples still existing today. The so-called Petite Poste was an economic failure, but was later successfully imitated in other Europe
an cities (for example by the London Penny Post
as of 1680).
In 1659, Renouard de Villayer became a member of the Académie française
, succeeding Abel Servien
.
In 1944, the family coat of arms of Renouard de Villayer was depicted on a commemorative stamp by the French post on the occasion of the Day of the Postage Stamp.
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
– March 5, 1691 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
) was a member of the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Conseil d'État, which had been delegated special legal authorities by the absolutist reigning King Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
.
In 1653 as the tenant of the Paris City Post, Renouard de Villayer ordered letter box
Letter box
A letter box, letterbox, letter plate, letter hole, mail slot, or mailbox is a receptacle for receiving incoming mail at a private residence or business...
es to be set up at different places in Paris. Letters, prepaid with a uniform postage of 1 sol
Solidus (coin)
The solidus was originally a gold coin issued by the Romans, and a weight measure for gold more generally, corresponding to 4.5 grams.-Roman and Byzantine coinage:...
, could be put in these boxes and were then delivered inside of the city within the same day. The receipts (billet de port payé), which were issued for this purpose and had to be attached to the letters as postage, are considered to be early precursors of the postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
. There are no examples still existing today. The so-called Petite Poste was an economic failure, but was later successfully imitated in other Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an cities (for example by the London Penny Post
Penny Post
The Penny Post is any one of several postal systems in which normal letters could be sent for one penny.-London Penny Post:In England, the Post Office had a monopoly on the collection and carriage of letters between post towns but there was no delivery system until the London Penny Post was...
as of 1680).
In 1659, Renouard de Villayer became a member of the Académie française
Académie française
L'Académie française , also called the French Academy, is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language. The Académie was officially established in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister to King Louis XIII. Suppressed in 1793 during the French Revolution,...
, succeeding Abel Servien
Abel Servien
Abel Servien, marquis de Sablé et de Boisdauphin, comte de Roche-Servien and comte de La Roche des Aubiers was a French diplomat who served Cardinal Mazarin and signed for the French at the Treaty of Westphalia...
.
In 1944, the family coat of arms of Renouard de Villayer was depicted on a commemorative stamp by the French post on the occasion of the Day of the Postage Stamp.