Martin-Michel-Charles Gaudin
Encyclopedia
Martin-Michel-Charles Gaudin, 1st Duc de Gaete
(19 January 1756 – 5 November 1841) was a French statesman, Napoleon I Bonaparte's Minister of Finances from November 1799 to March 1814, including the Cent Jours following Napoleon's return from Elba.
(Seine département) in 1756.
After Napoleon made him his Minister of Finance, where he held office until 1814, Gaudin organised the French direct contributions, reintroduced direct taxes ("droits réunis"), founded the Banque de France
and the Cour des comptes
, and set up the first cadaster, or record of land ownership as a basis of taxation. He was rewarded in 1809 with the duché grand-fief of Gaeta, in the then-Fernch controlled kingdom of Naples
; effectively, this was a life peerage, nominal but of high rank. During his Cent Jours return, Bonaparte reserved a seat for Gaudin in the planned imperial Chamber of Peers, but that never materialised.
After the Bourbon restoration, he was deputy for the Aisne département, sitting with the constitutional party.
In 1820 he became governor of the Banque de France.
He died in the Gennevilliers
chateau, near Paris, in 1841. He left his Memoirs, Opinions and Writings.
Gaeta
Gaeta is a city and comune in the province of Latina, in Lazio, central Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is 120 km from Rome and 80 km from Naples....
(19 January 1756 – 5 November 1841) was a French statesman, Napoleon I Bonaparte's Minister of Finances from November 1799 to March 1814, including the Cent Jours following Napoleon's return from Elba.
Biography
Gaudin was born in Saint-DenisSaint-Denis
Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis....
(Seine département) in 1756.
After Napoleon made him his Minister of Finance, where he held office until 1814, Gaudin organised the French direct contributions, reintroduced direct taxes ("droits réunis"), founded the Banque de France
Banque de France
The Banque de France is the central bank of France; it is linked to the European Central Bank . Its main charge is to implement the interest rate policy of the European System of Central Banks...
and the Cour des comptes
Cour des Comptes
The Court of Audit is a quasi-judicial body of the French government charged with conducting financial and legislative audits of most public institutions and some private institutions, including the central Government, national public corporations, social security agencies , and public services...
, and set up the first cadaster, or record of land ownership as a basis of taxation. He was rewarded in 1809 with the duché grand-fief of Gaeta, in the then-Fernch controlled kingdom of Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
; effectively, this was a life peerage, nominal but of high rank. During his Cent Jours return, Bonaparte reserved a seat for Gaudin in the planned imperial Chamber of Peers, but that never materialised.
After the Bourbon restoration, he was deputy for the Aisne département, sitting with the constitutional party.
In 1820 he became governor of the Banque de France.
He died in the Gennevilliers
Gennevilliers
Gennevilliers is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:On 9 April 1929, one-fifth of the territory of Gennevilliers was detached and became the commune of Villeneuve-la-Garenne.-Transport:...
chateau, near Paris, in 1841. He left his Memoirs, Opinions and Writings.
Sources
- Larousse (undated French encyclopaedia, early 20th century)
- Heraldica.org- Napoleonic heraldry