De Lévis family papers

The de Lévis Family papers are mostly concerned with Gaston-François-Christophe de Lévis, duc de Ventadour (1794-1863). They contain legal documents, letters, court decisions, and other miscellaneous papers bearing directly with his inheritance case brought to court on Jan.29th,1831, and its later developments. The inheritance consists of certain estates in Martinique, originally the property of the d'Alesso family, de Lévis' grand-grandparents on his mother's side.

There are also manuscripts concerning many other members of both families, which bear directly or indirectly on the de Lévis case. These, however, come chronologically earlier and cover a span of about a century; from 1707 to circa 1810. Those after this date have to do with de Lévis' various affairs.

The documents first to be consulted are the printed booklet called "Mémoire" and all the other manuscripts to be found in the first Box, in the "Documents" folder. Therein are also included two charts of the de Lévis estates and a manuscript bearing the title "Note historique". For the sake of convenience, agenealogical table has been drawn based on this and other manuscripts. Shortbiographies about de Lévis' grandfather, father, and himself can be found in the 22nd vol. of La Grande Encyclopédie; Paris; Lamirault et Cie., eds; 1895-1896.

From the second folder on, material has been arranged chronologically and, wherever possible, according to content. (Thus, for example, the letters to the duc of de Lévis occupy a different folder than those by himself.) The first and earliest set of manuscripts are about Mme d'Ampus, presumably the first proprietor of the estates. These later on pass to M. Fabry and to M. Boutin from whom they are finally bought by the d'Alesso familiy. The other people under whose names the consequent manuscripts have been filed are members of the family to be found in the genealogical table.