Lot 34
NAPOLEON BONAPARTE & LOUIS XVIII Documents, two signed by Napoleon, relating to Pierre Sulpice Abert [or Habert] (5)
Amended
7 – 20 June 2024, 12:00 BST
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NAPOLEON BONAPARTE & LOUIS XVIII
Collection of five documents, two signed by Napoleon, relating to the military career of Pierre Sulpice Abert [or Habert as here] (b.1758), comprising:
i) Document signed ("Napoleon"), a grant of arms conferring the title of Baron of the Empire on Pierre Sulpice Habert, counter-signed by the Arch-Chamberlain Jean-Jacques-Régis de Cambacérès, engraved imperial heading and text with manuscript insertions, gouache depiction of the arms upper left, docketed and annotated at upper corners on verso, bearing large pendant imperial wax seal affixed with green and grey ribbon, one sheet of vellum, dust-staining and marks, rubbed, seal cracked and slightly worn but otherwise intact, 440 x 585mm., seal 124mm. diameter, St. Cloud, 29 August 1810; together with original skippet-cum-tube that contained the brevet;
ii) Commission signed ("Bonaparte"), as first consul, confirming Pierre Sulpice Habert as a Lieutenant of the first regiment of carabiniers, detailing his ranks and campaign service, countersigned by Marshal Alexandre Berthier, as Minister of War and Hugues Maret as Secretary of State, engraved with manuscript insertions, embossed paper seal, one page, on vellum, dust-staining 330 x 240mm., St Cloud, 21 Prairial Year 11 [21 May 1802];
iii) Document issued by the Commission of Titles regarding the investiture of Pierre Sulpice Habert, "Capitaine au premièr Regiment des Carabiniers, première division de la grosse Cavalerie, Officier de la Légion d'honneur", to the title of Baron, signed by Arch-Chamberlain Jean-Jacques-Régis de Cambacérès, mentioning a grant of property and revenue to the value of over 4,000 fr., 4 pages printed with manuscript insertions and 4 pages manuscript, stamp of Départment de la Seine, 8 pages on vellum, sewn, dust-staining and marks, water stained, 290 x 212mm., Paris, 21 September 1810;
iv) Discharge certificate of Pierre Sulpice Habert, 1778 to 1814, outlining his positions and campaign service, record of wounds and health and reasons for leaving, printed with manuscript insertions, one page printed recto and verso, dust-staining, tears and marks, torn into two pieces, creased and stained, edges frayed, old tape repairs, c.260 x 410mm., Luneville, 15 July 1814;
v) Certificate of appointment of an Officer of the Légion d'Honneur, presented to Baron Pierre Sulpice Habert, signed by the King ("Louis"), countersigned by the Grand Chancellor and Secretary General, embossed paper seal, engraved by Ad. Godefroy with manuscript insertions, one page on vellum, dust-staining and marks, 432 x 515mm., Chateau des Tuileries, 22 December 1821 (5)
i) Document signed ("Napoleon"), a grant of arms conferring the title of Baron of the Empire on Pierre Sulpice Habert, counter-signed by the Arch-Chamberlain Jean-Jacques-Régis de Cambacérès, engraved imperial heading and text with manuscript insertions, gouache depiction of the arms upper left, docketed and annotated at upper corners on verso, bearing large pendant imperial wax seal affixed with green and grey ribbon, one sheet of vellum, dust-staining and marks, rubbed, seal cracked and slightly worn but otherwise intact, 440 x 585mm., seal 124mm. diameter, St. Cloud, 29 August 1810; together with original skippet-cum-tube that contained the brevet;
ii) Commission signed ("Bonaparte"), as first consul, confirming Pierre Sulpice Habert as a Lieutenant of the first regiment of carabiniers, detailing his ranks and campaign service, countersigned by Marshal Alexandre Berthier, as Minister of War and Hugues Maret as Secretary of State, engraved with manuscript insertions, embossed paper seal, one page, on vellum, dust-staining 330 x 240mm., St Cloud, 21 Prairial Year 11 [21 May 1802];
iii) Document issued by the Commission of Titles regarding the investiture of Pierre Sulpice Habert, "Capitaine au premièr Regiment des Carabiniers, première division de la grosse Cavalerie, Officier de la Légion d'honneur", to the title of Baron, signed by Arch-Chamberlain Jean-Jacques-Régis de Cambacérès, mentioning a grant of property and revenue to the value of over 4,000 fr., 4 pages printed with manuscript insertions and 4 pages manuscript, stamp of Départment de la Seine, 8 pages on vellum, sewn, dust-staining and marks, water stained, 290 x 212mm., Paris, 21 September 1810;
iv) Discharge certificate of Pierre Sulpice Habert, 1778 to 1814, outlining his positions and campaign service, record of wounds and health and reasons for leaving, printed with manuscript insertions, one page printed recto and verso, dust-staining, tears and marks, torn into two pieces, creased and stained, edges frayed, old tape repairs, c.260 x 410mm., Luneville, 15 July 1814;
v) Certificate of appointment of an Officer of the Légion d'Honneur, presented to Baron Pierre Sulpice Habert, signed by the King ("Louis"), countersigned by the Grand Chancellor and Secretary General, embossed paper seal, engraved by Ad. Godefroy with manuscript insertions, one page on vellum, dust-staining and marks, 432 x 515mm., Chateau des Tuileries, 22 December 1821 (5)
Footnotes
A MILITARY CAREER FROM EMPIRE TO RESTAURATION.
These documents chart the military career of Pierre Sulpice Abert (b.1758), captain of the first regiment of carabiniers, of Noisy-le-Grand, near Paris, a career which began in Napoleon's empire and ended under the restored King Louis XVIII. Although his name is spelt Habert on all five documents, the document conferring a Barony upon him bears the arms of Abert, depicting a rearing horse, three horseshoes and a sword, as befits his military career. This administrative error perhaps arose from a confusion with his contemporary and near name-sake Pierre-Joseph Habert (1773-1825), who received his barony in July 1811 and who became one of Napoleon's most distinguished generals.
Once secure as Emperor, Napoleon established his own order of nobility and, under a constitutional decree of 1808 established the right to confer titles to those that had distinguished themselves for the benefit of the state, ironically perhaps giving the new 'nobility' the same titles as the old. Napoleon was to grant over 2,000 titles over the course of his imperial reign, and the title of Baron was granted to some 1,000 individuals including bishops and mayors of large cities. It was created on 1 March 1808, thus putting Aubert in the first wave of loyal subjects to be conferred with that honour. The barony '...included a desire to raise the recipient and their family both socially and financially, though the recipient had already to be wealthy. For the rank of Baron, for example, the recipients had to prove income higher than 15,000 francs per year...' (napoleon.org). As can be seen from these papers, the new social system was managed by the Conseil du sceau (or Privy Seal Council), led by Jean-Jacques-Régis de Cambacérès, the signatory on two of our documents.
Saleroom notices
The Bonaparte signature on the second document listed, the commission, is secretarial.