Jean Crommelin (1603-1659), husband of Rachel Tacquelet
and owner of the large Crommelin Linen Works at St. Quentin, France

This old document was sent to us recently by Maryse Trannois. Dated 1657, it contains a notarized agreement that discusses the repayment terms of a loan made by Jean Crommelin of St. Quentin to another businessman living in Guise. The loan was now several years overdue and Jean Crommelin, being the creditor, sought to have repayments and interest formalized and made legally binding.

Our thanks to Carol Larrey in Pau, France for taking the trouble to locate someone who can decipher the old French. Mr. Philippe Chareyre, a history professor in Pau, kindly made a fine transcription of the old handwriting, and Miff Crommelin has translated this into English. We appreciate the fact that scholars in France are still able to read and decipher documents written in old French!

Although this document has little historical significance, it does show how early family members in France were quite wealthy and therefore able to make sizeable loans for the advancement of the economy in Picardy. Besides being astute businessmen and entrepreneurs, they also had the instincts to become successful bankers.

Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge.

TRANSCRIPTION:

Fut present en sa personne Jean Dumangeot marchand demeurant en ceste ville de Guise, lequel a recognu debvoir et promest payer a honnorable homme Jean Crommelin marchand demeurant a St Quentin et acceptant par honnorable homme Louis Crommelin son filz aussy marchand demeurant audit lieu, fondé de procuration d’icelluy en datte du vingtiesme de ce mois, passé pardevant Nocquet et Laube, nottaires royaux audit St-Quentin, la somme de six cens livres tz (tournois), laquelle ledit Dumangeot fist obligation volontairement de payer audit sieur Crommelin en quatre payemens esgaux dont le premier payement montant a cent cinquante livres eschera au vingt deuxiesme jour de mars prochain, et les autres payemens de trois mois en trois mois consecutifs, et ce pour demeurer quitte par ledit Dumangeot de la somme de dix huit cens soixante six livres dont il estoit redevable par sa promesse passee au proffit dudit sieur Crommelin le troisiesme juin seize cent quarante huit.

Moyennant le payement de laquelle somme de six cens livres ledit Demangeot demeurera quitte et deschargé du contenu en ladite promesse suivant l’estrait et acord qu’il en a fait ce jourdhuy avec ledit sieur Louis Crommelin procureur en vertu du pouvoir a luy donné par ladite procuration, et moyennant quoy aussy ledit Dumangeot a renoncé, comme il fait par ces présentes, au benefices des lettres de respy qu’il avoit obtenues, et n’entend s’en ayder ny prevaloir soit d’icelles ou d’aultres a l’advenir, ny aux jugemens intervenus en consequences de celles quy avoient esté cy-devant obtenues.

Et pour seurté plus grande du payement de la somme est intervenu François Dumangeot aussy marchand demeurant audit Guise, lequel après avoir declaré du contenu cy dessus, a volontairement declaré qu’il se constituoit caution dudit Jean Dumangeot son père et par effect s’est obligé et oblige solidairement et par corps avec ledit Jean Demangeot sans aucune division et discussion au payement de ladite somme, renonçant par cest effect aux benefices desdits droits sans y …. …. Et consentant …… et les deffences et renonciations etc…

Fait et passé à Guise pardevant nous nottaires royaux au baillage de Vermandois residens audit Guise soubsignés, le sabmedy vingt deuxiesme jour de decembre mil six cens cinquante sept après midy. Soub les seings desdits Dumangeot et dudit Louis Crommelin procureur quy est de present ? en ceste ville de Guise.

TRANSLATION:

Appearing in person, Jean Dumangeot, merchant living in this city of Guise, one who promises to pay to the gentleman, Jean Crommelin, merchant living at St. Quentin, and acting on his behalf the gentleman, Louis Crommelin his son, also a merchant living in the said place, by an agreement dated the twentieth of this month, passed before Nocquet & Laube, royal notaries of the said St. Quentin, the sum of six hundred livres interest which the said Dumangeot willingly declared to pay to Mr. Crommelin in four equal payments of which the first instalment shall be 150 livres payable on the 22nd day of March next, and the other payments to be made every three months consecutively thereafter on a loan of 1866 livres made by the said Dumangeot with a promise to pay which passed to the profit of the said Mr. Crommelin on the 3rd of June sixteen hundred and forty-eight.

By paying this sum of six hundred livres the said Dumangeot will remain left to discharge the principal of the said loan following the terms and accord he made today with the said Mr. Louis Crommelin, proxy, under his power of attorney, and by which means also the said Dumangeot has waived, as he has done by these presents, any expectations of reprieve from letters which he had obtained, and does not expect any reduction to prevail either in these or others in the future, nor in the intercessory judgments and consequences of letters that had been obtained previously.

And for increased assurance, payment of the sum is underwritten by Francois Dumangeot, also a merchant living in Guise, who after having affirmed the contents of the above, has willingly declared that he will provide guarantees for the said Jean Dumangeot, his father, and is in effect obligated jointly and bodily with the said Jean Dumangeot without any reservation or discussion as to the payment of the said sum, renouncing by these effects any expectations or rights without reservation and consenting to all penalties and waivers etc.

Prepared and passed at Guise before us, the undersigned royal notaries of the district of Vermandois, this afternoon of Saturday the twenty-second day of December (April?) 1657 and in the presence of the undersigned, the said Dumangeot and the said Louis Crommelin, attorney, who is at present in this city of Guise.

(Signed)
J. Dumangeot
Louis Crommelin
F. Dumangeot
Letellier
Luppette