Marie-Jean Hérault de Séchelles b. 20 Oct 1759, Paris d. 5 Apr 1794, Paris Title: Président de la Convention nationale (President of the National Convention) Term: 1 Nov 1792 - 15 Nov 1792 Chronology: 1 Nov 1792, elected, assumed the chair immediately upon the proclamation of election, session of the Convention, Salle du Manège, Paris [1] 15 Nov 1792, ceased to exercise the functions of office upon the election of a successor [2] Term: 8 Aug 1793 - 22 Aug 1793 Chronology: 8 Aug 1793, elected, session of the National Convention, salle des Machines, Palais national des Tuileries, Paris [3] 9 Aug 1793, assumed the chair, session of the National Convention, salle des Machines, Palais national des Tuileries, Paris [3] 22 Aug 1793, ceased to exercise the functions of office upon the election of a successor [4] Other offices: Président de l'Assemblée nationale (President of the National Assembly) (2 Sep 1792 - 16 Sep 1792) [see details] Biography: Son of a military officer and grandson of lieutenant-general of the Paris police; studied law and was admitted to the bar at the Châtelet, the seat of common-law jurisdiction (1777); was introduced to Queen Marie-Antoinette, spouse of King Louis XVI, whose protection helped him to be named (1785) attorney general of the Parlement of Paris; elected (16 Sep 1791) as a representative of Paris to the Assemblée nationale (National Assembly) (1791-1792); joined the faction of radical left deputies; served as Vice President (20 Aug 1792 - 2 Sep 1792) and President (2 Sep 1792 - 16 Sep 1792) of the National Assembly; was appointed a member of the Commission extraordinaire des Douze (Extraordinary Commission of Twelve) (13 Aug 1792 - 21 Sep 1792); elected to the Convention nationale (National Convention) (1792-1794) by two départements, opted for Seine-et-Oise; sat with the Montagnards; served two terms as President of the National Convention (4 Oct 1792 - 18 Oct 1792, 8 Aug 1793 - 22 Aug 1793); was elected a member of the Comité de sûreté générale (Committee of General Security) (17 Oct 1792 - 9 Jan 1793); sent on missions to Alsace and Haute-Savoie (1792-1793); was absent during the trial of Louis XVI, but supported the condemnation of the king; elected a member of the Comité de salut public (Committee of Public Safety) (30 May 1793 - 29 Dec 1793); presided over the Feast of Unity and Indivisibility and solemn acceptance of the Constitution in Paris (10 Aug 1793); served as representative of the Convention to the département of Haut-Rhin (26 Oct 1793 - 11 Dec 1793); was one of the authors of the Constitution of 1793; accused of plotting with royalists, submitted resignation as a member of the Committee of Public Safety (29 Dec 1793) to the National Convention; arrested (15 Mar 1794) and sentenced to death (5 Apr 1794) along with Georges Danton, Jean-François Delacroix, Camille Desmoulins and others. Biographical sources: Dictionnaire des Conventionnels, 330-333; Dictionnaire des parlementaires français 1789-1889, 3:339-341. Elections: Candidate Votes (1 Nov 1792) Marie-Jean Hérault de Séchelles absolute majority (2nd ballot) Jean-Paul Rabaut, dit Rabaut Saint-Etienne n/a Candidate Votes (8 Aug 1793) Marie-Jean Hérault de Séchelles 165 voters 236 Source of electoral results: Archives parlementaires - Série 1, 53:108; Archives parlementaires - Série 1, 70:531. [1] Archives parlementaires - Série 1, 53:108. [2] Archives parlementaires - Série 1, 53:429; Procès-verbal de la Convention nationale, 3:190. [3] Archives parlementaires - Série 1, 70:531. [4] Archives parlementaires - Série 1, 72:638; Procès-verbal de la Convention nationale, 19:160. Image: portrait by Jean-Louis Laneuville. Last updated on: 03 Oct 2013 20:00:00; URL: www.archontology.org/nations/france/convention_1792_95/herault.php
