Biography of Le Tourneur, Étienne-François - Archontology
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Le Tourneur, Étienne-François

Étienne-François-Louis-Honoré Le Tourneur, dit Le Tourneur (de la Manche)

b. 15 Mar 1751, Granville, Manche, France [1]
d. 4 Oct 1817, Laeken, Kingdom of the Netherlands (now in Belgium)

Title: Président de la Convention nationale (President of the National Convention)
Term: 6 Jan 1795 - 20 Jan 1795
Chronology: 6 Jan 1795, elected, session of the National Convention, salle des Machines, Palais national des Tuileries, Paris [2]
7 Jan 1795, assumed the chair, session of the National Convention, salle des Machines, Palais national des Tuileries, Paris [2]
20 Jan 1795, ceased to exercise the functions of office upon the election of a successor [3]
Names/titles: Surname also spelled as: Letourneur; the order of given names also found as: Charles-François-Louis-Honoré
Membre du Directoire exécutif de la République française (Member of the Executive Directory of the French Republic) (2 Nov 1795 - 26 May 1797) [see details]; Président du Directoire exécutif de la République française (President of the Executive Directory of the French Republic) (31 Jan 1796 - 30 Apr 1796, 30 Apr 1797 - 26 May 1797) [see details]
Biography:
Educated as engineer (1770); held the rank of captain since 1778 and was attached to the port of Cherbourg; elected to the Assemblée nationale (National Assembly) (1791-1792) as a deputy for the département of Manche; participated in strengthening the French navy and was transferred to the East Pyrenees army; elected to the Convention nationale (National Convention) (1792-1795), representing the département of Manche; as a Convention member, entered the committee for war and carried out a number of missions in the army and navy; joined the Comité de salut public (Committee of Public Safety) (2 Aug 1795 - 4 Nov 1795) and was put in charge of war affairs and diplomacy; served as President of the National Convention (6 Jan 1795 - 20 Jan 1795); elected (1 Nov 1795) one of the original members of the Directoire exécutif (Executive Directory); two times served as President of the Executive Directory (31 Jan 1796 - 30 Apr 1796, 30 Apr 1797 - 26 May 1797); selected for replacement (19 May 1797) according to the provisions of the Constitution of 1795 and gave up his seat in the Executive Directory (26 May 1797); created brigade general and minister plenipotentiary to negotiate a peace treaty with England at Lille; after the coup of 18 Fructidor (4 Sep 1797), recalled and remained politically inactive; during the Consulate was appointed (2 Mar 1800) préfet of Loire-Inférieure; retired in the rank of general (1802), granted a pension and named a councilor in the court of audits; banished as regicide (1816) and died in exile.
Biographical sources: Dictionnaire des Conventionnels, 405-406; Dictionnaire des parlementaires français 1789-1889, 4:140-141; "Étienne-François-Louis-Honoré Le Tourneur: le Normand qui a gouverné la France", by Robert Sinsoilliez (Condé-sur-Noireau: C. Corlet, 2002).

[1] Le Tourneur was born 15 Mar 1751 and provisionally baptised on the same day at Granville. The rite of baptism was performed at the church of Notre-Dame in Versailles 12 Jul 1762 as is evident from his baptismal record preserved in the Archives of the Yvelines département, register of baptisms, church of Notre-Dame in Versailles, 1762, f. 50.
[2] Procès-verbal de la Convention nationale, 53:32; Feuille de la République, N° 109, Nonidi 19 Nivôse, l'an III de la République française, une et indivisible, p. 1; Mercure français, N°. 23, Du quintidi 25 Nivose, l'an troisieme de la République (Mercredi 14 janvier 1795, vieux style), p. 342.
[3] Procès-verbal de la Convention nationale, 53:33; Moniteur universel, N° 124, Quartidi 4 pluviôse, l'an 3 de la République Française une et indivisible (v. 23 Janvier 1795, v. st.), p. 512.
Image: portrait by Jean-Baptist-François Desoria, 1796.