Marie-Jean Hérault de Séchelles

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 Savoy (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); 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. Biography source: [2]