Village Notables in Nineteenth-Century France: Priests, Mayors, Schoolmasters

Barnett Singer

Jun 1983 · State University of New York Press

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Local priests, mayors, and schoolmasters have often been portrayed by French novelists as objects of ridicule. In reality, however, the village notables gave norms to the villagers in their communities and personified the community's values. The influence of village notables and the values they preached and personified ensure their importance in any view of French rural history. Their world was already in transition towards modernity, and they both guided and impeded the process.

Village Notables in Nineteenth-Century France tells who these notables were, where they came from, what they thought, what influence they had in local society, how they competed with each other for village hegemony or enhanced status, and what problems they endured. The book is a lively account, solidly based on extensive archival research and other primary sources. It gives the reader a feel for the era and the milieu.

Autoren-Profil

Barnett Singer is Assistant Professor of History at the University of Victoria, Canada. He has published several books and numerous articles on topics in modern French history.