Summary
Summary French society under the Ancien Regime
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- Depth Study
- Institution
- AQA
Notes on French society under the Ancien Regime, including estates.
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Estate Numbers Differences within the Estate Responsibilities Privileges(27mill
population)
First Clergy: Not all members of the first estate were rich: Regarded as essential to the nation’s well-being not required to pay the taille- main
approx Cardinals, archbishops + bishops came by carrying out vital religious duties: French direct tax direct tax=
150,000 from ranks of nobility + lived lifestyle administering Mass taken from individuals, indirect= on
(all male) comparable to secular counterparts hearing confessions goods/services
Majority of clergy had much less performing christenings, marriages and allowed to meet in own assemblies
flamboyant lifestyle and some were much last rites to decide own affairs + offer a
poorer than their own parishioners controlled education lump sum- a don gratuit- to king
provided care for sick and elderly could only be prosecuted in own
pulpit used as mean of conveying royal church courts
messages couldn’t be asked to perform
had extensive powers of censorship military services or provide money
for or billet (house) royal troops
Second Nobility: Their wealth and lifestyles varied according to: required to serve and advise their king right to display a coat of arms
approx size of their holdings + what other income owned between 1/5 and ¼ of French right to take precedence at public
200,000- they had acquired through pensions, land- lived off the rents of their landed ceremonies
400,000 offices and sinecures, or by purchasing estates in law, had right to be beheaded
offices ambassadors+ councillors rather than hanged if found guilty
Large amount of nobles’ wealth came from performed legal and administrative of capital offence
‘unearned income’ earnings from rents or duties financial privileges- didn’t pay taille
investments + had exemptions or lower rate of
Noblesse d’épée- only nobles to wear sword: assessment for other direct taxes
hereditary nobility; those in residence at many managed to avoid indirect
Versailles able to access royal patronage + taxes or paid only tiny proportion
served as ambassadors and councillors, of income
others lived in manor houses in provinces;
group had titles- duc + baron + included
members of king’s own family
some of provincial hereditary had become
impoverished over years yet clung to
status and privileges
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