Abraham Peyrenc de Moras

Abraham Peyrenc de Moras
Born	1684 Near Le Vigan, France
Died	1732-11-20
Occupation(s)	Financier, banker, nobleman
Known for	Rise from humble origins to nobility; financier during early 18th century France; chief advisor to Duchess of Bourbon; King's Commissioner for the French East India Company

Abraham Peyrenc de Moras (1684 – 20 November 1732) was a French financier who, originating from humble beginnings, attained noble status in 1720, illustrating the potential for social advancement in 18th-century Paris. His lineage featured a grandfather engaged in hat trade and a father who practiced as a licensed surgeon and tax official. Abraham’s rise was driven by calculated partnerships and sharp business insight.

Pivotal encounters

Born in 1684 as the fourth offspring of the Peyrenc family, Abraham was baptized as a Protestant near Le Vigan. His father, who worked as a rural surgeon and barber, acquired a royal secretary position along with property in Saint-Cyr. Some of his siblings relocated to England due to religious persecution. Around 1703, Abraham departed Le Vigan, possibly seeking refuge in Geneva where he forged connections with the Bégon banking dynasty—an experience that likely sparked his financial ambitions—or alternatively began his professional journey in Lyon collaborating with merchant Simon Le Clerc. Eventually, he settled in Paris, converted to Catholicism, and amassed considerable fortune.

According to his biographer, Abraham’s early devout Huguenot beliefs gradually gave way to aspirations for wealth and status once he integrated into Parisian elite circles.

A well-known story recounts Abraham’s arrival in Paris as a young barber’s apprentice, quickly earning the confidence of François-Marie Fargès, a prosperous supplier to the king’s military forces. Abraham advanced to become Fargès’ secretary and trusted aide before marrying his daughter, Anne-Marie-Josèphe de Fargès. This union produced three children, including François Marie Peyrenc de Moras, who later served as controller-general of finances under Louis XV.

Emulating his father-in-law—who had progressed from contractor to royal supplier—Abraham capitalized on this connection to significantly enhance his wealth and social standing through contracts supplying the crown.

Fargès Company as a gateway to finance

During Louis XIV’s reign, military conflicts generated contracts awarded to groups known as "purveyors" ("munitionnaires"), responsible for provisioning soldiers with bread, fodder, horses, foodstuffs, and clothing. These agreements frequently amounted to millions of Pounds, though munitionnaires typically received only about one-quarter of the total value. Compensation was facilitated by bills of exchange backed by the War Treasury. Purveyors arranged pricing with food producers using these financial instruments.

Although formally established in 1710, Fargès’ enterprise had earlier origins and expanded beyond supply into banking activities, extending large loans. By 1707, it had claims totaling four million Pounds against the Comptroller General of Finance. The company prospered through an extensive international network of subcontractors and bankers who managed currency exchanges and credit lines. Nonetheless, delays in payments from Secretary of State Daniel Voysin de la Noiraye in 1712 and 1715 caused treasury liquidity problems leading to temporary payment halts. Despite these setbacks, Fargès profited by trading War Treasury bills. After Louis XIV’s death in 1715, Abraham faced fears of prosecution amid the Regent’s anti-corruption measures; he was heavily taxed—over two million Pounds—and briefly exiled to England before returning to rejuvenate business alongside Fargès.

To restore the Royal Treasury’s solvency, the Regent supported Scotsman John Law, who launched a joint-stock private bank in Paris in 1717. Law’s innovative financial system included establishing the French East India Company, aimed at exploiting Louisiana’s resources. Shares purchased with gold or government notes soared from an initial value of 150 up to 10,000 Pounds. The bank secured royal endorsement and exclusive rights to mint coins.

Wealth Accumulation via the 'Système de Law'

Fargès contributed one million Pounds to the French East India Company and played a significant role in the Mississippi scheme. Prior to the 1720 financial crash, he divested his shares and converted 27 million in Letters of Exchange during the Opération du visa, receiving 20 million in new bonds in return. Utilizing his fortune, he acquired two royal secretary positions—one for himself and another for his father.

Similarly, Abraham Peyrenc flourished, emerging as a prominent banker by 1719 before transitioning into public service. In 1720, he secured a royal secretary post and was granted nobility. Aspiring to join the noblesse de robe, he engaged in studies of Latin and Law and purchased an expensive council of State office for over 200,000 Pounds. Between 1720 and 1722, he acted as an advisor at the Parlement de Metz and subsequently as maître des requêtes. Winning the confidence of Louise Françoise de Bourbon, Duchess of Bourbon, he became her chief advisor in 1723. That same year, he entered the Prime Minister’s office overseeing the Indies and was appointed chief Inspector. His career reached its zenith in 1731 when he was designated King's Commissioner for the company—answerable directly to the Controller General of Finances and effectively managing company operations.

His portrait housed at the Musée cévenol serves as a testament to his social rise and noble standing. Attributed to either Nicolas de Largillière or Hyacinthe Rigaud, it merges formal grandeur with psychological insight. Depicted amiably clad in silk velvet with lace trimmings, Abraham Peyrenc, marquis of Moras, is portrayed emphasizing character over wealth or official rank. His coat of arms incorporates gold nuggets and ornate bands symbolizing his origins from le Vigan and his personal journey.

Acquisition of Estates and Properties

Following his retirement with amassed wealth, Peyrenc strategically invested over 2.7 million pounds from 1719 to 1730 in various lordships and real estate assets, expanding his territorial influence through opportunistic purchases.

On August 5, 1719, he obtained the lordship of Moras near La Ferté-sous-Jouarre in Brie for 118,400 pounds, which conferred upon him his noble title and family name "Peyrenc de Moras." Later that year, he acquired lands and titles from creditors of the Viscount of Polignac valued at 546,000 pounds, encompassing estates across Ardèche and other regions. His acquisitions included a substantial residence near Paris at Montfermeil, the Barony of Peyrat, building plots at Place Louis-le-Grand (currently Place Vendôme), as well as the lordship of Saint-Priest-en-Jarez near Saint-Étienne en Forez—a notable manufacturing center—valued at 400,000 pounds. In 1725, by settling gambling debts owed by Léonard Hélie de Pompadour, he secured a third marquisate title. By 1728, his holdings expanded to include the Countship of Clinchamp in Perche (450,000 pounds) along with additional lands near Tournan-en-Brie. His portfolio also comprised numerous Parisian residences held either for rental income or resale.

At Place Louis-le-Grand, Peyrenc engaged architect Jacques Gabriel to acquire a third adjacent plot to develop two distinguished townhouses—one later sold to Jean de Boullonges, chief commissioner of Finance, and the other to the marquis of Alleurs.

In rural areas, the Moras family possessed several mansions including Montfermeil, Château de Champrose in Brie, Cherperine in Perche, and Origny-le-Roux. The Château de Moras featured modest furnishings complemented by classical paintings and decorations inspired by Ovidian themes alongside luxurious materials such as German crystal chandeliers and Italian marble. The Château de Cherperine functioned as a seasonal retreat.

By 1727, although residing in a hôtel particulier on Place Vendôme designed by Jacques Gabriel, the family sought greater magnificence. Peyrenc acquired extensive land near rue de Varennes close to Les Invalides—a developing district offering ample space—to construct a mansion that would assert his prominence among established nobility. Through purchases and exchanges with the Marquis de Saissac, he secured over one square kilometer.

He commissioned Jean Aubert, a royal architect working under Jacques V Gabriel’s direction, to design what became known as Hôtel Biron (present-day Musée Rodin). Completed in 1727, this rococo-style townhouse was set within expansive gardens reminiscent of château parks. The three-story structure encompassed 354 square meters with a large courtyard and stables accommodating thirty-two horses. Its innovative design featured a central corridor distributing rooms bathed in natural light.

In 1729, Peyrenc engaged François Lemoyne to produce eighteen decorative panels inspired by Ovid’s Metamorphoses for the hôtel’s interiors. The grand salon showcased four paintings representing different times of day under the motif Amor vincit omnia ("love conquers all"), enhancing both the cultural refinement and architectural splendor of the residence.

Enduring Impact

The Peyrenc de Moras family took residence in 1731, although the family head passed away before the mansion's second floor was finished. In 1736, his widow leased the property to the duchesse du Maine. Following the duchess's death, the Moras descendants sold the estate, then appraised at 500,000 pounds, to the duc du Biron.

A Legacy Remembered

Moras's rise in society and accumulation of wealth cemented his lasting reputation. At his passing, Charles Collé, a songwriter, remarked that Moras left behind "8-900,000 pounds in interest, palaces, chateaux, great lands," all acquired rapidly before reaching fifty years of age. Edmond Jean François Barbier also praised his achievements.

November 1732

Debate surrounded Moras’s background; some argued that his fortune effectively concealed his modest origins. The Vicount de Reiset commended him for earning respect within Parisian circles and noted that his widow hosted influential court personalities. Contrarily, others claimed she entertained destitute gentlemen and was embroiled in scandals linked to her daughter's sudden marriage to a provincial nobleman following an escape from a convent. Rumors connected Mme de Moras’s death in 1738 to these controversies. After her husband's demise, she was reputed to have led a libertine lifestyle.

The marquis de Moras is chiefly remembered because of his hôtel particulier, which after passing from the duke de Biron, was transformed into the Sacré-Cœur convent and subsequently the Musée Rodin—each phase reviving public fascination with its original proprietor’s dramatic history.

Family Heritage

Abraham Peyrenc de Moras ensured his family's prosperity through calculated alliances and prudent management of assets. His younger sibling Louis assumed lordship of Saint-Cyr, and in 1735, his daughter wed François-Jean-Baptiste de Barral de Clermont, a Parlement councilor who later became Président à mortier. Another brother devoted himself to the clergy as abbé Moras of the congrégation de Saint-Antoine in Metz. Upon Moras’s death, he bequeathed a substantial fortune to his wife and three children, with particular advantage to his eldest son, François Marie Peyrenc de Moras, who rose to steward and ministerial positions. His youngest son served as commissioner of petitions but died prematurely; meanwhile, his daughter Anne-Marie remarried Count Merle de Beauchamp, ambassador to Portugal.

The postmortem inventory compiled by family notary Thomas-Simon Perret between November 1732 and February 1733 revealed assets valued at approximately 5,849,702 pounds—of which 2,337,017 pounds were tied to real estate. These holdings encompassed numerous agricultural leases throughout Vivarais, Forez, Auvergne, Limousin, Perche, Brie, and Bas-Poitou. The income from leases due at Christmas 1732 alone reached 83,706 pounds derived from mills, forests, ponds, and tile works. In Paris, rents were collected from eighteen tenants located in districts such as Croix-Rouge, rue Cassette, Place Maubert, rue de Vendôme, and rue de Saint-Jacques. Several prominent debtors owed back payments on annuities issued by him—including the Duke de Nevers and members of the Rochefoucault family. His official monthly remuneration of 4,620 pounds was modest compared to these extensive revenues.

Among his key properties were château de Moras, château de Champrose, château de Cherperine, maison de Monfermeil, and the hôtel on rue de Varenne (later sold for 450,000 pounds). Not included in this inventory were the residence on rue des Capucines (purchased in 1729), château de Livry, as well as notably his East India Company shares (125 in total), valued at 2,250,000 pounds.

See also

• Le Vigan
• Cevennes Museum (Musée Cévenol) – Depiction of Abraham Peyrenc de Moras