Martin-Michel-Charles Gaudin
Martin-Michel-Charles Gaudin | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Saint-Denis, France |
| Died | November 5, 1841 (aged 85) Gennevilliers, near Paris, France |
| Occupation(s) | Politician, Minister of Finance |
| Years active | 1795–1820s |
| Known for | Minister of Finance under Napoleon I; founder of Banque de France and Cour des comptes; creator of first land cadastre in France |
Martin-Michel-Charles Gaudin, 1st duc de Gaëte (19 January 1756 – 5 November 1841), was a prominent French political figure who held the position of Minister of Finance during the French Empire under Napoleon I, from November 1799 until March 1814, and resumed briefly during the Hundred Days following Napoleon’s return from Elba.
Early life
Born in Saint-Denis in 1756, Gaudin began his life in this French town.
Career
Gaudin’s initial tenure as Minister of Finance occurred briefly under the Directory in November 1795.
Napoleon appointed him as Minister of Finance, a role he fulfilled until 1814. During this period, Gaudin restructured France’s system of direct taxation, reinstated the direct taxes known as "droits réunis," established both the Banque de France and the Cour des comptes, and created the first land ownership cadastre to enhance tax evaluation accuracy. In acknowledgment of his services, he received the duché grand-fief of Gaeta along with the noble title duc de Gaëte within the French-ruled Kingdom of Naples in 1809, a prestigious life peerage. Although Napoleon planned to include him in the imperial Chamber of Peers during the Hundred Days, this appointment never materialized.
After the Bourbon monarchy was restored, Gaudin represented the Aisne département as a deputy from August 1815 to July 1819, aligning with the constitutional party. In 1820, he was appointed governor of the Banque de France.
Gaudin passed away at his estate in Gennevilliers near Paris in 1841, leaving behind his collection entitled Memoirs, Opinions and Writings.
Sources
- Larousse (early 20th-century French encyclopedia)
- Heraldica.org - Napoleonic heraldry