The exile of the French clergy in Spain during the Revolution

About 8,000 of them (who left almost all the French bishoprics) found refuge in Spain. After nearly thirty years of research, the author, Manuel Gutiérrez García-Brazales, gives the almost exhaustive list (more than 98% of the estimate) with 7,693 names of these exiled clergymen...

He was totally passionate about his research. This is evidenced by Professor Leandro Higueruela del Pino, prefacier of the Spanish version of the book: It was necessary to see the enthusiasm he showed when he met, in the 70s, some documents on the exiled French priests, because the work of Manuel Gutiérrez García-Brazales also consisted in dusting the bundles where they were tied and placed without order by the archivists contemporary with the events. Hence his enthusiasm, being sure that no one before him had used these documents (...). He was very aware that in the Diocesan Archives of Toledo were scattered all the written testimonies on the subject, and he had the patience to search, order and catalogue more than two hundred bundles and manuscripts...

The book, which was originally a thesis defended in 1990 in Madrid, was translated by Jacqueline Lacombe, Bernard Aumont and Claude Lacombe. It has been greatly expanded with regard to the list of names of French ecclesiastics, and finally sees the light of day in France, constituting a formidable tool and an opening to new research, essential for all researchers working on the Revolution.

The author

Manuel Gutiérrez García-Brazales, born in the province of Toledo, holds a degree in Ecclesiastical History from the Gregorian University of Rome (1969) and in Geography and History from the Complutense University of Madrid (1972). Since 1978 he has been a corresponding member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and Historical Sciences of Toledo and since 1992 a member of the Institute of Complutenses Studies of Alcalá de Henares.

Translators

Jacqueline Lacombe, Honorary Certified Spanish Teacher. Responsible for twenty years of the Spanish workshop of the University of Free Time of Sarlat and Périgord Noir, she has translated into Spanish Claude Lacombe's book Jerónimo de Perigueux (¿1060?-1120) obispo de Valencia y de Salamanca: un monje-caballero en la Reconquista, in 2000, and directed the translation into French of various Spanish works: the proceedings of the colloquium organized in 2007 by Jose Manuel Gómez-Tabanera, Les Indianos Asturiens; the book The Knight of Loudun, Saint Aleuau (1035?-1097), patron saint of Burgos, by César Alonso de Porres, in 2011.

Bernard Aumont, Academy inspector and honorary director of IUFM, participated in the translation into French of the Spanish works mentioned above.

Claude Lacombe, honorary professor of history in college, graduate of the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, director of the journal Art et Histoire en Périgord Noir since 1999, author of Faïences et faïenciers de Bergerac in the eighteenth century, in 1989 and Jérôme de Périgueux (1060?-1120), chaplain of Le Cid (1999). He coordinated the publication of the French version of Manuel Gutiérrez García-Brazales' book presented here for the first time.