Réseau urbain et distribution des tribunaux royaux ordinaires dans la généralité d'Amiens (XVIIe-XVIIIe siècle)

Abstract

Charles Engrand, Urban Network and Distribution of the Ordinary Royal Tribunals in the Amiens Généralité (XVIIIth-XVIIIth centuries). The Amiens généralité represented only a part of the intendancy. This latter also included, until 1754, the Artois province, left out of this paper because of its specificity. The ordinary royal tribunals copied the classical judiciary hierarchy in a territory that lacked a local higher court of justice. The number of presidials, established at the very beginning of the institution in the two largest cities, Amiens and Abbeville, had never been altered, in spite of several initiatives. The network of bailiwicks and seneschalsies duplicated that of towns, as this level of judiciary activity was present in all but 4 of the 13 urban areas of the territory here considered. The areas ignored ranked among the least populated, although the importance of the population didn't always constitute the decisive factor in the establishment of these institutions. The presence of the King's justice was still demul- tiplied by the provostships, particularly numerous within the area of competence of the extensive Amiens bailiwick while the establishment of marshalsea and short-robed officers tended to take care of the highway police. The officers of justice had suffered from a certain discredit because of their multiplication by the royal power, notably during the war of the Augsburg League. Yet, around 1720, the crisis seemed to stabilize and a majority of them were employed in the presidials, the bailiwicks or seneschalsies. Provostships, on the other hand, experienced competence infringements and recruiting difficulties that jeopardized their now threatened survival.