Mp Barbichon "complete Dictionary Of All Places In France And Its Colonies" Paris 1831

MP BARBICHON "Complete dictionary of all places in France and its colonies" Paris, TETOT, 1831 Published in Paris by TETOT frères, booksellers-publishers, rue Croix-des-petits-champs, n°35. 2 large volumes in 8 1⁄2 contemporary binding smooth spine, internal soiling two loose notebooks. There is no trace or biography of the author whose first name is known only by the initials: P.-M. The title page nevertheless indicates his name BARBICHON, which may be a pseudonym, since it designates a small curly dog or a small goatee: "Employee of the registration of domains". Note that at the time of publication of this work France only had 86 departments, and it was then only a question of "old provinces" and not of regions. In order to stand out from its competitors, the author highlights the quality of the documentation collected: "It is the fruit of several years of work spent compiling the best works of this genre, gathering the most authentic documents from heads of administration and prefects of departments, consulting the memories left to us by numerous trips and obtaining reliable information from people in all parts of the Kingdom with whom our position puts us in contact. "In addition to the location, administrative nomenclature, number of inhabitants, and any public establishments, this dictionary provides a wealth of information: the post office serving the commune, the presence of a parish, a bishopric, an archbishopric, or a seminary, the courts of justice, military residences, the registration office of the canton serving the commune, the residence of the chief engineers of bridges and roads, the management of various administrations (registration of estates, receivers general, forest rangers, customs, etc.), university academies, major schools, factories, fairs and markets... This true guide does not neglect local history, however, by indicating remarkable monuments, some major historical facts, or illustrious figures. The local physical geography is described in great detail: mountains, rivers, streams, depth of ports, main lighthouses and signals. The author takes care to give the distances between the communes and the district capitals, as well as those between the latter and the capital. Distances are given in leagues, not kilometers (one land league is approximately 4.44 kilometers). For major cities, latitude and longitude are given at the end. The author does not forget France's colonies and dependencies: the islands of the Indian Ocean, the trading posts of Senegal and India, and Saint Pierre and Miquelon. However, the African continent is not represented, as the conquest of Algeria was only just beginning.