1675 - Bresse - Order Of The King's Council - Exemption From War Tax - Parchment

Parchment, yellowed, worn, fringed on the edges - traces of humidity. Folds. According to the title, it is an "Extract from the registers of the Council of State" - That is to say a copy issued by the royal chancellery, probably intended for one of the plaintiffs.-- It is a request addressed to the King of France by the inhabitants of the town of Loyes (currently Villieu-Loyes-Mollon, Ain), located in Bresse. The judgment is the King's response to a collective petition, aimed at obtaining an exemption from tax, the "tenth", a specific tax levied in times of war or emergency. The population of Loyes is described as overwhelmed, having had to face: military burdens (subsistence of troops, garrisons, levies of men). Extreme poverty ensued, causing the exodus of the inhabitants, the abandonment of houses, the sale of goods at low prices. The request emphasizes the loyalty of the inhabitants to the king and their zeal in the war efforts, while highlighting their inability to survive under the current tax pressure. The king partially grants their request: He grants a discharge of the sum of 18,015 livres (the amount of one tenth), spread over five years, on condition that the inhabitants appoint a responsible and solvent receiver, that the accounts are kept transparently by the community. In 1675, France is engaged in conflicts (notably the Dutch War, begun in 1672), which has led to a massive increase in taxes. It is 1675, The young Duke Victor-Amédée II of Savoy, succeeds his father in 1675, at the age of 9 - Louis XIV treated the Duchy of Savoy-Piedmont in a vassal state for years. A transcription of the document will be given to the purchaser.