Civil Degradation of Pierre Beaumarchais
- When
- 1774–1776
- Where
- France
- Episodes
- 2
Following the Goezman affair, Beaumarchais was sentenced to 'blâme', a status nominally depriving him of civil rights. In 1776, the French Parliament reinstated these rights in recognition of his services to France.
Episodes
- Civil Degradation Sentence
Beaumarchais was sentenced to 'blâme', a legal status nominally depriving him of his civil rights following the Goezman case.
- Reinstatement of Civil Rights
Beaumarchais's civil rights were reinstated by the French Parliament in 1776 for his services to France.
Background and detail
Background. Beaumarchais, a Parisian watchmaker's son, rose to influence in Louis XV's court. His legal troubles intensified after the 1772 verdict in his favour was overturned on appeal the following year by the magistrate Goezman, whom Beaumarchais had tried in vain to bribe through Mme. Goezman, leading to the public disputes of the Goezman affair.
Legal Action. In the aftermath of the Goezman case, both Beaumarchais and Mme. Goezman were sentenced to 'blâme'. This legal status meant they were nominally deprived of their civil rights, a significant setback for Beaumarchais despite the overturning of Goezman's original verdict.
Reinstatement. To restore his civil rights, Beaumarchais pledged his services to Louis XV. In 1776, the French Parliament formally reinstated his civil rights in recognition of his services to France.
People involved
- Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais · Defendant and subject of civil degradation
- French Parliament · Judicial body issuing the sentence and reinstatement
Sources
- Pierre-Augustin de Beaumarchais Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-15
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.