The Marquis de Lafayette, the leader of leader of the Garde Nationale during the French Revolution era, was born in Chavaniac on 6 September 1757.
Lafayette led an utterly amazing life and, in addition to his role during the French Revolution, he was also a general in the American War of Independence.
The Archive contains scores of fascinating stories about Lafayette.
To give you a taste of his derring-do life and the historic events in which was a leading figure, here’s a newspaper report from 1789 which describes part of the episode when Lafayette was forced to lead the Garde Nationale (who were following a march by the Paris Mob) to Versailles in October 1879, where the Mob would meet King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
And we’ve also included a very lyrical tribute to Lafayette, which compares the great man to a mighty oak tree (praise indeed from an English writer), and a photograph of a statue of Lafayette that the USA gifted to France on 4 July 1900.
Northampton Mercury – Saturday 17 October 1789
Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000317/17891017/006/0004
Bradford Observer – Thursday 29 May 1834
Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000155/18340529/023/0007
The Graphic – Saturday 14 July 1900
Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000057/19000714/046/0036
