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Justice
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Eric Krause, Krause House Info-Research
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Researching the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site of
Canada The Administration Of Justice At The Fortress Of Louisbourg (1713-1758) Scriveners ~ General Discussion The Scriveners (écrivains) The scrivener was one of the most important officials in the civil administration for he was responsible for record keeping and supervising the ordonnateur's financial and commissariat duties. The scrivener's position in France became a training ground for future commissaires, ordonnateurs, and intendants. The scriveners usually had to first obtain the rank of principal scrivener. At Louisbourg only four men held this position: Antoine Sabatier, Le Normant Demesi, Jacques Prévost, and Pierre-François Prévost. The principal scrivener worked closely with the ordonnateur and supervised other employees. Since Ile Royale's administration was relatively small compared to France, Louisbourg's scriveners were usually assigned more than one commissariat duty that in France would have been filled by one individual. For instance, one scrivener was usually in charge of the hospital and he might have responsibility for the bakery as well., Another scrivener was responsible for the maintenance of the garrison and maritime conscription. His records were kept in the bureau des troupes et des classes. Keeping track of the records for the maintenance of the garrison was a major task for the scrivener, but the duties pertaining to maritime conscription were less onerous. Upon arrival or departure French ship captains were required to give the scrivener a list of passengers and any changes in the crew. [Source: Ken Donovan, Clerks, Notaries and Support Staff in Ile Royale: A Manual for Interpreters, Unpublished Report O C 62 (Fortress of Louisbourg, May, 1986), p. 7]  Support
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