The
referendary (Latin: ''referendarius;'' French: ''référendaire'') was the officer of the palace in the
Merovingian period who made the report of the royal letters in the chancelleries, so as to decide whether they should be signed and sealed.
They were frequently also the
Lord Chancellors serving the
Merovingian dynasty.
Referendaries
Known referendaries include:
*
Saint Rémigius,
Bishop of Reims
The Archdiocese of Reims (traditionally spelt "Rheims" in English) ( la, Archidiœcesis Remensis; French: ''Archidiocèse de Reims'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastic territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. Erected as a diocese ...
(497–533)
* Siggo, in the courts of
Sigebert I, then
Chilperic I
Chilperic I (c. 539 – September 584) was the king of Neustria (or Soissons) from 561 to his death. He was one of the sons of the Frankish king Clotaire I and Queen Aregund.
Life
Immediately after the death of his father in 561, he en ...
and finally
Childebert II (561)
*
Ansbert, Bishop of Rouen, in the court of
Clothar II (dates as ''référendaire'' unknown)
*
Audoin, Bishop of Rouen (641–689), Grand Référendaire of
Dagobert I and
Clovis II from 638 to 657
*
Robert I, Bishop of Tours, in the courts of Dagobert I and Clovis II (through 663)
*
Bonitus,
Bishop of Auvergne
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, in the court of
Sigebert III, King of Austrasia
*
Robert II, also Chancellor to Clothaire III (through 677).
Undoubtedly, many of the other lord chancellors were also référendaire, but none are recorded as such.
See also
*
*
Royal Administration of Merovingian and Carolingian Dynasties.
References
*Bluche, François. ''L'Ancien Régime:'' Institutions et société. Collection: Livre de poche, Fallois, Paris, 1993
*Fouracre, Paul and Gerberding, Richard A., ''Late Merovingian France'', Manchester University Press, Manchester, 1996
*Ordericus Vitalis. Forester, Thomas, ed. ''The Ecclesiastical History of England and Normandy'', Henry G. Bohn, London, 1854
{{Merovingians, state=collapsed
People of the Merovingian Kingdom
Merovingian referendaries
Frankish nobility