The

referendary Referendary is the English form of a number of administrative positions, of various rank, in chanceries and other official organizations in Europe. Pre-modern history The office of ' (plural: ', from the Latin ', "I inform") existed at the Byzan ...

(Latin: ''referendarius;'' French: ''référendaire'') was the officer of the palace in the

Merovingian period The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the 5th century until 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gauli ...

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 The lord chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State (United Kingdom), Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, no ...

serving the

Merovingian dynasty The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the 5th century until 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gauli ...

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 Sigebert I (c. 535 – c. 575) was a Frankish king of Austrasia from the death of his father in 561 to his own death. He was the third surviving son out of four of Clotaire I and Ingund. His reign found him mostly occupied with a successful civ ...

, 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 Chrodebert I (Chrotbert, Radobertus, Robert I) (died 695), List of Merovingian referendaries, Merovingian referendary and Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tours, Bishop of Tours (as Chrotbert, 660-695), son of Charibert de Haspengau and his wife Wulfg ...

, in the courts of Dagobert I and Clovis II (through 663) * Bonitus,

Bishop of Auvergne The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Clermont (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Claromontana''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Clermont'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The diocese comprises the department of Puy ...

, in the court of

Sigebert III Sigebert III ( 630–656) was the Merovingian king of Austrasia from 633 to his death around 656. He was described as the first Merovingian ''roi fainéant'' —do-nothing king—, in effect the mayor of the palace ruling the kingdom througho ...

, 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.

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

Referendaries

See also

References