| Alban de Villeneuve-Bargemont | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1784-08-08)August 8, 1784 Saint-Auban, Kingdom of France |
| Died | June 8, 1850(1850-06-08) (aged 65) Paris, Second French Republic |
| Occupation | Economist, Politician |
| Awards | Commander of the Legion of Honour |
The Viscount Alban de Villeneuve-Bargemont (August 8, 1784 – June 8, 1850) was a French economist and politician. A Catholic nobleman, he was among the first, alongside Armand de Melun, to denounce industrial exploitation and to introduce early social legislation.
He was a member of the Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques and a Commander of the Legion of Honour.
Biography
Alban de Villeneuve-Bargemont came from one of the oldest noble families in Provence. He was the eighth of fourteen children of Joseph de Villeneuve, Lord of Bargemont, a prosecutor in Aix, and Sophie de Bausset de Roquefort. His brothers included Christophe de Villeneuve-Bargemont, Emmanuel-Ferdinand de Villeneuve-Bargemont, Joseph de Villeneuve-Bargemont, Jean-Baptiste de Villeneuve-Bargemont, and historian Louis-François de Villeneuve-Bargemont.
He was the nephew of Pierre-Ferdinand de Bausset-Roquefort, Archbishop of Aix, and the great-nephew of Barthélémy-Joseph de Villeneuve-Bargemont and Louis Jean Baptiste Le Clerc de Lassigny de Juigné, notable deputies of the Estates-General of 1789.
Administrator
Villeneuve-Bargemont served as an auditor at the Council of State in 1810, sub-prefect of Zierikzee (1811), prefect of Bouches-de-l'Èbre (1812), and prefect of Sambre-et-Meuse (1814). During the Bourbon Restoration, he held several prefecture posts, including Tarn-et-Garonne, Charente, Creuse, Meurthe, Loire-Inférieure, and Nord. He was appointed Councillor of State in 1828 but retired following the July Revolution of 1830.
Parliamentary Career
Villeneuve-Bargemont was elected as a deputy in 1830 and aligned with the Legitimists. He re-entered politics in 1840, representing Lille until 1848, where he focused on social legislation. He was instrumental in introducing laws regulating child labor.
Contributions to Social Catholicism
Villeneuve-Bargemont is recognized for addressing the "social question" in France before Karl Marx. He criticized industrial capitalism for exploiting workers without moral or physical safeguards.
Publications
His notable works include:
- Christian Political Economy (1834)
- History of Political Economy (1835–1837)
- Discourses on Child Labor Laws (1840)
- The Book of the Afflicted (1841)
- On the State of Political Economy in Spain (1844)
Personal life
Villeneuve-Bargemont was married twice, to Mathilde Dubreil de Frégose (d. 1822) and Emma de Carbonnel de Canisy. He had five children, including Adrienne de Villeneuve-Bargemont, a lady-in-waiting to Empress Eugénie, and Elzéar de Villeneuve, a cavalry officer.
Legacy
Villeneuve-Bargemont's papers are preserved at the National Archives of France.
References
- de Juigné de Lassigny, E. (1900). Histoire de la Maison de Villeneuve, en Provence - Volume 1. Lyon: Imprimerie d'Alexandre Rey. pp. 144–157.
- Dumont, Jean (2002). L'Église au risque de l'histoire. Éditions de Paris. p. 115.
- Ploncard d'Assac, Jacques (1970). Les jeunes ont droit à la vérité. Société de philosophie politique. pp. 107–108.
- Archives nationales