François Cabarrus

François Cabarrus or Francisco Cabarrús, "conde" de Cabarrús (1752-1810) was a French adventurer and Spanish financier.

Life

Early life

He was born at Bayonne, where his father Dominique was a merchant and shipbuilder. Sent into Spain on business, he fell in love and married Maria Antonia Galabert Casanova, his employer's daughter. They settled in the town of Carabanchel Alto near Madrid. Here, his private business was the manufacture of soap, but he soon began to take an interest in public matters.

The Age of Enlightenment had reached Madrid, and King Charles III, was favourable to reforms advocated by a circle of politicians, including Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, Count Campomanes, Count Floridablanca. Among these Cabarrus became conspicuous, especially in finance.

Reforms and disgrace

He originated a bank, the "Banco de San Carlos" - which is the precursor of today's Bank of Spain, a company to trade with the Philippine Islands - the Real Compañia de Filipinas, and an agricultural and hydraulic project known as the "Canal de Cabarrus" which is the origin of today's Canal de Isabel II, supplying the water to the city of Madrid, in the northeast of the Madrid Community - in the course of the Jarama and within the municipal boundaries of the towns of Torrelaguna, Patones, Torremocha del Jarama, Uceda and Caraquiz.

As one of the most influential members of the council of finance, he had planned many reforms in that department. When Charles III died (1788), and the reactionary administration of Charles IV put a stop to Enlightenment reforms, the men who had taken an active part in reform were suspected and prosecuted. Cabarrus himself was accused of embezzlement and thrown into prison in the Castle of Batres, a town near Madrid.

Under French domination

After two years he was released, created a count and employed in stately missions - he would even have been sent to Paris as Spanish ambassador, had not the French Directory objected to him as being of French birth.

Cabarrus took no part in the maneuvers through which Charles IV was obliged to abdicate and make way for Joseph Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, but his French birth and intimate knowledge of Spanish affairs recommended him to the emperor as the fittest person for the difficult post of minister of finance, which he held at his death. He died in Seville while on a trip accompanying Joseph Bonaparte and is buried in the Cathedral of Seville.

Legacy

Due to the support he had given Joseph Bonaparte during his short reign in Spain, he was considered an "afrancesado" and, although he had already died, when Ferdinand VII recovered the throne, his family was persecuted and his fortune and holdings were confiscated. There is even a rumor that states that his remains were removed from his tomb in the Cathedral of Seville and thrown into the Guadalquivir. With all of the political turmoil of the following period, the heritage he left his heirs was restored and confiscated several times depending on who would be governing in Madrid.

His son, heir and second "Conde de Cabarrus", Domingo de Cabarrús y Galabert, held several positions in government and was governor of the provinces of Palencia and Valladolid among other official posts. His beautiful daughter Thérèse Tallien (afterwards Princess of Chimay), played a part in the later stages of the French Revolution. His close friend, Francisco Goya, painted a full body portrait of him. This portrait is currently exhibited in the Bank of Spain building in Madrid.

References

*1911|article=Francois Cabarrus|url=http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Francois_Cabarrus
* [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9018431/Francois-count-de-Cabarrus Encyclopaedia Britannica Francois Cabarrus]