Philippe-Antoine Merlin de Douai

Philippe-Antoine Merlin, known as Merlin de Douai was born in 1754 at Arleux, Nord, and had a promising career in the law.

He was elected to the Estates General and was present at the Tennis Court Oath.  He worked on a series of laws to create more equality within France.  He removed the primogeniture and pursued equality in inheritance between men and women.  Later he was key in helping end torture and branding.

As with many of his peers he voted for the execution of the King.  He also presented to the Convention the Law of Suspects on the 17th September in 1793 which allowed the detention of a wider scope of suspects.

Merlin de Douai survived and thrived after the events of Thermidor and became president of the Convention.  He managed to get the Jacobin Club closed and also set for the readmission of the Girondins (such as they were) to the Convention.  He was prominent in the negotiations for the Treaty of Basle which removed Prussia from the War of the First Coalition on the 5th April and Spain on the 22nd July.

Under The Council of 500 in the Directory he became Justice Minister and then Police Minister.  At the Fructidor Coup he was appointed Director but then come the Prairial Coup he was removed.  Later under Bonaparte he became a Count of the Empire and a Grand Office of the Legion of Honour. He died in Paris in 1838.