Charles Ignace Plichon (28 June 1814 – 3 June 1888) was a French lawyer, businessman and politician.
As a young man he was attracted to the social idealism of
Saint-Simonianism
Claude Henri de Rouvroy, Comte de Saint-Simon (; ; 17 October 1760 – 19 May 1825), better known as Henri de Saint-Simon (), was a French political, economic and socialist theorist and businessman whose thought had a substantial influence on po ...
.
In 1841–42 he undertook a diplomatic and exploratory mission to the regency of Tunis, which was seeking French protection from the Turks
In 1844–45 he travelled in Egypt to obtain information about the proposed
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, Indo-Mediterranean, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest ...
, and returned via Palestine, Syria and Turkey.
He represented
Hazebrouck
Hazebrouck (, , , ) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France. It was a small market town in Flanders until it became an important railway junction in the 1860s. West Flemish was the usual language until 1880, when French was taught ...
in the
Nord department as a deputy in the last years of the
July Monarchy
The July Monarchy (), officially the ''Kingdom of France'' (), was a liberalism, liberal constitutional monarchy in France under , starting on 9 August 1830, after the revolutionary victory of the July Revolution of 1830, and ending 26 Februar ...
.
He avoided politics during the
French Second Republic
The French Second Republic ( or ), officially the French Republic (), was the second republican government of France. It existed from 1848 until its dissolution in 1852.
Following the final defeat of Napoleon, Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle ...
and the early years of the
Second French Empire
The Second French Empire, officially the French Empire, was the government of France from 1852 to 1870. It was established on 2 December 1852 by Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, president of France under the French Second Republic, who proclaimed hi ...
, then again represented Hazebrouck as a champion of Catholic and protectionist interests from 1857 until his death in 1888.
He made a fortunate marriage through which he became President of the
Compagnie des mines de Béthune
The Compagnie des mines de Béthune, sometimes called the sometimes called the Compagnie de Grenay after the name of the concession, was a French coal mining company in the Pas-de-Calais that was established in 1851 and nationalized in 1946.
The c ...
.
He was briefly
Minister of Public Works
This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure.
See also
* Public works
* Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...
in 1870.
Early years (1814–41)
Ignace Plichon was born on 28 June 1814 in
Bailleul, Nord
Bailleul (; ''Belle'' in Dutch language, Dutch) is a Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department in northern France. It is located in French Flanders, from the Belgium, Belgian border and ...
.
His parents were Ildephonse Plichon (1773–1855), a merchant and then manufacturer of salts and soaps, and Joséphine Bénédictine Leclercq (1772–1835).
His grandfather was the ''censier'' (rent collector) of
Marchiennes Abbey
Marchiennes Abbey was a French monastery located on the Scarpe in Marchiennes. It was founded around 630 by Adalbard of Douai, and Irish monks, disciples of Saint Columbanus, on the advice of Saint Amand. One of its founders was Rictrude, who ...
and mayor of
Abscon
Abscon () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.
Population
Heraldry
See also
*Communes of the Nord department
The following is a list of the 647 communes of the Nord department of the French Republic.
The commune ...
.
He was educated by the
Jesuits
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
at the
Abbey of Saint-Acheul
The Abbey of Saint-Acheul () was a monastery of Canons Regular in the Saint-Acheul district of Amiens, France.
It was founded in the 11th century on the site of an ancient church, and was suppressed in 1790 during the French Revolution.
The build ...
, then studied law in Paris.
In the early 1830s Plichon became a follower of the social idealism of
Saint-Simonianism
Claude Henri de Rouvroy, Comte de Saint-Simon (; ; 17 October 1760 – 19 May 1825), better known as Henri de Saint-Simon (), was a French political, economic and socialist theorist and businessman whose thought had a substantial influence on po ...
.
When that movement's leader,
Barthélemy Prosper Enfantin
Barthélemy, or Barthélémy is a French name, a cognate of Bartholomew. Notable people with this name include:
Given name
* Barthélemy (explorer), French youth who accompanied the explorer de La Salle in 1687
* Barthélémy Bisengimana, Con ...
, added religion to the Saint-Simonian economic doctrine, Plichon accepted the new pantheism.
Enfantin called Plichon his "dear penguin", an allusion to the fact that Plichon had lost an arm in a hunting accident.
Enfantin, Barrault and other followers left for Egypt around 1832, while Plichon continued his studies in Paris.
He returned to Bailleul to practice law, but in 1835 remained in correspondence with the Saint-Simonians in Paris.
He received a doctorate in law in 1836.
Tunisia (1841–42)
In 1841 Ahmed Bey of Tunis was concerned that the Sultan of Constantinople, theoretically his sovereign, was planning to send a fleet to obtain the tribute that was owed to him.
He asked for the support of France.
France did not want the Turks to threaten Algeria, which they had decided to fully occupy, so sent a naval division to
La Goulette
La Goulette (, ), in Arabic Halq al-Wadi ( '), is a municipality and the port of Tunis, Tunisia.
La Goulette is located at around on a sandbar between Lake of Tunis, Lake Tūnis and the Gulf of Tunis. The port, located 12km east of Tunis, is th ...
, the port of Tunis.
They were joined there by a British force.
François Guizot
François Pierre Guillaume Guizot (; 4 October 1787 – 12 September 1874) was a French historian, orator and Politician, statesman. Guizot was a dominant figure in French politics between the July Revolution, Revolution of 1830 and the Revoluti ...
, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, sent Plichon on a diplomatic mission to
Tunis
Tunis (, ') is the capital city, capital and largest city of Tunisia. The greater metropolitan area of Tunis, often referred to as "Grand Tunis", has about 2,700,000 inhabitants. , it is the third-largest city in the Maghreb region (after Casabl ...
.
He was instructed to also check the risk of a Turkish expedition to Tunis by land from
Tripoli
Tripoli or Tripolis (from , meaning "three cities") may refer to:
Places Greece
*Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in the Pelasgiotis district, Thessaly, near Larissa ...
.
Plichon, a young man with no diplomatic experience, was to cross the great tract of desert between the two cities.
Plichon reached
La Goulette
La Goulette (, ), in Arabic Halq al-Wadi ( '), is a municipality and the port of Tunis, Tunisia.
La Goulette is located at around on a sandbar between Lake of Tunis, Lake Tūnis and the Gulf of Tunis. The port, located 12km east of Tunis, is th ...
on 12 September 1841.
He sailed to Tripoli where he learned about the local political situation from Captain Bailleul, head of the French military mission, then set out on the hazardous land journey from Tripoli to Tunis along the coast, passing through no man's land between the last Turkish outpost of
Zuwarah
Zuwarah, Zuwara, or Zwara ( ); () is a coastal city in north-western Libya.
Zuwara is primarily inhabited by indigenous Berber people of Libya. The local Berber dialect, known locally as Zuwari, is commonly spoken as a first language by the inh ...
and the
Gulf of Gabès
The Gulf of Gabes (or Cabès, Cabes, Gaps; ), also known as Lesser Syrtis (from ; ), contrasting with the Greater Syrtis in Libya, is a gulf on Tunisia's east coast in the Mediterranean Sea, off North Africa. The gulf roughly spans the coast from ...
.
In 1842 he presented his memoir on the regency of Tunis to Guizot.
He confirmed that there was no risk of an upset to the status quo in Tunis.
Although the religious reformer
Muhammad al-Sanusi was present in the region, Plichon did not mention him in his report.
His lengthy report discussed the history of the regency, once prosperous from piracy, now constrained by the French and British, and suffering from revolts in the south.
The regency had the same area as France but only 600,000 inhabitants.
Plichon provided many statistics on the Tunisian finances, army and tribal forces, and advocated the same expansive colonial policy as in Algeria.
Egypt (1844–45)
In 1844, when Enfantin founded the journal ''L'Algérie'', Plichon provided some of the financing.
Enfantin, with support from
François Barthélemy Arlès-Dufour
François Barthélemy Arlès-Dufour (3 June 1797 – 21 January 1872) was a French silk merchant and leading exponent of Saint-Simonianism.
He was born to a poor family, had little formal education and began work in a shawl factory at the age of 1 ...
, a Saint-Simonian financier of Lyon, was dreaming of creating a great railway network in France.
He planned to also establish maritime commercial links with the Indies through a Suez canal.
Enfantin decided to send Plichon to Egypt to obtain information.
There he was welcomed by Saint-Simonians such as the engineer Charles Lambert, the doctor Nicolas Perron, and
Linant de Bellefonds, author of a detailed study of projects to pierce the Isthmus of Suez.
After obtaining the information he needed, Plichon took his time returning.
He visited Upper Egypt as far as the first cataract and travelled by camel to see the Isthmus of Suez and the Sinai.
He was robbed by Bedouins, who he thought had far less valour than the Tunisians and Tripolitanians.
He visited Palestine and Syria, and by 1845 was in Constantinople.
He then returned to Bailleul and local politics.
Plichon was awarded the Legion of Honour after his return.
July Monarchy deputy (1846–48)
In 1845 Bailleul was represented in the Chamber of Deputies by the legitimist mayor Louis Henri Behaghel.
The 800 electors of the
Hazebrouck
Hazebrouck (, , , ) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France. It was a small market town in Flanders until it became an important railway junction in the 1860s. West Flemish was the usual language until 1880, when French was taught ...
constituency were more interested in
Rothschild
Rothschild () is a name derived from the German ''zum rothen Schild'' (with the old spelling "th"), meaning "to the red shield", in reference to the houses where these family members lived or had lived. At the time, houses were designated by signs ...
's planned railway network than in the dynastic question, and wanted their city to be the intersection between the
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
–
Calais
Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a French port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Calais is the largest city in Pas-de-Calais. The population of the city proper is 67,544; that of the urban area is 144,6 ...
and
Lille
Lille (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city in the northern part of France, within French Flanders. Positioned along the Deûle river, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Prefectures in F ...
–
Dunkirk
Dunkirk ( ; ; ; Picard language, Picard: ''Dunkèke''; ; or ) is a major port city in the Departments of France, department of Nord (French department), Nord in northern France. It lies from the Belgium, Belgian border. It has the third-larg ...
main lines.
Plichon was known to have ministerial contacts.
The municipal council entrusted him, along with Béhagel's rival Lagrange, to take control of their affairs.
Helped by Guizot, who wanted to reduce the influence of the loyalists in the Nord, Plichon achieved good results and became popular.
He defeated Béhagel by 400 to 358 votes in the August 1846 legislative elections.
Plichon held office from 1 August 1846 to 24 February 1848.
He took an independent position within the ministerial group.
After the
French Revolution of 1848
The French Revolution of 1848 (), also known as the February Revolution (), was a period of civil unrest in France, in February 1848, that led to the collapse of the July Monarchy and the foundation of the French Second Republic. It sparked t ...
he did not seek reelection as a deputy under the
French Second Republic
The French Second Republic ( or ), officially the French Republic (), was the second republican government of France. It existed from 1848 until its dissolution in 1852.
Following the final defeat of Napoleon, Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle ...
.
In July 1849 he was elected general councilor of the Nord.
Second French Empire (1851–70)
During the
Second French Empire
The Second French Empire, officially the French Empire, was the government of France from 1852 to 1870. It was established on 2 December 1852 by Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, president of France under the French Second Republic, who proclaimed hi ...
Ignace Plichon became a leader of the protectionists and Catholics.
Some thought that Plichon was the spokesperson for the "grande famille" of landowners in the Nord region, the intermarried Cleenwerck, Vandewalle, Bieswal and de Coussemacker families.
He was elected a member of the
Corps législatif
The was a part of the French legislature during the French Revolution and beyond. It is also the generic French term used to refer to any legislative body.
History
Under Napoleon's Consulate, the Constitution of the Year VIII (1799) set up ...
for the 4th constituency of Nord on 22 June 1857.
Plichon was very independent in the legislature.
In February 1858 he voted against the law of general safety.
In March 1860 he demanded an inquiry into the election of Albert de Dalmas.
He was one of the four deputies who voted against the tariff on wool, cotton and other raw materials in 1860.
In 1860 he protested the invasions of
Piedmont
Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...
in such strong terms that the president of the Chamber,
Charles de Morny
Charles Auguste Louis Joseph de Morny, 1st Duc de Morny (; 15/16 September 181110 March 1865) was a French statesman.
Biography
Morny was born in Switzerland, and was the extra-marital son of Hortense de Beauharnais (the wife of Louis Bonaparte ...
, withdrew his speech.
He criticized the inconsistency of
Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...
's policies, saying "One cannot be revolutionary in Italy and remain conservative in France and Rome."
In 1861 Ignace Plichon married Adeline Marie Constance Marguerite Boittelle (1840–94).
Plichon was 47 at the time, while Adeline was 21.
His father in law was Alexis Boitelle, an administrator of the
Compagnie des mines de Béthune
The Compagnie des mines de Béthune, sometimes called the sometimes called the Compagnie de Grenay after the name of the concession, was a French coal mining company in the Pas-de-Calais that was established in 1851 and nationalized in 1946.
The c ...
, and Plichon became an administrator himself.
Adeline's uncle was
Symphorien Boittelle
Symphorien Casimir Joseph Edouard Boitelle (23 February 1813 – 22 November 1897) was a French soldier, administrator, chief of the Paris police, deputy and senator.
Early years
Symphorien Casimir Joseph Edouard Boitelle was born in Fontaine-No ...
, a very energetic prefect of the Paris police from 1858 to 1866, deputy for the Nord until 1863, and Senator from 1866.
Another uncle was Edward Boitelle, future member of the Legislature.
The marriage opened the door to many influential Parisians close to the Boittelle and Haussmann families.
In 1862 Plichon spoke of the revival of socialism, saying a "certain press was responsible" while the Catholic journals had to remain silent.
In February 1863 he attacked the system of official candidacies, and on this occasion demanded freedom of the press and electoral freedom.
Despite losing official support, he was reelected on 1 June 1863 to the first constituency of the Nord against the official candidate, Alfred de Clebsattel.
In a conservative region it might seem surprising that the official candidate would be decisively defeated by an Orléanist.
However, Plichon was well-respected and locally generous, a protectionist and backed by the clergy.
He won support from Legitimists from
Bergues
Bergues (; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department in northern France.
It is situated to the south of Dunkirk and from the Belgium, Belgian border. Locally it is referred to ...
,
Hondschoote
Hondschoote (; from Dutch language, Dutch; ''Hondschote'' in the modern Dutch spelling) is a communes of France, commune of the Nord (French department), Nord ''departments of France, département'', in northern France.
Geography
Hondschoote bo ...
and
Wormhout
Wormhout (; before 1975: ''Wormhoudt''; ) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Several people in Wormhout still speak West Flemish, a local dialect of Dutch and the traditional language of the region, while French-speaker ...
, supporters of the Empire and republicans.
Plichon remained independent, although he often voted with the majority.
He was made an Officer of the Legion of Honour on 14 August 1867.
He was reelected on 24 May 1869.
He did not face official opposition.
He represented the Groupe Centre gauche.
He signed the
Interpellation of the 116
eputiesin July 1869 demanding greater involvement in government decisions.
He was a member of the commission of inquiry into the Merchant Navy.
In February 1870 Plichon supported the Liberal Empire.
On 15 May 1870 he replaced
Auguste de Talhouët-Roy
Auguste Élisabeth Joseph Bon-Amour de Talhouët-Roy, marquis de Talhouët (11 October 1819, in Paris – 11 May 1884, in château du Lude, Sarthe) was a French politician. He was deputy for Sarthe from 1849 to 1876 and senator for Sarthe from 1 ...
, who had resigned, as Minister of Public Works.
He voted in favor of the
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...
.
He left office with the rest of the
Ollivier cabinet on 10 August 1870.
The Chamber was dissolved on 4 September 1870.
French Third Republic (1871–88)
Under the
French Third Republic
The French Third Republic (, sometimes written as ) was the system of government adopted in France from 4 September 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed during the Franco-Prussian War, until 10 July 1940, after the Fall of France durin ...
Ignace Plichon was a member of the National Legislature and then the Chamber of Deputies for Nord from 8 February 1871 to 3 June 1888, representing the Union des Droites.
He adhered to
Marc Girardin
Saint-Marc Girardin (22 February 1801 – 1 April 1873) was a French politician and man of letters, whose real name was Marc Girardin.
Biography
Girardin was born in Paris. After a brilliant university career in the city, he began in 1828 to cont ...
's
Orléanist
Orléanist () was a 19th-century French political label originally used by those who supported a constitutional monarchy expressed by the House of Orléans. Due to the radical political changes that occurred during France in the long nineteenth ...
opposition group.
Plichon was elected General Councillor of Nord for the canton of
Bailleul on 8 October 1871.
He served as vice-president of the departmental council from 1871 to 1874 and president from 1874 to 1879.
He was president of the Mines de Béthune administrative council from 1873 to 1883, when he resigned, apparently due to a conflict with his father in law Bouitelle.
The company faced many difficulties during his term of office, and had only moderate growth, since neither Plichon nor Boitelle had technical training.
Plichon was elected deputy on 20 February 1876 for the Hazebrouck constituency.
He continued to sit on the right, and supported the ministry of
Albert de Broglie
Albert de Broglie, 4th Duke of Broglie (; 13 June 182119 January 1901) was a French monarchist politician, diplomat and writer (of historical works and translations).
Broglie twice served as Prime Minister of France, first from May 1873 to Ma ...
against the 363.
He opposed the constitutional amendment proposed by
Henri-Alexandre Wallon
Henri-Alexandre Wallon (23 December 1812 – 13 November 1904) was a French historian and wikt:statesman, statesman whose decisive contribution to the creation of the French Third Republic, Third Republic led him to be called the "Father of the Re ...
and the subsequent constitutional laws.
He was reelected on 14 October 1877.
He opposed the educational, colonial and economic policies of the Republican ministries.
He ran for election as Senator for Nord on 5 January 1879, but did not succeed.
Plichon was reelected as Deputy for Hazebrouck on 21 August 1881.
He continued to sit on the right.
He was reelected Deputy for Nord on 4 October 1885 as candidate of the Conservative Union.
Ignace Plichon died on 3 June 1888 in Paris.
Ignace's son,
Jean Plichon, was a monarchist deputy and then senator for Nord.
His son Pierre was administrator for the Compagnie des Mines de Béthune.
His grandson
Jean-Pierre Plichon, son of Pierre, was deputy for Nord from 1936 to 1942.
Publications
Selected parliamentary papers:
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Notes
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Plichon, Charles Ignace
1814 births
1888 deaths
People from Bailleul, Nord
Politicians from Hauts-de-France
Orléanists
Ministers of public works of France
Members of the 7th Chamber of Deputies of the July Monarchy
Members of the 2nd Corps législatif of the Second French Empire
Members of the 3rd Corps législatif of the Second French Empire
Members of the 4th Corps législatif of the Second French Empire
Members of the National Assembly (1871)
Members of the 1st Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic
Members of the 2nd Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic
Members of the 3rd Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic
Members of the 4th Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic