THE WAINWRIGHT COLLECTION
Marianne Scott*
In February 1958 the formal presentation of the Library of Francois Olivier-
Martin was made to the McGill Law Faculty by the donor, Arnold Wainwright,
Q.C. From the time Mr. Wainwright lectured at the Law School, he has held
a deep interest in the development of the Law Faculty.
Francois Olivier-Martin was a specialist in the study of the “Coutume of
Paris”, and this is borne out by his great work “Histoire de la Pr~v6t6 et Vi-
comt6 de Paris”. The library he collected contained much material on the
subject of the customary law of France, the great ordinances and more particu-
larly the Custom of Paris. During the latter part of his life he lectured a number
of times in Montreal as well as in other legal centres in North America.
His interest was undoubtedly drawn to Quebec, where the Coutume de
Paris formed a fundamental part of the law from 1163 until codification in 1866.
He had expressed the desire to his wife that if at all possible he would like his
library to go to a Quebec law school, and this wish was made possible through
the interest and generosity of Mr. Arnold Wainwright.
Soon after the books were received, the long process of cataloguing the
collection was started. This was done by a professional librarian who had
also been trained in a civil law system. It soon became apparent that, while
M. Oliver-Martin’s deepest interest was in the Coutume de Paris, the literary
taste of this great scholar was extensive. It was then thought that an analytical
bibliography of the collection, with extensive subject references would best
serve to bring out the varied content of the collection. This work has now been
completed, and is available in bound form in the Wainwright Room.’
To gain some insight into the varied interest of M. Olivier-Martin, a few
biographical details could be mentioned. These have been taken from an
article written by Gabriel Lepointe after the death of M. Olivier-Martin. 2
Francois Olivier-Martin was born in Brittany in 1879. Shortly after this
his family moved to Dinan where he completed his classical education. He
went to Rennes for his university training and there studied law. After being
called to the bar at Dinan in 1900, he decided that his true vocation did not
lie in the practice of law. He then went to Paris where he took his doctorate
and later became an “Agr~g6″ of the Faculty of Law of Paris. He lectured for
a brief time at the University of Paris, then returned to Rennes where he taught
*Law Librarian, McGill University, Faculty of Law.
1Boronkay, Dencs, Olivier-Mlartin’s collection of books on French legal history, history, church history,
canon law, political science, public finance: an analytical bibliography, Montreal, 1960. 2 vol.
2″Revue historique de droit frangais et 6tranger” sir. 4, vol. 30, (1953), p. 1-29.
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history of law for thirteen years. During this period he engaged in a great
deal of research. His method was not only to trace the origin of the law but
to show its development as well as its decline through the ages. Volume one
of his first important work “Histoire de la Pr~v6t et Vicomt6 de Paris” was
ready in 1914, but due to the war was not published until 1922. The second
volume in two parts appeared in 1926 and 1930.
In 1921 he returned to Paris where he replaced Paul Fournier as lecturer in
the history of public law. He was a great success as a teacher and both his
colleagues and students felt that teaching was a vocation for him. In 1927 he
succeeded the famous legal historian Emile Chenon as Director of the course
on legal history. Because of the high esteem in which he was held by Olivier-
Martin, the library contains many of Chenon’s works.
As well as teaching and research, M. Olivier-Martin was interested in many
other professional activities. He was elected to the “Acad~mie des Inscriptions
et Belles Lettres”, succeeded M. E. Meynial as president of the “Societ d’his-
toire de droit”, co-editor of the Nouvelle revue historique de droit franfais et droit
‘tranger, a member of the “Conseil d’administration de la Societ6 d’histoire
ecclksiastique de la France”. In 1937, at the instigation of M. Alexandre Eck,
honorary professor at the University of Brussels, he founded, together with
Jacques Pirenne, the “Soci&t6 Jean Bodin pour l’histoire comparative des
institutions”.
The following list is a selected bibliography of the leading works of Francois
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Olivier-Martin.
OLIVIER-MARTIN, FRANcoIs: L’action juridique des “Etats” on “Ordres” en
dehors des assemble’es pe’riodiques, en France aux XVIIe et XVIIIe sibcles. Com-
mission internationale pour l’histoire des Assembl6es d’Etats, Etudes No 11.
Louvain, 1952.
L’Assemble’e de Vincennes de 1329 et ses consequences; e’tude sur les conflits entre
la juridiction laique et la juridiction eccle’siastique al XIVe sicle. Paris, 1909.
Le calcul par nuits des delais dans les textes parisiens. M6langes Louis Halphen.
Paris, 1951. p.543-550.
Le congres international des sciences historique de Bruxelles. Revue historique
de droit frangais et tranger sr. 4, vol. 2, (1923), p.443-461.
Le congres historique de Varsovie. Revue historique de droit fran~ais et etranger,
sr. 4, vol. 12, (1933), p.525-544.
Le congres historique d’Oslo. Revue historique de droit frangais et 6tranger,
sr. 4, vol. 7, (1928), p.4 4 1-4 60 .
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– Cours d’histoire diu droit public; re’diges d’apres les notes et aver l’autorisation …
Paris, 1942-1951.
– La coutume de la Prvdte’ et Vicomte de Paris. M~moires de la Socit6 de l’His-
toire de Paris T. XLVIII, Paris, 1925, p.174-189.
No. 1]
– La coutume de Paris; trait d’union entre le droit romain et les legislations modernes.
THE WAINWRIGHT COLLECTION
Paris, 1925.
– Un coutumier die Chatelet de la fin de XVe siecle. Travaux juridiques et cono-
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miques de l’Universit& de Rennes 1907. p.411-432.
La crise die mariage dans la l6gislation intermediaire (1789-1804). Paris, 1901.
Le d6clin de la suppression des corps en France au XiVIIIe siecle (Organisation
‘Ancien Regime). Commission interna-
corporative die Moyen Age a la fin de
tionale pour l’histoire des Assembl&s d’Etats, Etudes No 2. Louvain, 1937.
l’usage de France,” texte critique avec intro-
and BouLEN, GEORGES. “Des fieZ
duction et des notes. Nouvelle revue historique de droit franais et 6tranger,
vol. 43, (1919). p.544-582; vol. 44, (1920). p.135-158, 305-346.
and THomAs, ANTOINE. Un document in1dit sur la procedure accusatoire dans la
Chatellenie de Bellac au X1Ve siecle. Revue historique de droit fran~ais et
6tranger, sr. 4, vol. 14 (1935). p.707-72 2 .
– Un document inedit sur les travaux preparatoires de l’ancienne Coutume de Paris.
Nouvelle revue historique de droit fran~ais et 6tranger vol. 42, (1918).
p.192-227.
La France d’Ancien Regimc, etat corporatif. Annales de droit et de sciences
politiques 1937. p.690-702.
– Glanes de droit coutumier parisien. Travaux juridiques et &onomiques de
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l’Universit6 de Rennes, 1914.
-istoire de la coutume de la Pre’v6te’ et Vicomte de Paris. vol. 1, Paris, 1922;
vol. 2, pt. 1, Paris, 1926; vol. 2, pt. 2, Paris, 1930.
– Histoire die droit franfais des origines
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la Revolution. Paris, 1948.
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Le jeu des institutions monarchiqes sons le gouvernement personnel de Louis XIV
(1661-1715). Recueil des cours et conf&ences, 1926. p.385-407.
Le manuscrit des “coutumes notoires'” ayant appartenu Brodean. Revue histo-
rique de droit frangais et 6tranger s&. 4, vol. 3, (1924). p.129-140.
Le manuscrit Vatican 4790 et le grand coutimier de Jacques d’Ableges. Nouvelle
revue historique de droit franais et 6tranger, vol. 30, (1906). p.630-668.
Le manuscrit Vatican 4790 de grand coutumier de Jacques d’Ableiges. Nouvelle
revue historique de droit fran~ais et 6tranger, vol. 34, (1910). p.113-127.
– La nomination aux offices royaux au XTVe siecle, d’apres les pratiques de la chan-
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cellerie. M6langes Paul Fournier. Paris. 1929. p.487-501.
– Notes d’audiences prises au Parlement de Paris de 1384
1386, par un praticien
anonyme. Revue historique de droit frangais et 6tranger, s&. 4, vol. 1,
(1922), p.513-603.
– Note sur le “de origine jurisdictionum” attribu ? Pierre Bertrand. M6langes
Fitting. Paris, 1907. vol. 2, p.106-119.
– Notes sur quelques manuscrits juridiques peu connus. Nouvelle revue historique
de droit fran~ais et 6tranger, vol. 35, (1911). p.75-88.
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L’organisation corporative de la France d’Ancien Regime. Paris, 1938.
Les pratiques traditionnelles de la royauteffranpaise et le despotisme Iclairl. Bulletin
du comit6 international des sciences historiques 1933, No 20. p.701-713.
– PrIcis d’histoire du droitfranfais. 4e 6d. Paris, 1945.
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Le pr6tendu cartulaire de l’abbaye de Saint-Pierre de Rill6
la bibliothque municipale de Rennes. Bulletins ct m~moires de la
and AUBERGE, J.
conserve
Socie’t arch~ologique d’Ille-et-Vilaine. 1913.
Le roi de France et les mauvaises coutumes au Moyen Age. Zeitschrift de Savigny-
Stiftung fur Rechts Geschichte Germanistische Abteilung, 1938, p.108-137.
Saint-Louis. Hommes d’Etat, vol. 2. Paris, 1937.
St-Yves, the ideal jurist. St-Yves, patron saint of lawyers. 1936.
Sentences civiles du Ch~telet de Paris (1395-1505) publiles d’aprs les r’gistres
originaux. Nouvelle revue historique de droit franais et 6tranger, vol. 37,
(1913), p.758-804; vol. 38, (1914), p.61-104, 461-523, 611-641.
Textes ine’dits de droit champenois. Travaux juridiques et economiques de
l’Universit6 de Rennes, 1913.
Le tribunal des Centumvirs. Paris, 1904.
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CASE and COMMENT
