Guide to the Prince Achille Murat Papers, 1809-1845 M0079
Processed by Mrs. Willis E.Lamb, Jr. ; machine-readable finding aid created by C. Del Anderson
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
2003
Green Library
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford 94305-6064
specialcollections@stanford.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Title: Prince Achille Murat Papers
Creator:
Murat, Achille
Identifier/Call Number: M0079
Identifier/Call Number: 301
Physical Description:
3.5 Linear Feet
Date (inclusive): 1809-1845
Scope and Content
Primarily letters from various members of the Murat and Bonaparte families to Murat. Includes correspondence regarding Murat's
attempt to organize a Belgium Foreign Legion in the 1830's; manuscripts of his writings on politics, slavery, economics, and
literature; and family legal papers. The letters are in French, English, and Italian. Napoleon is not represented.
Biography
Achille Murat, son of Caroline Bonaparte and Joachim Murat (King of Naples, 1808-1815), grew up in Paris and Naples as heir
presumptive to his father's titles. After the fall of Napoleon he lived in exile with his mother, brother Lucien, and sisters
Letizia and Louise at Frohscorf Castle in Austria. Upon reaching his majority he petitioned for a passport to America. In
1823, he arrived in New York where news of a Spanish liberal revolution reached him. He decided to violate his promise never
to return to Europe and sailed for Gibraltar, but he arrived too late. Upon his return to New York, he took out American citizenship
papers and married a great-grand-niece of Washington, Catherine Willis Gray. He lived in Florida and for a time in New Orleans
engaged in farming and various highly speculative business ventures. In the revolutionary 1830s he returned to Europe to become
head of the Foreign Legion of the new Kingdom of Belgium, hoping for a "call from Italy" which never came. Back in America
he published a book on the United States which failed to catch the public fancy. Murat was a staunch supporter of slavery
though he professed to fight for the liberation of man. He was engaged in continuous litigation with the French Government
for the Murat properties seized in 1815. He also tried to compel his uncle Joseph (Napoleon's elder brother) to give an accounting
of funds the Emperor had given him to us "as I would use it."
Preferred Citation:
[Identification of item] Prince Achille Murat Papers, M0079, Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries,
Stanford, Calif.
Provenance
Gift of Homer Spence, 1947-1951.
Publication Rights
Property rights reside with the repository. Literary rights reside with the creators of the documents or their heirs. To obtain
permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Public Services Librarian of the Dept. of Special Collections.
Access Restrictions
None.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Italy
France.
Bonaparte family
Lafayette, Marie Joseph Paul Y
Murat family
Murat, Achille
Series 1. Family Correspondence 130633
box 1, folder 1
Laetitia Ramolino Bonaparte (grandmother) 130697
box 1, folder 2
Cardinal Fesch (brother of Laetitia and great uncle of Achille) 130695
box 1, folder 3
Joseph Bonaparte (uncle of Achille) 130693
box 1, folder 4
Joseph Bonapart to Marechal Clauzel? 130691
box 1, folder 5
Julie (wife of Joseph) 130689
box 1, folder 6
Empress Marie Lousie (aunt of Achille) 130687
box 1, folder 7
Lucien Bonaparte (uncle to Achille) 130685
box 1, folder 8
Alexandrine (wife of Lucien) 130683
box 1, folder 9
Louis Bonaparte (brother of Napoleon) 130681
box 1, folder 10
Hortense (daughter of Napoleon's first wife, Josephine Beauharnais) 130679
box 1, folder 11
Elisa (sister of Napoleon) 130677
box 1, folder 12
Felix Baciochi (husband of Elisa) 130675
box 1, folder 13
Pauline Borghese (sister of Napoleon) 130673
box 1, folder 14
Camille (husband of Pauline) 130671
box 1, folder 15
Jerome Bonaparte (brother of Napoleon) 130669
box 1, folder 16
Joachim Murat (father of Achille) 130667
box 1, folder 17
Caroline (wife of Joachim and mother of Achille) 130665
1809 - 1810
box 1, folder 18
Caroline (wife of Joachim and mother of Achille) 130663
1811 - ca. 1814
box 1, folder 19
Caroline (wife of Joachim and mother of Achille) 130661
circa 1815, undated
box 1, folder 20
Caroline (wife of Joachim and mother of Achille), nos. 1 - 28, 130659
1816 - 1824
box 1, folder 21
Caroline (wife of Joachim and mother of Achille), nos. 1 - 28, 130657
1825 - 1829
Box 2, folder 1-2
Caroline (wife of Joachim and mother of Achille)
1823-1830
Box 2, folder 3-4
Letitia (sister of Achille) 130639
Box 2, folder 5-6
Louise M. Rasponi (sister of Achille) 130637
box 2, folder 7
Lucien (younger brother of Achille) 130655
box 2, folder 8
Christine Bonaparte (daughter of Lucien) 130653
box 2, folder 9
Zenaide & Mathilde (daughters of Joseph) 130651
box 2, folder 10
Letitia and Marie (daughters of Lucien) 130649
box 2, folder 11
Catherine D. Murat 130647
box 2, folder 12
Antoniette de Hohenzollern 130643
Box 2A, folder 13
Copies of letters by Achille Murat. 130641
box 4, folder 1
Caroline Murat to Achille (oversize) 130635
Series 2. General Correspondence 130589
Box 2A, folder 14
de Bandus (Achilles tutor) 130631
Box 2A, folder 18
Letters D. including D'Hautemesnil. 130623
box 3, folder 6
Lafayette/Levasseur 130611
box 3, folder 7
General Felix MacDonald. 130609
box 3, folder 14
Achille Murat to Lebel 130595
box 3, folder 15
Unidentified letters [1 of 2] 130593
box 3, folder 16
Unidentified letters [2 of 2] 130591
box 4, folder 2
Family papers (properties, wills, etc.). 130587
box 4, folder 3
Murat papers on politics, economics, etc. 130585
box 4, folder 7
Official Documents 130581
box 5, folder 1
Murat Papers: Miscellaneous. 130577
box 5, folder 2
Murat Papers: politics, 130575
1815 - 1822
box 5, folder 3
Murat Papers: Literature and studies. 130573
box 5, folder 4
Murat Papers: Works, 130571
1824
box 5, folder 5
Murat Papers: American subjects. 130569
box 5, folder 6
Murat Papers: General topic. 130567
box 5, folder 7
Murat Letters about America, to Thibeaudeau. 130565
box 5, folder 8
Misc. manuscripts and printed items. 130563
Box 6
Index of Letters, 130561
1840 - 1845