MENDE BAGNOLS CHATEAUNEUF-RANDON ESTABLES GRANDRIEU LANGOGNE LANUEJOLS LES LAUBIES NAUSSAC SAINT-AMANS SAINT-JULIEN-DU-TOURNEL VILLEFORT FLORAC ISPAGNAC MEYRUEIS QUEZAC

SAINTE-ENIMIE SAINT-PREJET MARVEJOLS LA CANOURGUE CHANAC CHIRAC GREZES JAVOLS LE MALZIEU MONASTIER NASBINALS SAINT-CHELY-D'APCHER SALMON maps to situate

     
MENDE 
Situated at the left bank of the Lot, chief town of the prefecture, 141 miles South of Paris (legal distance. one pays 69 post-stations). 5.822 inhab. -(1835 ; 11.804 in 2002)
This city was formerly only a small borough (Viculus Mimatensis).
Saint Privat, bishop of from Javols, which, after the destruction of the city by the Vandals, took refuge in a cave close to the borough.
He was drawn by the Barbarians and was martyrised by them in Mende itself.
After the departure of the Vandals, they built a church at the place where the saint had been buried. His relics of which was said they exercised miracles attracted a great multitude of the people. Imperceptibly there was formed a city where was transferred afterwards the seat of the bishop of the Gévaudan.
Mende suffered in the XVI th century of the religious wars of; it then contained several convents whose richnesses attracted the calvinists, and took profit of it.
A story reports that they took out of the churches of Mende sacred vases and relics worth more than 280 silver marcs
At this time the large bell of the cathedral was molten to make guns.
The bishops of Mende had during a long time the right of coinage; they also were the lords of the city; but off 1306 they had to shared their sovereignty with the kings of France.
Mende is situated agreeably at the Lot river, in a small valley surrounded by mountains from where many brooks run which sprinkle and fertilize the gardens of the scattered country houses around the city. These small bright country houses with meadows and the orchards of which they are surrounded, offer an most pleasant aspect.

The city is surrounded by a boulevard, nice to walks. It's old interesting streets are narrow and tortuous; it contains a rather great number of public fountains, like the Griffon fountain.
The enclosure of Mende is of triangular form .
All the roofs of the houses are out of a thin sort of slatestone called "ardoise".
The cathedral is a Gothic church which is remarkable by its two bell-towers a masterpiece of art.
The old episcopal palace became the seat of the prefecture, it contains a beautiful gallery and a beautiful drawing-room with ceilings enriched by paintings of Besnard.
Mende has a rich public library of 6.600 volumes.
On the nude and steep slope Mount-Mimat, which gave its old name (Mimate) to the city, is the hermitage of Privat Saint,  partly cutted in the rock. This hermitage is 200 meters above the city, 690 meters above the sealevel. The absolute height of the Mount-Mimat is approximately 1,100 meters.
Ancient postcarts of Mende

    
BAGNOLS

The village of Bagnols is built in amphitheatre-form in a schistous and pyritous soil. It owes its origin to a thermal source coming out a large vault at the bottom of the village, providing 172 cubic meters of water in 24 hours.
The termal establishment contains eight bath-tubs and two swimming pools.
The water is 45 degrees Celcius, of a slightly opaline color and contains magnesia muriate and lime sulphate. It treats rheumatisms and paralyses by baths, showers, inhaling-baths and drinking.

     
CHATEAUNEUF-RANDON

Cantonal head-office, 6 miles North -East of Mende. Pop. 607 inhab.(1835 ; 532 in 2002)
This small city, located on a mountain, was formerly fortificated and was until the end of the XVII^th century the seat of one of the barounies of Gévaudan.
Châteauneuf was defended by the castle of Randon, of which you still can see the ruins, it gave it's surname. It owes its celebrity to the siege that the English supported there in 1380, against the famous constable Duguesclin .
The governor promised to surrender in 15 days if they were not helped meanwhile.
Then Duguesclin fell sick, and feeling his end close, he kissed the old captains who surrounded him and recommended them - while dying, not to forget in any country were-ever they would make war, that the clergy, the women, the children and the poor people never would be their enemies; he died the next day.
The marshal of Sancerre avanced to the edges of the ditch of the besieged city, and summoned the governor to give up the place, as he had promised. But the governor answered he had promised it to Duguesclin, and that he only should surrendered to him. Then Sancerre knew that the constable was dead.
"And, well" continued the governor, I will carry the keys of the city on his tomb.'
Sancerre prepared to be present at this extraordinary ceremony.
They removed the tent of the hero and his coffin was placed on a table covered with flowers.
Soon the governor of Châteaneuf-Randon arrived at the head of his garrison; he crossed the army with the sounds of trumpets, and arrived at Duguesclin tomb: the principal officers were standing there silently.
The governor put himself at knees in front of the coffin and posed the keys on it.

The road of Mende to le Puy passes by the foot of the mountain at the top of which Châteauneuf-Randon rises; on this road, in the hamlet Ia Bitarelle, they built a monument for Duguesclin in the year 1820.

     
ESTABLES
3 miles North of Mende. Pop. 650 inhab.(1835 ; 771 in 2002)
The highest granitic plateau is close to  Estables. 
It is a ramification of Margeride; approximately 1.550 meters above the sea-level: it is named the le Palais du Rois(King's palace), undoubtedly because of the presence of the ruins of an old castle in the vicinity, which belonged to the kings of Aragon.
   

GRANDRIEU
Head of the canton,   9 miles of Mende. Pop. 1.462 inhab.(1835 ; 773 in 2002)
One notices in Grandrieu a square tower which was used to determine the triangle of the map of Cassini.
The beautiful military road opened by Agrippa, which led of Lyon in Auvergne, to Aquitaine and Spain, crosses the territory Grandrieu.
There are still some well preserved vestiges in various hamlets of this commune.

   
LANGOGNE
On left bank To combine it, CH - L of cant., with 11 miles. of Mende. Pop. 2,720 hab.(1835 ; 3095 en 2002)
This city, built on one of the highest plateaus of the department, is located at little distance of the source of the Allier.
It owes its origin to a monastery founded in Xe century by one of the Viscounts of Gévaudan.
Of this monastery the old church still remains and is nowadays used as parish church.
Langogne was during the Revolution, the chief town of a district and the seat of a court. 
On Mount-Milan, in the neighbourhood there are vestiges of a Roman camp.

LANUEJOLS or LANOUGEOLE
2 miles E of Mende. Pop. 650 hab. ( 1835 ; 208 in 2002)

               Ancient tomb of Nougeole

This Roman monument, is the best preserved and most considerable one of all those in the Gevaudan, it is at the entry of the village. 
Various authors indicated it wrongly like the mausoleum Munatius Plancus, founder of Lyon, whose tomb exists, on to the route of Vaysse de Villiers, in Gaëte, in the kingdom of Naples.

The architecture of the monument of Lanuejols, indicates it's a monument of IIIe century. It is a quadrilateral whose each side is turned towards one of the cardinal points: the outsides have a Iargeur of 6 meters 75 centimetres.
Each angle is decorated with pilasters of corinthien order ; the general aspect of the building offers four variously decorated gantries .
Several old castles exist on the territory of Lanuejols; like the castle of the Servant boy and the ruins of that of Chapieu, which belonged to the old house of Châteauneuf-Randon, which became those Apchier and Joyeuse.

Other site : http://f.mejean.free.fr/lanuejols.htm

   
LAUBIES (LES), on Trueyre, with 6 miles N of Mende. Pop. 721 inhab.( 1835 ; 147 in 2002)

In Mazel, one of the villages of this commune, there exists, an acidulous mineral spring, almost estimated with equal qualities of that of Valls (Ardeche), and which attracts a great number of drinkers to the spot.

      
NAUSSAC,  11 miles of Mende, Pop. 409 inh.( 1835 ; 189 in 2002) 
Here you can see the ruins of the castle of Naussac, which depended formerly to the abbot of Chambons. 
The heroic bishop of Marseilles, Belzunce, who also was abbot of Chambons, often came, during the beautiful season, to live this castle; it was here that he came  in 1722, after the plague of Marseilles, to breathe a fresh and pure air. 
The high place where Naussac is built is called "Ragnon of the Mountains" of the Lozere.

SAINT-AMANS
head of the canton, 5 miles N of Mende. Pop. 323 inhab.( 1835 ; 133 in 2002)
This village, where the first relay of the post office of Mende to Saint-Flour.
Cham de la Roche (meadow or top of the rock), the highest point of this road, 1.328 meters above the sea level, lies in the commune of St Amans.
It is placed in the middle of the mountains; its houses all are built out of granite.
The surrounding country offers a landscape with many broom and pastures alternated with granitic masses, is furrowed by brooks, torrents and cascades.
The road curves through the mountains, with a height from 800 to 1.000 meters above the sea level

This city draws its origin and its name from the old castle belonging to one of most famous houses of France in XIIth and XIIIth century, of which  the knight Guerin, bishop of Senlis and chancellor of France was member, who in 1214, in Bovines, commanded the army of Philippe-Auguste. 
The castle of Tournel was one of the eight baronnies of Gévaudan. 
There were lead-mines on the territory of Saint-Julien
The remainders of foundries established by the Saracen have been found.

VILLEFORT on Devèze

Head of the canton, 11 miles E of Mende. Pop. 1.516 hab.( 1835 ; 620 in 2002) 
This city is extremely old and owes its origin to silver-bearing copper and black lead mines, which have been exploited there for approximately 70 years.
It is located at the foot of the mount Lozere, in a narrow small valley, sprinkled by the small river Ia Devèze.
Formerly it formed part of the diocese of Uzès.
During the Revolution, it was the chief town of the district and the seat of a court, it's current importance depends entirely on its trade and the exploitation of its mines.
Being well placed at the limits of the department and close to the borders of the departments Gard and Ardeche, it is the town of transit of wines, silks, salts, coals, corns,  flours and sweet chestnuts
Products which  the inhabitants of the Lozere, Ardeche and Gard exchange with those of the Loire,  Haute-Loire, the Puy-of-Dome, etc.

      
FLORAC
On left bank of theTarnon, Head of the arrondissement, 9 miles S.-S.-E. of Mende. 
Pop. 2.194 inhab. ( 1835 ; 1996 in 2002) 
This old city owes its origin to it's old castle which had the title of baronny.
It is agreeably located, on the left bank of Tarnon, close to its confluence with the Tarn and Mimente, in a narrow small valley covered of meadows and strewn with fruit trees, the dominating slopes are plantedwith vines and are surmounted in the east by chestnut and oaks, and in the west by a chain of raised rocks, presenting at their base a picturesque crack from where spouts out a limpid and abundant source which crosses the city, where it forms two beautiful basins falling of cascades one in the other, and whose water makes drive several mills before mixing with those with Tarnon. 
Florac is mainly composed of only one street where the road passes, and a small place.
The source of Florac is mineral and acidulous. 
Ancient postcarts of Florac
Tourist office (English)
Tourist office (Français)
                                                          Castle of Florac, the seat of the Cevennes National Park nowadays

ISPAGNAC

On the right bank of the Tarn, with 2 miles West of Florac. Pop. 1,885 inhab. in 1835 ; 759 in 2002)
This very pleasant borough is built in a pretty small valley, on the edges of the Tarn.
There are some remarkable constructions.
If you have faith to the Universal Dictionary of France, there would exist, in the surroundings, rather rich silver-bearing black lead mines, since it would give 33 pounds of lead and 8 ounces of money per quintal of ore.
The road of Mende to Florac passes by Ispagnac, and crosses the calcareous and arid plateau which separates the basin from the Tarn of that of the Lot.

This high plain bears the  name of Causse de Sauveterre; deprived of trees, resources and almost of topsoil, it is struck of a dreadful sterility which made it possible no dwelling to be established there.
You only find there in  a quarter of mile, on the left of the road, in a small depression, Fressinet, miserable hamlet where the relay of station is placed.
The Causse of Sauveterre has a width of approximately 3 miles, and is high at least 975 meters above the sea-level. The cold, snow and storms makes the way sometimes perilously ; in rigorous winters, travellers died there.
Ancient postcarts of Ispagnac
Tourist office Gorges and Grands Causses

MEYRUEIS
Head of the  canton, 6 miles S.-W. of Florac. Pop. 2,092 inhab. ( 1835 ; 851 in 2002) 
Close to this city, you can distinguish three caves at the hillside. The first of them is remarkable by a large natural arch, so regular, that it seems traced by a architect.
The two others are larger and contain a great number of varied stalactites of various colors ;
an academician of Béziers described their fantastic form, being the representations of terrestrial animals, birds, trees, flowers, fruits, as well as statues, pyramids, columns, etc. - There exists, around Meyrueis, un-exploitated coal mines.
Ancient postcarts of Meyrueis
Tourist office
      

A beatiful Gothic bridge is built, and with the expenses of the pope Urbain V, native of the village of Grisac, close to Florac.
Ancient postcarts of Quezac

2 sites quezac - water :
Quezac, eau minérale naturelle gazeuse.  - ... Quezac - Perrier Vittel SA
http://www.lozere-visite-entreprise.com
Ecole de Villefort - Quezac - Sommaire  - De l'eau en bouteille Nos réserves d'eau potable Les différents types de sources Sources froides Sources chaudes Les nappes phréatiques Formation
http://ecole.wanadoo.fr/epvillefort/cycle3/reportag/quezac/html/sommaire.html  

      
SAINTE-ENIMIE

Sainte-enimie, on the right bank of the Tarn, canon-head, 5 miles W of Florac. Pop. 1,219 hab. . ( 1835 ; 509 in 2002)
This middle-age city is located at the middle of high and escarped mountains; it is very old and owes its name to a monastery of the order Saint-Benoit who, according to an old legend, it would have been founded in VII th century, by princess Enimie, daughter of Clotaire, son of Chilpérie.

This legend is rather curious: she reports that Enimie, both beautiful and virtuous, had decided to be devoted to God. Her father wanted to marry her. Then she asked god to make her so deformed, that nobody would want to marry her. Her prayer was executed, and a dreadful leprosy covered her body and face.
Afterwards, having wished to be cured, she would find her cure in water of source "Burle", which joins the Tarn, close to the place where is Sainte-Enimie today.
The princess arrived at this source after many problems and was cured; but every time that she wanted to leave the valley, the leprosy returned to her.
Enimie believed that God ordered her this way to spend her days in loneliness and founded a monastery of which she became abbess.
She only left leave the cloister to go praying in a cave which still exists and on which they have built a chapel to her honor.
Two centuries after the death of Enimie, the religious of the monastery fell into a so great decline, that the bishop of  Mende believed to be obliged to replace them by Benedictines drawn from the monastery of Saint-Chaffre, close to Puy. The deed of gift of the Sainte-Enimie monastery, to the abbey of Saint-Chaffre, passed in Rome, in IXth century, in front of the tomb of Saint-Pierre and in presence of the pope Agapet.
Ancient postcarts of Sainte Enimie
Tourist office  Gorges and Grands Causses
       

SAINT-PREJET,

Saint-prejet, on left bank of the Tarn, lies 10 miles W of Florac. Pop. 394 hab.
The banks of the Tarn present a great number wild and pittoresc sites .
Especially known is the Pas du Souci, at Saint-Prejet where two mountains close with their tops seem to invite a bold engineer to reunite them by a bridge at six hundred meters height.
The river engulfs below between two enormous rocks called Roc-Sourde (deaf Rock), and the other Roc-Aiguille (needle-Rock) and contained by these gigantic dams, follow it's course with a mooing which the echoes increase and retains ...
     

MARVEJOLS
On right bank of Colagne, CH-L of arron., with 7 miles W-N-W. of Mende. Pop. 3,885 hab. 5501 in 2002
This fortified city is located in a friendly valley, crossed by the  Colagne a sideriver of the Lot
It is an old city with great lmportance at the time of the wars against the English.
The inhabitants were so strong then, that Charles V, by making of the city the seat of a royal court, granted them three consuls, of which the first entered to the General-States of Languedoc, for the diocese of Mende.
The weapon of Marvejols, at that time, was a silver castle. King Charles VII added to it above the mistress tower, an armed hand, holding a flower of gold lily, to thanks inhabitants for their services.
Marvejols has suffered a lot during the civil and religious wars.
In 1586 the duke of Joyeuse, commanding the army of Henri lII. seized, plundered and burned down Marvejols, and razed the walls to the ground.
Six years after it was rebuilt : Henri IV encouraged the rebuilding by his benefits.
The disaster was at least a reason to make it more beautiful. The city grow regular, well built and paved and decorated with several fountains; in the centre lies a beautiful place, decorated with a fountain with two basins.
The water of Ia Colagne helps the dyeing; a special canal leads it  by the suburb of Barri, where it’s used for dyeing workshops and make turn several mills.

.                   

CANOURGUE  (LA)
on Urugne-river,Head of the canton, 4 miles S.-S.-W. of Marvejols. Pop. 1.850 inhab.in 1835 (1922 in 2002)
This city, located in a pleasant and fertile small valley, is extremely old; there are vestiges of a fountain which they believe of Gallic construction, and ruins of a old fortress, known as fort Saint-Amand.
Excavations in 1829, in the surroundings of Canourgue, made discover vases, a great number of remains of Roman pottery, a stone runner and figuline clay, which made suppose that here existed a pottery factory in the time of the Romans.
This city had in XIe century, in addition to its parish church, an abbey whose monks were married for the majority. To restore the discipline in 1050 they were added to the authority of the Benedictines of Saint-Victor of Marseilles.
Canourgue is since immemorial time the center of a manufacture of wool, fabricating serges (woven woolen textiles) known under the name of ‘’cadis of Canourgue’’. This manufacture gave live to a very wide trade.
The cadis of Canourgue were before the revolution, the only linings for the clothing of the troops.
      
  
CHANAC
On left bank of the Lot, Head of the canton, 3 miles S. of Marvejols. Pop. 1,881 inhab.in 1835  (1.153 in 2002)
The territory which surrounds this small city offers several druidic, monuments like the dolmens in Aumède and at Les Fonds
Also has Chanac ruins of the old Castle of bishops of Mende, which dominated a rather wide valley, crossed by the Lot, where they built recently a beautiful stone bridge.
         
CHIRAC
on right bank of the Colagne, at 1 mile S.-W.de Marvejols. Pop. 1.238 hab.(10006 in 2002)
The Chirac region also contains several druidic monuments.
The English, who devastated the country in XIV th century, became, close to this city, a complete defeat. The place where they were beaten bears today the name of Cemetery of the English.
       
       
GREZES
4 miles S.-E. of Marvejols. Pop. 458 hab. 9245h. in 2002)
Gregoire de Tours mentions the castle of Grèzes, ‘’Castellum Gredonense’’, which, at the beginning of Vth century, was unnecessarily attacked by the Vandals because Saint Privat had taken refuge there before his martyrdom.
This castle became, thereafter the chief town of vicounty Gévaudan, which belonged successively to the count of Toulouse and to the kings of Aragon.
In 1617, the castle of Grèzes was taken by the Protestants, and Louis XIII, in 1632 demolished it.
Close to Grèzes is a cave which contains beautiful stalactites and stalagmites.
                   

JAVOLS
5 miles N of Marvejols. Pop. 1,881 hab.(276 h. in 2002)
This Commune, located on Tréboulin, consists like the majority of the other communes of the department a great number of villages. It’s an old Gallic city (Gabalum), city and capital of Gabali, first inhabitants of Gévaudan.
Javols became in III th century a bishopry and was ransacked by the Vandals in Vth and VIth century,
and was entirely destroyed by the Sraracenes in the beginning of the VIIIth century. The bishop-seat had already been transferred to Mende.
Javols is nowadays only a simple village where any trace of his old splendour can not be found back; all the Roman monuments had been destroyed during it’s disasters.
In 1892, while extracting stones for the restoration of the church paroissale, they found an circular enclosure of walls rather vast, probably forming a circus, with in the middle a calcareous stone column, dedicated, as carried it in Latin inscription, to Posthume by the city of the Gabales. Posthume was prefect of the Gaules and became emperor in 258.
This discovery caused awakening; other excavations were made, and they found the vestiges of considerable buildings; among the debris, statuettes of gods and others, knives, medals, styles, keys, ustensils out of bronze, remains of red and gray pottery, with drawings in relief (representing leaves, flowers, hunting-scenes, etc), invaluable marble fragments and paving stones in mosaic.
The medals were deposited in the museum of Mende; they are of the ‘’colony of Nismes’’, with the effigy of the children of Agrippa and Auguste, having at the other side, the altar of Lyon, devoted to Rome and this emperor, by sixty Gallic nations, at the confluents of the Saone, Rhone, Tibère, Claude, Domitien, Trajan, Hadrian, Antonin, Marc-Aurèle and Claude the Second named the Gothic.         

          
MALZIEU (LE)
on Trueyre, head canton 10 miles N.de Marvejols. Pop. 1.076 inhab. (970 in 2002)
Malzieu depended formerly on the duchy of Mercoeur; which consisted of several communes located in the Auvergne and Gevaudan. The duke was one of the eight barons of Gevaudan, and made part of the states of Languedoc.
Malzieu had a particular justice for all the communes of the baronnie of Mercoeur, which ressorted under the Parliament of Paris by a transaction made in 1312, between the inhabitants of this city and the bailly Gevaudan.
In 1573 and 1577, the Protestants besieged and took Malazieu; in 1586, the duke of Merry seized it. This city has nowadays a factory of wool blankets, thanks to one of its honourable citizens, General Brun de Villeret, this establishment makes increase the local industry.
        

MONASTIER  (Le ~~ Pin Mories)
5 miles S. of Marvejols. Pop. 534 hab. (723 in 2002)
This village owes its origin and its name with an old convent of Benedictines qu depended on Saint-Victor de Marseilles, and in which Guillaume de Grimoard, who became pope under the name of Urbain V, had made his noviciate.
A part of the church of the abbey still exists and is used as parish church. It is a Gothic vessel; the chapitaus of the columns and the pilasters which support the vault, are decorated with sculptures of  grotesque figures and the fantastic animals. At the door of the choir there are the weapons of Urbain V.            

NASBINALS

Head of the canton, 12 miles N-W of Marvejols. Pop. 1,214 inhab. (504 in 02)
The church of Nasbinals is remarkable by its octogonal bell-tower; construction presumuably of the XIVth century when the English occupied the country.

SAINT-ALBAN (sur Limagnole)
9 miles N-N-E. of Marvejols. Pop. 2,470 hab. 1598 in 02)
Canilhac was, until in the XVIIIe century the seat of one of the baronnies of Gévaudan, which was transferé to St. Alban by letter in 1743 or 1748?
The castle of St-AIban belonged to the house of Morangiès; it is a departmental property were is established an old people's home for the alienated women.

           
SAINT-CHELY-D'APCHER
head of the canton., with 8 miles N of Marvejols. Pop. 1.651 inhab.4.316 in 02)
This small city which during the revolution, was the chief town of a district and the seat of a court is the commercial center of the regional wool-trade.
It is sutuated in the middle of the mountains. At one mile North at a plateau which seems to be the culminating point you can see enormous blocks of granite, depilated and more or less rounded; some resemble grinding mill-stones, several of its blocks only touch only by a point.
Astonishing in balance so that a light pressure seems enough to make them fall. They are called the Rocks of Lagarde, name of the closest village.
           
SALMON
on left bank of the Lot, 7 miles S.-W. of Marvejols. Pop. 1,477 hab.
Also the church of Salmon was built at the expenses of the pope Urbain V; his weapons can be seen at an exterieur wall.
One of the villages which depend on the commune of Salmon, Montjézieu was, before in XIVth century the head-quarter of a Jewish colony.
In other nearby hamlets : Booz, Reilhes and Tieul, Jewish tombs are dug in the rock.
The bridge over the Lot Batch which leads of Salmon to Montjézieu, is remarkable by the opening and height of its arch.  

POLITICAL AND ADMINISTATIVE DIVISION.

POLICY
- The department names 3 deputies.
- It is divided into 3 electoral districts, with the seatsI: Mende, Florac and Marvejols
- the number of the voters is 621.

ADMINISTATIVE
The chief town of the prefecture is Mende, the department is divided into 3 under-préfectures. or arrond. common.
Mende      7 cantons, 62 communes, 45,440  inhabit.
Florac       7                 51                     41.525
Marvejols 10                76                     53.382

Total.        24 cantons, 189 communes, 140,347 inhabitants.

Service of the Treasury. - 1 general receiver and 1 payer (resident in Mende), 2 receivers particular, 3 percept. of arrond.
Contributions directes. - 1 director in Mende), and 1 inspect.
Domains  and Recording. - 1 director (in Mende), 1 inspector, 2 inspectors.
Mortgages. - 3 conservatives in the CH-L of arr. common.
Contributions indirects. - 1 director in Mende, 3 receivers.

FORESTS
The departement belongs to the 29^th forest-conservation, of which the chief town is Privas.
BRIDGES AND ROADWAYS
The department belongs to the 12th inspection, whose chief town is Clermont-Ferrand. - There is 1 engineer residence in Mende.
MINES
The department belongs to the 16^th   district and the 5^th division, whose chief town is Montpellier.
- For the horse-races the department belongs to the 6th district whose chief town is Aurillac.

MILITARY
- the department belongs to the 9th military division, whose general quarter is in Montpellier.
- In Mende: 1 marshal of field commanding the subdivision; 1 military under-intendant.
- The recruitment is in Mende.
- The company of departmental police (gendarmerie) makes part of 15th legion whose chief town is in Nimes.

RIGHT - the courts fall under the competence of the royal court of Nimes.
There are in the department 3 courts of 1st authority : in Mende (2 chambers), FIorac, Marvejols, which act as commercial courts.

RELIGION
Catholic Worship - the department forms the diocese of a bishopry founded in the  Vth century.
The archbishop's palace is in Nimes, and whose seat is in Mende. There is in Mende: a ecclesiastical secondary school which counts 90 students.
 - the department has 1 curia of 1st class, 25 of 2nd 162 succursals and 131 vicariates.
 - There is a great number of religious communities of women, holding of the boarding schools, being devoted to the education of the young girls, the poor girls, or being occupied with praying and manual work.
Protestant worship. - 1st in Meyrueix, served by 2 pastors is divided into 2 sections (Meyrueix, Vébron);
2nd in Florac served by 3 pastors and divided into 3 sections (Florac, Saint-Julien, N...);
3rd in Vialas, served by 2 pastors and divided one 2 sections (Vialas, Lacombe-de- Ferriere);
4th in Barre, served by 3 pastors and divided into 3 sections (Bar, Pompidou, Sainte-Croix-la-Vallée-Française); and 5th at Saint-Germain-of-Calberte, served by 3 pastors.
- There are 8 temples or houses of prayers. - 14 biblical societies and 17 Protestant schools.

UNIVERSITY the department is included in the academy of Nimes.
State education - There is in the department in Mende, 1 college; 1 primary school.
 - The number of the primary schools of the department is 318, which are attended by 8.573 pupils, including 5.017 boys and 3.556 girls.
-  67 communes doesn’t possess a school.

SCIENTIFIC  SOCIETIES.
- There exists in Mende, a Society of Agriculture, Commerces, Sciences and Arts;
- in Florac and Marvejols they have a society of Agriculture.

     
POPULATION.

According to the last official census, there are 140,347 hab., and annellement provides to the army 385 young soldiers.
In 1830 there were
Mariages  1.014

Births .                         Male              Female
Legitimate children       1,950                1,835
Natural   "                      106                  100                 Total    3,991

Deaths                        1,613                1,598                Total    3,209

NATIONAL GUARD

The number of the registered citizens is 27.873. Including 10.687 control of reserve.
17.186 control of service ordinaire.These last are divided as follows: 17,039 infantry. - 45 artillery. 102 firemen.
Of whom : armed 2.329; equipped 863; with uniform 3.522;
8,973 are likely to be mobilized.
Thus, on 1.000 individuals of the general population, 190 are registered, and 64 in this number are mobilizable;
Of 100 registered soldiers, 62 are subjected to ordinary service, and 38 belong to the reserve.
  

TAXES AND RECEIPTS.
The department paid in 1831 to the State
Contributions.........................................1,215,248f 30c.
Enregistrements, stamp and fields..................... 546,828 let us 55
Drinks, various rights , tobaccos and powders............. 230,740 42
Postes..................................................................... 51,364 18
Wood Products...................................... 33 80
Various Products........................................................ 2,904
Special Ressources..................................... 199,256 87
Total.............................. 2.256.376f 8c.

The department has received from the  treasury 1,777,870 Fr. 69c.
Consisting of:
National debt and equipments .................. 169,952 F
Expenditure of the Minister of justice................... 91,992 24
State education and the worships. 312,627 47
Trade and public works. 468,001 03
War.......................................... 307,576 90
Navy......................................... 61 03
Finances....................................... 51,111 70
Expenses of control and perception of the taxes. 245,077 59
Remboursem., restit., not-values, premiums. 131,470 26
Total........................ 1,777,870 F 69 C.

These two total sums of payments and receipts representing, with few variations close, the annual movement of the taxes and the receipts, the department pays annually, moreover than it does not receive, 478,506 Fr. 12 C This sum, absorptive by the expenses of the central government, are equivalent to 12th of its territorial income.

  

DEPARTEMENTAL EXPENDITURES.

The total amount in 1831 is 228,720 Fr. 02 C
Expenditures fix: treatments, subscriptions, etc 54.800f.
Expenditures variables: rents, repairs, encouragements, helps, etc.173,920 02
Of this last sum 15,709 F is for the departmental prisons and 39,600 F for found children.

The helps granted by the State for hail, fire, etc. are 31,670 F
The funds devoted to the land register rise at 27,441 43 C
The expenditure of justice and courts are  71,177 33
Court expenses advanced by the State of 24,708 37

    

AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY.

Of a surface of 509.543 hectares, the departement Lozere count:
250,000 put in culture, meadows and pastures.
- 32,599 forests.
-1,928 vines.
-188,531 waste lands, rocks, etc.
The territorial income is evaluated with 5,512,539 francs.
- the department contains approximately, 8,000 horses and mules.
45,000 beast with horns (bovine race).
- 350,000 sheep; plus every year 200,000 sheep of the Languedoc come to spend the summer in the high pastures of the Lozere and Margeride.
- the herds of the department provide chaqué years approximately 725,000 kilogrammes of wool.

The annual product of the land is approximately :
Cereals     ............ 125,000 hectolitres.
"Parmentières" ?..... 50,000
Ots................         20,000
Wine..................... 50,000 .
The routine practices of the farmers seem to contribute, with the natural sterility of the territory, to limit the progress of agricultural art.
The mountains are obstacles in many places, reducing the hope of any improvement. But this region of France, offers wonders of culture. The small valleys located between escarped mounts are cultivated as kitchen- gardens; the mountains slopes are covered with vineyards, of fruit trees and cereals. But the violent rains, which errodates the earth, often make very hard to plough.
- the technics of great farms can't be practiced because of the mountains, so very few big farms are seen.
- tilling is done with oxen.
- the cereals collected  on the  limestone plateaus, called Causses are: wheat, barley, oats and a little rye.
- In the mountains they mainly produce rye, very little barley and oats, and fodder.
- They cultivate a rather great quantity of potatoes in Cevennes, where they perfectly succeed  in  "decomposit granite" grounds.
- the turnips of Chastel (arrondissem. of Mende) are precisely famous.
- The fruits of the Tarn valley are very appreciated
- In some localities, the inhabitants make oil of  juniper-bays.
- the pastures of the mountains are excellent and nourish many herds. Wool gives work to a part of the population. Indeed, the manufacture of, small woollen articles known as cadissery, is widespread in the countryside and almost in each household.

Although placed in a moderated climate zone, the department produces only bad wines in small quantities.Wine is only cultivated  in the Cevennes, the small valleys of the Tarn, the Tarnon, Colagne and in the Villefort region. The roughness of the climate makes this culture impossible in the rest of the region.
The wines made in Lozere support difficultly the transport, even of a canton to another. They even buy in neighbouring departments the major part of their consommation.

- Last twenty-five years, the plantations of mulberry trees have multiplied, and the education of silk-worms progress in the district of Florac. Saint-Germain-of-Calberte is the center of this significant branch of agricultural industry, there is a spinning mill of silk on vapor.

- In the surroundings of this commune they practice also bee-keeping, very rare in the remainder of the department.
- Mr. Borelli de Serres introduced the culture of the mulberry and silk- worms with silk inthe district of Mende.
- Hemp is cultivated in some cantons on the side of Saugues, in la Garde d'Apchier, in Grandrieu and in the Cevennes.
- Flax florishes in the small valley of Marvejols.
- The tinctorial plant Garance grows spontaneously in the department, formerly farmers were specialised in this culture, they don't know why it is abandoned.
- Also saffron was cultivated here , which was not less estimated  than those of Gâtinais, but they gave up this culture.
- They collect and dry sweet chestnuts for the navy. This desiccation, which takes place by means of fire and on trays (cledos), ensures their conservation.
0- The chestnuts of Planchamp and la Borne are extremely demanded and are sold in Paris under the name of "chestnuts of Lyon". In the High-Cevennes, where the harvest of sweet chestnuts takes place, the farmers raise some pigs.
- Others speculate in the young mules bought in Poitou and Auvergne, and after having raised them resell them in the departments of Mediterranean and in Spain.
- Little market of oxes-breeding for labour.

EMIGRATIONS.
- Each year a great number of workmen emigrate in the South of France, where they deal with work of the haymaking and harvest, and the care of silkworms. Some go as far as Spain, were they are known under the name of Gavachos, and where they are employed for all kind of painful work.
The inhabitants of Gévandan compensate thus by their industry the poverty of their territory. The majority of the emigrants belong to the Eastern part of the departure, the Cevennes themselves.

SWEET CHESTNUTS.
Sweet chestnuts are the base of food of the inhabitants of the Cevennes during several months of the year, and often their single food. They are prepared green or dry. There are several manners to  cook them.
The first, with water simply salted or aromatized with celery sheets, sage, etc.(têtes ou tètas) The green ones are also cooked, either stripped, or wrapped of their bark(ploumades).
The second manner is to roast them with the flame in a special frying-pan with holes (afachado); the third, in hot ash(brasucado); the fourth; in a mill to burn the coffee.
In these last three cases, each sweet chestnut must be cutted with a knife until the white substance of the fruit. Without this precaution, it would explode.
- In the coffee mill, the sweet chestnuts also can be cooked and their taste is changed less. In the mill they put one  sweet chestnut whose bark is not cut and which while bursting announces that the others are cooked.
- In several departments, the sweet chestnut, dried on trays, is reduced to flour, which one piles up in well stopped potery pots, or it is preserved during several years.
- This flour, cooked in water or milk, and continuously stirred up until it acquires a certain consistency and does not attach any more to the fingers, forms a thick pulps whose Corsicans are so fond of and that they name polenta.

Some more about chestnuts
  

COMMERCIAL INDUSTRY.
The exploitation of the mines and the service of the factories which work with their products occupy a great number of workmen.
- In addition to lead, silver and copper, the central foundry of Villefort delivers the trade of shot, red litharge and white lead oxide.
- The spinning mill of wool and the manufacture of the serges and the cadis have their center in the district of Mende.
The manufacture of Escots is special to the district of Marvejols, where there are also manufactures of worsted and wool blankets, spinning mills and factories of cotton fabrics, factories of knittings of wool, etc.
In this district, they make, at Saint-CheIy, the trade of the hair.
- The production and the spinning of silk are particular to the Florac region, where also are cotton-spinnings and factories of fabrics and handkerchiefs.
- the department contains paper mills, dyeings, factories of felt-like hats, tanneries, parchment factories, factories of tiles and potteries, etc.

INDUSTRIAL RECOMPENSES.
In 1834, to the exposure of the products of industry, there was granted a HONOURABLE MENTION to misters Jaffart, father and son (of Mende), for manufacture of paper and a QUOTATION to misters Laporte and comp. (of Meyrueis), for manufacture of points, nails, and knitting needles.

FAIRS.
The number of the fairs of the department is  200.
- They are held in 40 communes, including 20 chief towns, and lasting for majority 2 to 3 days, they fill 216 days.
- The 32 mobile fairs, occupies 39 days.
- 149 communes are privated of fairs.
The articles of trade are fat and thin cattle, oxes, horses, mules; the fabrics : wools, serge, cadis; cheeses and sweet chestnuts.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Mémoire statistique sur le départ. de la Lozère, (statistical Memory on the departement Lozere), by Jerphanion, prefect; in-8. Paris, year X
- Mémoires et analyses des travaux de la Société d'Agriculture, etc., (Memories and analyses of work of the Company of Agriculture, etc), of the town of Mende in-8. Mende, 1828
- Annuaire du département de la Lozère; (Directory of the department of Lozere); in-12. Mende, 1828-1833
- Mémoires historiques sur le pays de Gévaudan et sur la ville de Mende  (Historical Memories on the country of Gévaudan and the town of Mende) ; in-8. Mende, 1829.
A.HUGO . Paris, - lmprimerie et Fonderie de RIGNOUX et Comp.,rue des Francs Bourgeois Saint Michel, 8.

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