FERRAND, AntoineFrançois Claude, Comte (1751- 1825), statesman and political writer, was born at Paris July 4,1751, and entered the Parlement de Paris at the early age of eighteen as “conseiller aux enquêtes.” During the Revolution he belonged to the emigrant party, and from 1794 to 1801 led a quiet life at Ratisbon, employing himself in literary work. In 1814 Ferrand was made minister of state and directeur général des postes. It was he who, as ministre du roi, countersigned the act of sequestration of Napoleon’s property, and who, in introducing a bill for the restoration of the property of emigrants, established a distinction, since become famous, between royalists of “la ligne droite” and those of “la ligue courbe.” At the second restoration, Ferrand became again directeur général des postes. He was also mado a peer of France, member of the privy council, grand-officier and secretary of the orders of Saint Michel and Saint Esprit, and in 1816 member of the Academy. In his old age he became blind and enfeebled. He died January 17, 1825.

Besides a large number of political pamphlets, Ferrand is the author of l'Esprit de l'histoire, ou Lettres d'un père à son fils sur la manière d'étudier l’histoire, 1802, which reached seven editions, the last number in 1826 having prefixed to it a biographical sketch of the author by his nephew Hericart de Thury; Éloge historique de Madame Élisabeth de France, 1814; Oeuvres Dramatiques, 1817; Théorie des révolutions rapprochée des événements qui en ont été l'origine, le développement, ou la suite, 1817; and Histoire des trois démembrements de la Pologne, pour faire suite a V Histoire de V Anarchie de Pologne par Rulhiére, 1820.