bourgeois of Thury LE NEUF Jean

1530 - 1599  (69 years)

• Name	LE NEUF Jean
  Title	bourgeois of Thury
  Born	1530	Caen, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France
  Gender	Male
  Died	28 Nov 1599	Lisieux, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France
  Person ID	I36512	Gynzer's Genealogy Database | Family History of the Le Neuf Family in New France
  Last Modified	18 Jun 2014

  
  

  Family	LE GARDEUR Marguerite,   b. 1550, Lisieux, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France ,   d. Bef 21 Nov 1599, Normandie, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France  (Age 49 years)
  Children	+ 1. LE NEUF Mathieu,   b. 1575, Caen, Normandie, France ,   d. 24 Nov 1622, Caen, Normandie, France  (Age 47 years)
  Last Modified	18 Jun 2014
  Family ID	F12410	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  The Le Neufs claimed they were descendants of ancient sword nobility (noblesse d'épée), but records show they were actually a highly ambitious family of bourgeois (upper-middle-class) merchants who effectively bought their way into the aristocracy over three generations. In 16th-century France, a wealthy family could achieve nobility through a process called enfeoffment—buying "noble lands" (fiefs) that carried titles, and slowly adopting the name of the land until the public forgot they were merchants. Jean Le Neuf, Sr. (c. 1515 or 1530) The Profession: He was a prosperous tanner and leather merchant in Caen. The Wealth: The tanning industry in Normandy was incredibly lucrative. Jean Sr. used his massive cash reserves to buy up properties and educate his sons, ensuring they did not have to perform manual labor. This shifted the family from "working class" to "bourgeoisie".