master of requests

French history

Also known as: maitre de requêtes

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June 30, 2026

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The term "master of requests" refers to a principal officer in a court of requests. In 16th-century France, these individuals were lawyers whose expertise was valuable when the king's council acted in a judicial capacity. The sale of offices, including those of masters of requests, became a significant source of revenue for the French crown during this period. These officials were part of a growing professional bureaucracy that advised the king, with their roles evolving and sometimes overshadowing other administrative positions.12

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France
The growth of a professional bureaucracy
There were also masters of requests (maîtres de requêtes), lawyers whose expertise was invaluable when the council sat in a judicial capacity. But in the council the professional element that assumed the greatest significance in the course of the 16th and 17th centuries was the holders of the…
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There were also masters of requests (maîtres de requêtes), lawyers whose expertise was invaluable when the council sat in a judicial capacity. But in the council the professional element that assumed the greatest significance in the course of the 16th and 17th centuries was the holders of the…
Read More