Hoüard, David, 1725-1802.

Hoüard's Dictionnaire : (French Law, 1780)

Dictionnaire, 1780

Dictionnaire, 1780

Hoüard was a well-known jurist, a member of Parlement, and a respected writer. His dictionary begins with a lengthy epistle praising Monseigneur Nicolas de Montholon, a counselor to the king and first president of the Parlement of Normandy. Between this dedicatory and the introduction Hoüard included a detailed chronological table listing the sovereign leaders of Normandy since 912, including descriptions of their contributions to legislation. This section is an early indication of the focus of Hoüard's work; he was interested in investigating historical elements that have led to the current interpretation of law and custom in Normandy, as much or more than the mere definitions of terms.

His preface is much longer than most, and begins with a history of the cultures and customs that came together to create Normandy, and were reflected in its laws. This historical bent continues in the work proper: the definitions generally contain etymological and historical information beyond strict definitions. The 4-volume work, in contemporary calf with rubricated edges, is a dense mass of terms; fortunately each volume contains an index of the terms defined therein.

Hoüard wrote two other works that reflected a similar respect for history and ancient law: Anciennes loix des François conservées dans les coutumes angloises recueillies par Littleton (1766) and Traités sur les coutumes anglo-normandes, publiés en Angleterre, depuis le onzième, jusqu'au quatorzième siècle : Ouvrage qui supplée aux monuments de l'histoire & de la législation françoise qui nous manquoient depuis la cessation des capitulaires, jusqu'aux premières ordonnances de nos rois de la troisième race (1776).

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