Chapter 8 - Butcher Fortune and the Workings of Credit

Summary

Upon the death of Thomas Barré in January 1751, the public notary came to Barré's home to inventory his entire fortune from his paper assets and butchery tools to every piece of linen stored in his hope chest. Alongside the hundreds of towels that the shop utilized in meat processing, his armoire was full of dozens of leather jackets (vestes de basane) that came from the finer pieces of sheepskin his shop produced. Barré stood as a man who not only made his wealth, but also displayed it personally. In his wardrobe, the notary inventoried three blue silk jackets woven with gold thread, wigs, and a walking stick with a golden handle valued at 60 livres. Barré's personal attire marked him as a distinguished gentlemen, whose finery set him apart from the working artisans of his rank and brought him closer to the privileged elite. Likewise, his wife's yellow satin gown, blue and white satin dresses, and black taffeta skirts with gold brocade and lace trim stood out as decidedly uncommon. Her wardrobe alone was estimated at 1,024 livres and her jewelry at over 2,000 livres, well beyond the simple ornaments of most Parisian artisans. Unlike most working butchers–men who dressed in black wool jackets and women who wore black broadcloth and linen–the Barré family held a higher position in the social hierarchy creating an image of a butcher aristocracy among the working population.