Fraudes autour du droit de bourgeoisie de Lyon (XVIIe-XVIIIe siècles)

Tres convoite, le droit de bourgeoisie lyonnais permettait d’etre exempt de l’impot royal de la taille sur les proprietes rurales, ainsi que de vendre la production viticole dans des cabarets urbains francs de droits d’octroi. Ces privileges s’obtenaient en naissant a Lyon ou en apportant la preuve d’une residence continuelle en ville. Les fraudeurs multiplierent les stratagemes. Les uns usaient de la corruption, excipaient de domiciles fictifs ou commettaient des faux. Les autres mettaient en place des strategies transferant les patrimoines familiaux a de jeunes migrants depeches tout expres vers Lyon. Meme des nobles sollicitaient un passe-droit pour devenir bourgeois. Strongly desired, the bourgeoisie of Lyon guaranteed an full exemption of the taille , a royal tax over rural properties, as well as the right of selling wine free of duties in urban wine-shops. These privileges could be obtained either by beeing born in Lyon, either by giving proofs of a long residentship inside the town. Defrauders used a lot of stratagems. Some of them were committing bribery, had fictive residences or produced forgeries. Others followed strategies aiming to transfer patrimony towards a young migrant intentionally sent in Lyon. Even members of the nobility were asking for a favour in view of becoming bourgeois .