Joseph Pâris Du Verney

Joseph Pâris Du Verney was born in a family whose members were key figures throughout the first half of the 18th century.

He was born in Moirans in the Dauphine, some 18th kilometres from Grenoble as third of the four sons. Joseph made his fortune acting with his two brothers as arms merchants to the French army during King’s George War between France and England (1740-1748), and doubled it during the Seven Years War (1756-1763).

The profits he made on provisioning enabled Joseph to become involved in tax farming and lending money to the Crown. As private entrepreneurs engages in public revenue collection system enabled them to become one of the biggest financiers of the age.

Under the regency, the Committee of finance accepted the financial plans of Paris-Duverney (1716) which rivaled that of the famous Scottish financier, John Law and was called Anti-Systeme. However, Law succeeded to annul this contract and brothers Parish who fell in disgrace were exiled from country. Only with the Law’s downfall they were able to return.