Jacques Antoine Rabaut-Pommier

His brothers were Jean-Paul Rabaut Saint-Étienne, a more famous politician, guillotined in Paris on 5 December 1793, and Pierre-Antoine Rabaut-Dupuis, also politically active.

He spent his childhood in the insecurity and anxiety which was the norm for families of pastors during the period when Protestantism was proscribed in France (known in French as 'the desert').

One of the issues he spoke out on was the contentious question of whether common land should continue to be owned collectively or whether it should be divided up and sold as private property.

The political difficulties of the issue meant that instead of producing clear recommendations, he presented a series of questions on common land which were debated by the Agricultural Committee between 29 December 1792 and 12 January 1793.

He resumed his seat in the convention on 18 Frimaire Year II (8 December 1794), aligning himself with the deputies on the right of the chamber and maintaining a cautious line.

He was elected secretary of the convention on 1 Ventose Year III (19 February 1795), and had a decree passed which introduced a semaphore system to promote national cohesion and security.

would become a decree and would sound throughout the Republic; citizens would leave their occupations to seize their arms and numerous armies formed suddenly would confront the surprised enemy with barriers which it would not be possible to surmount.'

[10] Under the Directory he was elected on 21 Vendemiaire Year IV (13 October 1795) to the Council of Ancients by the departement of Gard, securing 143 of 225 votes cast.

He had signed the 'acte additionel', effectively recognising Napoleon's legitimacy during the Hundred Days, and the law of 12 January 1816 against regicides meant that he had to leave his church position.

However, as his vote had not counted in the death sentence of Louis XVI, Boissy d'Anglas was able to secure a partial amnesty for him two years later[16] on 11 February 1818.

On his return to France he did not resume his position in the ministry - the Consistory had not dared to speak on his behalf - and he had already been replaced by Henri François Juillerat.