Agathon Jean François Fain

Who was Agathon Jean François Fain?

Agathon Jean François Fain was a French historian.

He was born in Paris, France. Having gained admittance to the offices of the Directory, he became head of a département. Under the French Consulate he entered the office of the secretary of state, in the department of the archives. In 1806 he was appointed secretary and archivist to the cabinet particulier of the emperor, whom he attended on his campaigns and journeys. He was created a baron of the empire in 1809, and, on the fall of Napoleon, was first secretary of the cabinet and confidential secretary.

Compelled by the second Restoration to retire into private life, he devoted his leisure to writing the history of his times, an occupation for which his previous employments well fitted him. He published successively Manuscrit de l'an 1814, contenant l'histoire des six derniers mois du régime de Napoléon; Manuscrit de l'an 1814, trouvé dans les voitures impériales prises à Waterloo; Manuscrit de l'an 1813, contenant le précis des évènements de cette année pour servir à l'histoire de l'empereur Napoléon; Manuscrit de l'an 1812; and Manuscrit de l'an III, contenant les premieres transactions de l'Europe avec la république française et le tableau des derniers governements du régime conventionnel, all of which are remarkable for accuracy and wide range of knowledge, and are a very valuable source for the history of Napoleon.