Louis François Marin Duval

Born in La Ferté-Macé on January 14, 1840, and later dying in Alençon on January 31, 1917, Louis-François-Marin Duval was a French librarian, archivist, and historian. Reliable reference sources describe him as an archiviste paléographe and note that he served in library and archival posts, including work connected with Niort, the Creuse, and the Orne.

Duval is best remembered for scholarly works rooted in regional history. Among the titles linked to him are Essai sur la topographie ancienne du département de l'Orne, a study of old place names and the religious organization of the area before the Revolution, and Un frère de Nicolas Foucquet: François, Archevêque de Narbonne; Exilé à Alençon. His writing suggests a patient researcher with a strong feel for documents, local institutions, and the lives hidden inside archives.

For modern listeners, his appeal lies in that closeness to place. Rather than writing broad national history, he focused on the landscapes, records, and forgotten figures of western France, helping preserve details that might otherwise have disappeared.