Édouard Frère

Front page of the Manuel du Bibliographe normand by Édouard Frère. Édouard Frère (; 27 September 1797, Rouen – 7 April 1874, Rouen) was a French bookseller, archivist, biographer, and historian specialized in the Normandy area.

Life Coming from a lineage of booksellers, Frère's father, Jacques-Christophe operated a significant and near century-old library on the port of Rouen. Despite receiving an education that gave him access to many liberal professions, Frère's family background gave him a passion for books, to which he remained faithful to until his death. After his father's death in 1827, Frère took on work at the family library. From then until 1842, he performed duties as a bookseller, and aided people in the process of writing and sending letters. At the library, he carried on the traditions of Rouen's most renowned publishers by publishing many major works related to Normandy, despite the considerable cost. He repeatedly called on the French artist Eustache Hyacinthe Langlois to provide artwork for these books, for Frère appreciated his refined and delicate style.

Once Frère felt he had gathered enough knowledge, he decided to try his hand at writing. From years of publishing books about all things Norman, he was quite knowledgeable about their traditions and local history. In 1842, Frère sold his library to A. Lebrument, another well-known publisher from Rouen. After this he continued researching, often consulting obscure articles on various elements of Norman history,

After he published these successful local studies, Frère began his opus magnum, the monumental Manuel du Bibliographe normand. The book was the outcome of in-depth research into many different sources and Norman scholars, which took him over five years to complete. This book perfectly answered the expectations promised by its title. Frère owes the better part of his literary and bibliographical notoriety to this work, which has been read by scholars around the world.

In 1846, Frère was appointed as recording secretary at the Chamber of Commerce in Rouen. There, he was instrumental to the maritime and industrial trade of his region. Members of the Chamber of Commerce appreciated his extensive training, hard-working attitude, and discernment, and they jumped at the opportunity to put his knowledge and experience to work. The depth of his knowledge and the seriousness of his work led him to fill the late Louis Bouilhet's post as Director of the Municipal Library of Rouen in 1869. During the few years that Frère spent there, he continued working with passion and drive.

After he was admitted at the Académie des sciences, belles-lettres et arts de Rouen in 1845, Frère became one of the most frequent contributors to its archives, with his work often recognized as thought-provoking. His research consisted of subjects such as: the history of printing in Normandy, printing and bookselling in Rouen in the 15th and 16th centuries, and hypotheses on the origins of typography. On occasion he ventured into the literary field, publishing pieces like: the Fragments littéraires de Jeanne Grey, a note on French and English minstrels, an article on Scandinavian literature, and a page on the history of the Palinods. This last publication marked his last year as president of the Academy of Rouen, a position he has held since 1867.

In 1869, the Rouen government entrusted him with the preservation of its rich and extensive municipal library. Frère, quickly started completing its catalog and review, by increasing the number of notes.

Just as Frère had finished printing a book: Catalogue des manuscrits de la Bibliothèque municipale de Rouen, relatifs à la Normandie, he died at the age of 76.

Frère had been a member of the Société libre d'émulation de la Seine-Inférieure, since 1828. He also belonged to the Society of Antiquaries of Normandy and the Society of Norman Bibliophiles.