BATAILLARD, Paul Théodore. Paris 23.3.1816 — Paris 1.3.1894. French Archivist and Gypsy Scholar. Son of Pierre Charles Bataillard (d. 1840) and Agathe Pierrette Vasse, a royalist Catholic family (but the son developed into a liberal and democrat). School in Troyes, studied first law in Paris, soon religion, philosophy and politics at École de chartes (diploma 1841). His interest in Gypsies began in 1840 in the Pyrenees. Worked as journalist. In the 1850s in French Indochine. In 1855 briefly in prison as he had opposed the coup of Napoleon III. From 1877 Archivist of Faculté de Médécine in Paris. Married 1849 Thérèse Beltremieux (d. 1852, one daughter) and 1853 Charlotte Willard (two daughters, one son). He had also relations with Romania, campaigning for its independence (for this given hon. citizenship of Romania in 1866).

Publications: “Une Tribu des Bohémiens”, Mosaïque du Midi 1838, 64-70; “De l’apparition et de la dispersion des Bohémiens en Europe”, Bibliothèque de l’Ecole des chartes 5, 1844, 438-475.

– Nouvelles recherches sur l’apparition et la dispersion des Bohémiens en Europe. 80 p. P. 1849.

– “Les derniers travaux relatifs aux Bohémiens de l’Europe Orientale”, Bull. de la Soc. d’Anthopologie de Paris 1872, 706-711; “Sur la langue des Bohémiens”, Bull. de la Soc. d’Anthopologie de Paris 11:19:2, 1874, 128-138.

– État de la question de l’ancienneté des Tsiganes en Europe. 62 p. P. 1877.

– “Les Zlotars, dits aussi Dzvonkars, Tsiganes, Fondeurs en Bronze et en Laiton dans la Galicie Orientale et la Bukovine”, Mém. de Soc. d’Anthropologie 2, 1878, 499-566.

– “Les Débuts de l‘Immigration des Tsiganes dans l’Europe Occidentale au Quinzième Siècle. Résumé suivi d’Explications Chronologiques”, Bull. de la Soc. d’Anthr. de Paris 4, 1890, 290-318.

– Other writings.

Sources: S. Klos, Saving the authentic gypsy. Paul Bataillard and the beginnings of French Gypsyology. M.A. thesis. Vienna 2018 (PDF in phaidra.univie.ac.at); gw.geneanet.org; briefly in French Wikipédia.