MAUREPAS, JEAN FREDERIC PHELYPEAUX, COMTE DE (1701-1781), French statesman, was born on April 9, 1701, at Versailles, the son of Jerome de Pontchartrain, secretary of state for the marine and the royal household. Maurepas suc ceeded to his father's charge at 14, began his functions in the royal household at 17, and in 1725 he undertook the actual ad ministration of the navy. Although essentially light and frivolous in character, Maurepas used the best brains of France to apply science to questions of navigation and of naval construction. He was disgraced in 1749, and exiled from Paris for an epigram against Madame de Pompadour. On the accession of Louis XVI., 25 years later, he became a minister of state and Louis XVI.'s chief adviser. He gave Turgot the direction of finance, placed Lamoignon Malesherbes over the royal household and made Vergennes minister for foreign affairs. At the outset of his new career he showed his weakness by recalling to their functions, in deference to popular clamour, the members of the old parlement ousted by Maupeou, thus reconstituting the most dangerous enemy of the royal power. This step, and his intervention on
behalf of the American states, helped to pave the way for the French Revolution. Jealous of his personal ascendancy over Louis XVI., he intrigued against Turgot, whose disgrace in 1776 was followed after six months of disorder by the appointment of Necker. In 1781 Maurepas deserted Necker as he had done Turgot, and he died at Versailles on Nov. 23, 1781.
Maurepas is credited with contributions to the collection of facetiae known as the Etrennes de la Saint Jean (2nd ed., 1742). Four volumes of Memoires de Maurepas (1792) are spurious. Some of his letters were published in 1896 by the Soc. de l'hist. de Paris.