13 Facts About Abel Lefranc

Maurice Jules Abel Lefranc was a historian of French literature, expert on Rabelais, and the principal advocate of the Derbyite theory of Shakespeare authorship.

Abel Lefranc left to study in Leipzig and Berlin, where he prepared a report on the teaching of history in Germany, which he believed to be the most advanced in the world.

Abel Lefranc's intention was to rehabilitate the later period of the College's existence, which had been neglected.

Abel Lefranc became secretary of the College de France under three of its directors: Gaston Boissier, Gaston Paris and Emile Levasseur, combining his job with those of archivist and librarian of the institution.

Abel Lefranc continued with his own research on the history of literature.

In 1904, on the death of Emile Deschanel, Chair of Modern French Literature at the College de France, Lefranc successfully competed for the position against Ferdinand Brunetiere, who was considered anti-scientific and overly influenced by religious doctrines.

Abel Lefranc had already been appointed lecturer at the Ecole pratique des hautes etudes, of which he became director in 1911.

In 1903 Lefranc founded the Societe des Etudes rabelaisiennes and the journal Revue des Etudes rabelaisiennes.

Abel Lefranc believed that Rabelais was a militant anti-Christian atheist, whose nominally comic writings conveyed his philosophy.

Abel Lefranc was elected to the Academie des inscriptions et belles-lettres in 1927.

Abel Lefranc argued that William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby was the true author of Shakespeare's works.

Abel Lefranc decided that Derby's life fitted the interests and beliefs of Shakespeare the writer.

Abel Lefranc considered Derby to be sympathetic to France and to Catholicism, views he believed to be present in the plays.