Family Name: Guichard
First Name: Octavie
Birth Date: 1717
Birth Place: Paris
Death Date: 1803
Death Place: Chaillot
Main places of activity:
Place
Paris
Personal info:
Education

Guichard's father belonged to the Parisian bourgeosie, while her mother was of noble descent. Besides this family context, we can however only speculate on her early education.

She most likely learned English by herself.
Career

Guichard married the Parisian lawyer Charles Edme Belot at the age of nineteen, but it was only when she became a widow in 1757 that her career as a translator and femme de lettres started.

She became acquainted with the president of the Parlement Jean-Baptiste-François du Rey de Meynière, whom she married in 1767, and had access to his rich library.  Guichard was part of a European network of intellectuals, corresponding with Benjamin Franklin, Voltaire, Claude Helvétius, David Hume, François-Antoine Devaux and Buffon.
Financial Situation
On the death of her first husband, Guichard received a pension of 50 livres. Through the protection of some influent friends, she eventually obtained a pension of 1500 livres.
Translations Other Works

translations activities

Guichard translated literature and treatises from English.

She is known for her French versions of some of Samuel Johnson's works and for the translation of David Hume's histories. The latter in particular were published in separate editions.

secondary bibliography references

P. Larousse, ed., Grand Dictionnaire universel du XIXe siècle, vol. II, Paris, 1867, p. 525.

P. Gibbard, 'Royalist and Radical: Octavie Belot on Rousseau and the Social Order', in L. Curtis-Wendlandt, P. Gibbard and K. Green, eds., Political Ideas of Enlightenment Women: Virtue and Citizenship, London, Ashgate Publishing, 2013, pp. 33-49.

K. Green, 'Locke, Enlightenment and Liberty in the works of Catharine Macaulay and Her Contemporaries' in J. Broad and K. Detlefsen, eds., Women and Liberty, 1600-1800: Philosophical Essays, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2017, pp. 82-87.


Translations

  • The Prince of Abissinia. A tale. In two volumes

  • Translation Title: Histoire de Rasselas prince d'Abyssinie
  • Original Author: Samuel Johnson
  • Original title: The Prince of Abissinia. A tale. In two volumes
  • Publ. Year From: 1758 to:
  • lang: English
  • Translation: Histoire de Rasselas prince d'Abyssinie
  • Pub. Place: Amsterdam
  • Pub. Date: 1759
  • Lang: French

  • The history of Ophelia, publ. by the author of David Simple

  • Translation Title: Ophélie roman
  • Original Author: Sarah Fielding
  • Original title: The history of Ophelia, publ. by the author of David Simple
  • Publ. Year From: 1759 to:
  • lang: English
  • Translation: Ophélie roman
  • N° Editions: 4
  • Pub. Place: Amsterdam
  • Pub. Date: 1762
  • Lang: French

  • Miscellanea

  • Translation Title: Mélanges de littérature angloise
  • Original Author: Vv. Aa.
  • Original title: Miscellanea
  • Publ. Year From: -0001 to:
  • lang: English
  • Note:
  • Translation: Mélanges de littérature angloise
  • Pub. Place: The Hague
  • Pub. Date: 1758
  • Lang: French
  • Note:

    In these two volumes, Guichard collected tales and short novels from English newspapers, such as The Rambler, The Universal Magazine of Knowledge and Pleasure or The Spectator.

    Some were from Samuel Johnson, like The History of Almamoulin, Son of Nouradin, while others are very difficult to ascertain.


  • The history of England, under the House of Tudor. Comprehending the reigns of K. Henry VII. K. Henry VIII. K Edward VI. Q. Mary, and Q. Elizabeth. By David Hume, Esq; In two volumes

  • Translation Title: Histoire de la maison de Tudor, sur le trône d'Angleterre
  • Original Author: David Hume
  • Original title: The history of England, under the House of Tudor. Comprehending the reigns of K. Henry VII. K. Henry VIII. K Edward VI. Q. Mary, and Q. Elizabeth. By David Hume, Esq; In two volumes
  • Publ. Year From: 1758 to:
  • lang: English
  • Translation: Histoire de la maison de Tudor, sur le trône d'Angleterre
  • Pub. Place: Paris
  • Pub. Date: 1762
  • Lang: French

  • The history of England from the invasion of Julius Caesar to the accession of Henry VII

  • Translation Title: Histoire de la maison de Plantagenet sur le trône d'Angleterre, depuis l'invasion de Jules César jusqu'à l'avènement de Henry VII
  • Original Author: David Hume
  • Original title: The history of England from the invasion of Julius Caesar to the accession of Henry VII
  • Publ. Year From: 1761 to:
  • lang: English
  • Translation: Histoire de la maison de Plantagenet sur le trône d'Angleterre, depuis l'invasion de Jules César jusqu'à l'avènement de Henry VII
  • Pub. Place: Amsterdam
  • Pub. Date: 1764
  • Lang: French

  • The history of Great Britain, containing the reigns of James I and Charles I

  • Translation Title: Histoire d'Angleterre contenant la maison de Stuart
  • Original Author: David Hume
  • Original title: The history of Great Britain, containing the reigns of James I and Charles I
  • Publ. Year From: 1753 to:
  • lang: English
  • Translation: Histoire d'Angleterre contenant la maison de Stuart
  • Pub. Place: Paris
  • Pub. Date: 1766
  • Lang: French
calamaio

By:

  • Giovanni Lista