. ▁ ▁Biography ▁He ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Mont pel lier ▁on ▁ 4 ▁November ▁ 1 7 8 6 ▁to ▁a ▁family ▁of ▁Jean - Jac ques ▁Dur and , ▁a ▁local ▁noble ▁and ▁civil ▁servant , ▁and ▁Marie ▁Paul ine ▁de ▁Bar bey rac , ▁daughter ▁of ▁Mar qu ess ▁of ▁Saint - M aur ice . ▁His ▁ancest ors ▁in ▁ 1 7 th ▁century ▁started ▁a ▁prosper ous ▁gra in ▁trad ing ▁company . ▁By ▁mid - 1 8 th ▁century ▁Raymond ▁Dur and , ▁the ▁diplom at ' s ▁grand father , ▁was ▁among ▁the ▁rich est ▁gra in ▁trad ers ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁and ▁owned ▁a ▁size able ▁fleet ▁of ▁merchant ▁vessels . ▁In ▁ 1 7 3 3 , ▁during ▁a ▁serious ▁fam ine , ▁he ▁brought ▁ 2 0 ▁thousand ▁s acks ▁of ▁gra in ▁and ▁distributed ▁it ▁among ▁star ving ▁inhabitants ▁of ▁the ▁city . ▁For ▁this ▁act ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 8 ▁king ▁Louis ▁XVI ▁of ▁France ▁granted ▁him ▁and ▁his ▁descend ants ▁with ▁a ▁noble ▁status ▁and ▁a ▁coat ▁of ▁arms ▁dep ict ing ▁a ▁merchant ▁vessel . ▁▁ ▁During ▁the ▁early ▁stages ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁revolution , ▁Dur and ' s ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁prominent ▁representative ▁of ▁local ▁Bour ge ois ie ▁and ▁was ▁proc laimed ▁the ▁first ▁ma ire ▁of ▁Mont pel lier ▁on ▁ 2 5 ▁January ▁ 1 7 9 0 . ▁However , ▁soon ▁afterwards ▁he ▁s ided ▁with ▁the ▁Gir ond ists ▁and ▁the ▁vict orious