Trained at the École Royale des Chartes at the Sorbonne, Paul Marchegay (1812–1885) was the archivist for the department of Anjou. A native of the area, and a member of the Industrial Society of Angers, Marchegay dedicated his career to publishing manuscripts on the region's history. Published in 1871, Volume 2 contains notes on the manuscripts published in Volume 1, and alerts readers to other historical sources. The introduction is by Émile Mabille (1828–1874), a leading archivist in the manuscript department at the Bibliothèque National in Paris. The most important text in these volumes is the Gesta Consulum Andegavorum. It is the only printed version of this work available, however, modern scholars consider Marchegay's edition to be of poor quality. This book retains an interest for modern readers because it includes rare printed manuscripts, and also because descendants of the family, the Plantagenets, became the ruling monarchy in England.