Genealogy-Provence

Saint-Martin-de-Castillon, the old village of Paradou

2009-02-01T01:00:00.000-08:00

One mile south of the village of Paradou (Bouches-du-Rhône), located on the hill chain of Alpilles in Provence, stretches a small low altitude rocky chain (500 ft wide, 2 miles long): the chain of La Pène^[1]. From a distance, one can see on the top of that hill three standing towers. This site bears the name of "Towers of Castillon" (Tours de Castillon in French). Hikers find it charming. But historians show a different interest, for this place is the ancient location of the village of Paradou.

Historical Paradou
First appearance of Paradou is in 961 with the name of Sanctus Martinus de Felauria. Felauria is the name of an estate that stretched in the Antiquity between Fontvieille and Mouriès^[2]. Sanctus Martinus was a chapel lying between the modern village of Paradou and the Pène chain.
Till about 1390, the village stood in the towers' boundary, palisated by a rampart. This is the origin of the village of Paradou. The castrum is testified from 1206.
Round 1390, Saint-Martin de Felaurie, then Saint-Martin-de-Castillon^[3], suffered destruction and the village was re-built one mile from there, with the same name. Il ne faut toutefois pas imaginer un déplacement immédiat. Après la destruction du castrum, l'essentiel de la population reste sur place et ne se déplace plus au nord que très lentement. Comme les échanges se développent au XVIIIe siècle, et constatant qu'il existe un autre Saint-Martin-de-Castillon à 80 kilomètres au nord-ouest, la décision est prise de rebaptiser la paroisse, peu avant la Révolution. Le nom de « Paradou^[4] » est choisi, allusion à l'artisanat pratiqué dans la paroisse.

Le site des tours de Castillon

Saint-Martin de Félaurie a souffert du temps. On ne trouve sur le site que trois hautes tours plutôt bien conservées, des morceaux éparts de remparts et des murs totalement ruinés (photo ci-contre).
On aurait tort de penser que le site ne remonte qu'au Moyen Âge. En contrebas de la Pène, on a découvert en 1992 et en 1993 une villa gallo-romaine^[5]. Sur le site même, des monnaies massaliètes et gauloises y ont été trouvées. Et de fait, le lieu était habité dès l'Antiquité.
L'oppidum de Castillon est entouré de remparts dont il reste quelques traces aujourd'hui. La technique en grand appareil et la taille et l'assemblage sont hellénistiques. On peut noter l'emploi de scies, de pinces et de marteaux-taillants pour sa réalisation.
Les maisons étaient souvent adossées directement au rempart. L'étude du rempart laisse apparaître qu'il a été érigé aux alentours de 200 avant J.-C., puis réaménagé au fil des siècles.

Vie quotidienne à Saint-Martin-de-Castillon
Il n'est pas possible de savoir comment vivaient les gens de Saint-Martin dans leurs remparts médiévaux. Quelques éléments permettent toutefois d'apporter des éclaircissements.
On retrouve peu de traces de maisons sur le site, ce qui s'explique sans doute par la fait que l'essentiel des constructions se faisaient en bois et en chaume. Toutefois, l'abondance de tuiles trouvées à même le sol atteste de la présence d'habitats en dur (photo ci-contre).
On a retrouvé sur place de nombreuses céramiques datées, pour les plus anciennes, du VI^e siècle, même si la plupart ont été produites entre le IX^e et le XI^e siècles. Cela prouve que la période IX^e-XI^e siècles a vu un accroissement de la population et atteste du mode de vie des habitants du castrum.
Une route partait du piémont du site en droite ligne vers Saint-Martin-de-Crau, à travers les marais, et devait sans doute constituer une voie de passage importante, entre Crau et Alpilles (photo ci-contre).
La population se faisait inhumer à l'extérieur, semble-t-il, puisqu'une nécropole, située près de l'ancienne chapelle Saint-Martin, a été découverte et datée des XII^e-XIII^e siècles. Elle contenait au moins six tombes en molasse, mais il n'est pas exclu qu'elle ait abrité davantage de tombes. La chapelle elle-même se situait à quelques centaines de mètres au nord et concentrait la vie religieuse du bourg^[6]. Le cimetière principal se trouvait à flanc de côteaux, sur le versant sud, pour ne pas être sujet aux inondations. L'historien local Louis Paulet précise qu'on y trouvait « abondance d'ossements à fleur du sol »^[7]. Un procès-verbal de 1565 concernant la reconnaissance des anciennes drailles de la vallée des Baux indique :
« La draye de Faubraguette, à la Penne, en face de Castillon, traverse la colline et, avant d'arriver à Saint-Jean, passe au milieu du cimetière. Au dire des anciens, elle suivait cette direction de toute ancienneté. » On remarque donc que, des décennies après la destruction du castrum, la Pène abritait encore le cimetière et, sans doute aussi, encore des maisons.

JEAN MARIE DESBOIS

Galerie
Voir la galerie de photos consacrée au site des tours de Castillon.

Bibliographie
Les Baux et Castillon, Louis Paulet, 1902.
Le Paradou, Hélène Ratyé-Choremi, éd. Équinoxe, coll. « Le Temps retrouvé », 1990.

Notes

[1] Peno in provençal designates a « feather », recalling the shape of the chain.
[2] Olivier Maufras, Le castrum des Baux (960-1426), éléments d'histoire et d'analyse des vestiges monumentaux ("Castle of Baux (960-1426), Facts of History and Building Remains Analysis"), mémoire de maîtrise, Aix-en-Provence, 1988, 2 vol.
[3] Casteloun ("Castillon", french form) means « small castle » in provençal.
[4] Ancien provençal parador, « moulin à foulon » employé dans l'industrie drapière. Le foulon permet de dégraisser les étoffes. Cette action a notamment pour effet de rendre l'étoffe ignifuge.
[5] Michel Gazenbeek, Occupation du sol et évolution environnementale depuis le Néolithique dans la Montagnette et la partie occidentale des Alpilles (Bouches-du-Rhône), thèse de doctorat, Aix-en-Provence, 1995.
[6] L. Martin, Bilan scientifique, 1993, p. 124-125.
[7] Louis Paulet, cf. Bibliographie, p. 186-7.

Photographies © Jean Marie Desbois, 2008.

Houses of our ancestors in the Alps

2008-12-15T01:00:00.000-08:00

In 1894, the Committee of Historic and Scientific Works did an extensive study for the Minister of Finance concerning the living conditions in all regions of France. At the time the document was useful, nowadays it is valuable for historians and genealogist in search of local history. We are able to reconstitute the residential premises where our ancestors lived while confronting modern and old sources. We will stop in the department of the Hautes-Alpes where the living conditions were specific to the area.

The sketch of this house was done in 19th century in the commune of Monêtier-les-Bains. The characteristics of those houses that were typical centuries ago have nothing in common with the comfort of our modern houses. Modernization has hit the Alpes like everywhere else.

The department of Hautes-Alpes is divided historically and administratively in three main regions that correspond to the district of Briançon, d’Embrum and Gap. Those regions are known as Briançonnais, Embrunais and Gapençais. In the 19th century the living conditions in those areas were essentially the same due to the fact that the population practiced agriculture.

Houses were built to protect: the family from the weather, the crop that was gathered during the summer and the animals that had to be fed during the winter.

Vineyards: The Hautes-Alpes can be divided into two distinct regions; one is characterized by vineyards while in the other vineyards are non-existent. The first region is from the valley of Duance from Argentière (district of Briançon) to the vicinity of Ribiers, not far from Sisteron (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence used to be known as Basses-Alpes) also in the valleys of the two Buëch and in the district of Rosans (district of Gap). The second area consist of Briançonnais, Vallouise and Queyras, district of Briançon, also the more elevated valleys of Embrun the canyon of Orcières (district of Embrun), Champsaur, Valgaudemar and Dévoluy, district of Gap.

Exposure of houses

The houses in the French Alpes were built on the slope of the valley or in an area that had more or less an incline. Because of the incline part of the house was underground. Usually the cellar, the barn, the kitchen and living quarters were found below ground level; the attic and the area where the hay and crops were stored were always above the ground even if sometimes the roof would touch the ground.

The houses were built preferably in the valley facing south. You would rarely found a house facing north. It was to take advantage of the sun that in all the regions of the Hautes-Alpes houses were built facing south (à l’adroit) and never north (ubac); the snow would melt faster and there was less exposure to the cold. For the same reason houses were built east to west with the main entrance facing south. Once in a while a house was built facing east, rarely west and even less facing north.

With such high elevation, fruit trees were unknown. It was even difficult for wheat to ripen. Barley, oats and rye grew well so did the grasslands. The type of trees found in the forest was the larch, the mugho pine, le pin cimbre (stone pine?) and the fir tree. On the highest slopes one could see large community pastures.

In the 19th century the population the Hautes-Alpes was essentially agricultural and pastoral. The population had to face difficult living conditions. Due to the high altitude in certain valleys, snowfalls were more abundant than today and often as early as the first days of November. The amount of snowfall measured from fifty centimetres to one meter and would be present till April and sometimes even later.

The Houses in the Village

The houses in Hautes-Alpes were usually grouped and formed a hamlet of, ten, to one hundred houses or more. Due to the slope, the hamlet was built in the form of amphitheatre on the slope facing south. It spread from east to west and was crossed by one or more street more or less horizontal or parallel that would give way to secondary streets (charieros in provençal) usually very narrow and steep. Frequently, the houses between two narrow streets would touch each other and were separated by a common wall. This wall closed the gable wall of the lower house and left open the gable wall of the house above. This gable wall could have been left opened, completely covered with boards, or the gallery formed a balcony where the crops that had been brought from the fields damp were exposed to air to dry. Frequently, the rye, and oats were gathered under the snow and then left on the balcony to dry. One could almost say that the houses were piled one on top of the other. This is the reason why there were frequent fires in the alpine villages and were so destructive.

Why did people build so close to each other, there might be more reasons for it.

Why were houses built so close to each other

In the middle ages, alpine villages were frequently surrounded by walls (barris in provençal) that had doors that were closed at night to protect the inhabitants from thieves, armed people that crossed the Alpes and even from damage caused by wolves as it happened in 1612-1618**. When the walls were no longer needed, they deteriorated or were demolished by the inhabitants but the houses continued to be lived in with no modifications. Even after fires or violent destruction as in 1692, when the savage invasion of the Duc de Savoie from Haut-Dauphiné, the houses in the valley of Durance from Vars and Guillestre to Gap and Veynes were rebuilt on the old foundations and therefore very close to each other as in Vars, Guillestre, Saint-Clément, Chateauroux, Saint-Marcellin, Chorges and Gap.

There are other reasons why houses were built so close to each other. Houses were built close to each other

to take advantage of the cultivated land as the better land was close to the town and was not abundant.

close proximity to water fountains and springs, it is especially important in winter time where there was a lack of water and was difficult to access due to the snow.

in winter to be able to have open roads and a trail between houses (drayo or chala in provençal).

to help each other to heat the only oven in the village.

At the end of the 19th century there was a tendency to a greater distance between new houses. Houses were built outside the walls, along roads and at the centre of the rural area. If a town was destroyed by a flood or fire it was rebuilt not at the same area but in the vicinity, as in the case of the village of Saint-Marie-de-Vars after the flood of 1856 and the fire of 1865.

Walls and Roofs

Houses in the Hautes-Alpes were generally formed of four walls in the form of a parallelogram more or less on the long side and inside were found two or three cross walls. The house was covered by a roof with one or two lean-to rarely three or four. Sometimes the superior extremities of the roof with a double lean to had a downward inclination.

The exterior walls were constructed of unpolished stones, lime and sand. The stones and the sand used in the construction came from the mountain streams; often the stones came from the clapier (stones that were removed when cultivating the field and then piled on the side of the field). The lime was manufactured in the area; the plaster came from communal forests. Around 1890 lime and gypsum were manufactured from anthracite from Briançonnais or coal that was brought in by the railroad. Trains first arrived in the Hautes-Alpes in 1884.

The outside walls were covered with roughcast and the interior walls were whitewashed with lime. The roof of the old houses was made of thatch, boards or slate from Châteauroux. The roofing thatch was 25-30cm thick. The thatch was fixed to transverse beams that had 50 to 60 cm distance with straw and cross ties to hold. A layer of straw that was fixed to the superior beam covered crossbeams. Often the top of the roof was made of boards. The roofs made of boards were made of planks that were two meters long and were nailed to the beams with big nails (malltaihas or martaillas).

The slate from Châteauroux was used since 1650; it was fairly expensive and crumbled with the weather. After the opening of the railway in the Hautes-Alpes the slate, thatch and boards were replaced by flat tiles manufactured in Gap and Saint-Henri near Marseille. This new way of building was not the answer; following freeze and thaw those tiles broke easily. It is only later that appeared hollow tiles or “tuiles à crochet” (interlocking tiles?).

The Interior

The interior of the house of our ancestors consisted of a floor that was ground level, a first floor and a barn.

The ground floor consisted of:

The kitchen (called fougagno or focanea), living area with bedrooms or “house”. This room was used as a kitchen, eating area, bedroom, living room, and reception area. Often there was an annex that was used as a “junk room” and bedroom; below there was a cellar for the wine, vegetables, and milk products.

The barn occupied half of the ground floor.

The barn and the kitchen were often separated by a small hall (court or curtile), which would lead to the outside by a door (pourtal).

The houses of small farm owners often had the kitchen and the barn next to each other and were connected by a small door. The kitchen and the barn each had a door that would lead to the exterior. When there was an inside hallway one could reach the first floor and the barn by stairs built of stone or wood. If there were no hallway one would climb to the barn by the exterior by stairs or a wooden ladder. Often these stairs were supported by the back of the arch of the roof that protected the door to the kitchen or the barn or both. Frequently this arch supported a balcony that was called estro or touna.

The first floor was divided in two parts; bedrooms occupied one and the other part was reserved for beating the wheat or other grain and for storing the hay. Where one beated the wheat it was called planc because of the wooden floor (in French plancher means "floor"). The area where the hay was kept was called feniero.

On top of “planc”, feniero and the bedrooms there were other storeys of planc formed by floor beams spaced about 50 cm on which there were piles of grain and hay. An open extremity at the end of the house served to pile the wood that will be used for heating. The wood was gathered green and left to dry in the barn.

A third of the house was used for the family. In Brianconnais one frequently slept in the barn. There were also social gatherings. Xavier Moutard from Lauzet near Monêtier remembers: “Almost all the residents of the village would gather for those long evenings at the residence of the one with the largest barn. Around an oil lamp called “lume” that gave a weak light and had a smell of rancid oil this is where the people gathered. The women sitting on stools around the lamp knitted and chatted. Men were sitting on the feeding trough for the sheep (lériers). Young people and children sat on fresh hay that covered the dirt floor of the barn”. People stayed in the barn when it was very cold outside. The area where the family would congregate was covered with straw or dead leaves (pailleras) that were gathered from the forest in the fall. Rarely would they light a stove; the heat from the animals was sufficient to maintain a warm temperature.

The Residents of the House

In each house resided one family. The genealogist knows that those families consisted usually of five to six people. It was also nothing unusual to meet a family of twelve to fifteen people. Sometimes one would find more than one family in the same house; for example the owner and his farmer, those cases were rare. In principle each owner cultivated it own land and lived in its own house. There was a wooden bed or two in each room. Usually many people would sleep in the same bed. Children of different sex slept separately and in different rooms.

Houses were Expensive to Build

Building was expensive in the Hautes-Alpes. Around 1894 one had to spend more than 8,000 francs to build a house as described. If the house were sold the owner would get on 3,000 francs. Worse, renting would ruin the owner. One could rent a house on average for 20 francs a year. This meant that one could make money only after 400 years. Really when one owned a house it was better to keep it, repair it and bequeath it to one’s descendants.

Environmental Hygiene

The question that everybody asks is about the quality of life that our ancestors had; in regards to today’s standard we can consider theses dwellings unhealthy. To protect from the cold in winter the air was not circulating, the windows of the house and the barn were sealed and opened only during warm weather. There are testimonies that in certain houses the smell was so bad that if you were not used to it you were nauseated.

One had to add that during the warm season working in the field in the fresh air was very healthy. It does not appear when comparing inhabitants of the Alpes to other areas that they suffered more serious illnesses and the longevity is similar.

Cretinism, the sickness typical of the Alpes was more pronounced in the areas producing wine; therefore hygiene is not the cause.

To conclude on the morality of the area; in 1894 Father Paul Guillaume wrote ”On morality there is no unfortunate results of promiscuity of the inhabitants in the stables. We must attribute that to the good examples set by the parents to their children and to the religious feelings that are deeply rooted in the population of the Alpes”.

Bibliography:
"Les Maison-types dans la région du Haut-Drac et le Valgaudemar", M. Martin, Paris, 1894.
"Les Maisons-types dans la région des Hautes-Alpes et en particulier dans le canton de Guillestre", Paul Guillaume, Paris, 1894.
"Le Folklore de la Bâtie-Neuve et de ses deux vallées", Émile Escallier, Société d'Études des Hautes-Alpes, Gap, 1987.
"Contes et légendes du Lauzet", Xavier Moutard, Alpes de Lumière, Mane, 1999.

Pictures:

1. Sketch of a House of Monêtier-les-Bains (Monêtier-de-Briançon), 19th century. © BNF.

2. House at Jarjayes, district of Gap. © Jean Marie Desbois, 2001.

Translation provided par Madeleine Pelletier (Canada)

Baptism under condition (Roquemartine, 6/15/1782)

2008-12-04T01:04:00.000-08:00

Death record of Roquemartine (Eyguières), 202 E 96

Text from Sébastien Avy

"On the year 1782 and the 15th of June, I baptized* François Esprit Julian born on the same day, legitimate son of Esprit Julian, worker, and Marie Nouguier. His godfather was François Gilles and his godmother Magdelaine Roux, all illiterate.

* Under condition, for I doubt that his baptism was valid. This baptism was provided at home by an uneducated woman."

Priest Chastelas

Picture : Street of Eyguières, beginning of 20th cent. DR.

Anecdotes of Eyguières

2008-12-04T01:00:00.000-08:00

18th Century.

Baptism under condition (6/15/1782)

Maurice Jourdan (b. 1868), a doctor in Marseilles

2008-11-28T04:01:00.000-08:00

Maurice Jourdan was born on July 9th, 1868, at Mons (Var) from Pierre Jourdan, a knight of the Legion of Honor, Navy chief doctor.
Medecine is the way Maurice Jourdan will choose. After being an intern in Paris hospitals, he exercises in Marseilles, majoring in female diseases and surgical diseases.
He had his defense in 1895, entitled : Cholédocotomy.

Photograph : Portrait of Dr. Jourdan in the 1900s. DR.

Genealogy of Dr. Jourdan :
1. Jean Marie Maurice Jourdan (°Mons-83 07/09/1868)
2. Pierre Jourdan
3. Marie Amélie Rivier

Biographies

Baptism of Siamese twins (Mouriès, 10/17/1783)

2008-11-22T01:00:00.000-08:00

« On the year 1783 and the 17th of October, Anne Aron, midwife, has poured water of baptism on a two-headed girl with four arm and one trunk (at least visible). Her father is Laurent Latty, worker, and mother is Marie Esbraya, her wife of Latty. Anne Aron told us she only poured water on one head that seemed living, through the natural heat it kept during three-quarters of an hour. Then, the colors changed and the mother was relieved of the phenomenon she sheltered. The midwife poured poured no water, even conditionally (1), on the second head that seemed, through the reason of this extraordinary body, to have no signs of life. Thus sir Jean Picard, Maître of surgery, called a few moments after appearing of the first head, by request of Anne Aron, is attesting. Sir Jean Picard signed with us; father and midwife can't sign their name.

[Priest ARNOUX]

1. With the condition it would be living.

Parish of Mouriès records, 1783, 14th leaf, back.

Text from Agnès Charrel-Berthillier.

Photograph : DR.

Anecdotes of Mouriès

What does this blog deal with?

2008-11-20T00:38:00.000-08:00

Welcome on Genealogy-Provence (or GeneProvence for short)!

This blog is the English translation of the French genealogical blog www.geneprovence.com. It deals with genealogy and local history in Provence, a well-know region located in the South-East of France.

This blog enables you to learn more about the living of the ancient people of Provence, especially if you have ancestors in this part of Europe. Many people of Provence emigrated to the US at the end of the 19th Century.

You will also find a lot of anecdotes that will make this period more living.

This blog was launched on September 1st, 2008. This is why it doesn't contain as many pages as the French version (about 800 pages), but day by day, this number will increase.

Hope you will enjoy and come back often!

Don't hesitate to communicate with us at contact(a)geneprovence.org (replace (a) by @).

Anecdotes of Mouriès

2008-11-20T00:35:00.000-08:00

18th Century.

Baptism of Siamese twins (10/17/1783)

A piéton for Auriol (1791)

2008-11-19T01:00:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, Feb 27th, 1791, at the end of the Vespers, the town council is gathered in the townhall.

Mayor Jérôme Gastaud declares that « the size of the place of Auriol requires a piéton to take letters from Auriol to Roquevaire and bring them back in the office established at Roquevaire. »

So the assembly takes a decision:

It appoints Gabriel Pascal as a piéton, « to take letters from Auriol to Roquevaire and bring them back from Roquevaire to Auriol with 48 pounds a year wages. »

Three conditions are added to this decision:

- He will do this trip three times a week on the days needed.

- In addition to his wages, he will receive one sol for each private letter from Roquevaire and nothing for municipality letters.

Auriol had no post office, but at least one postman!

© Françoise Suzanne, 2008

sources : town archives of Auriol

Family of Lincel

2008-11-17T01:00:00.000-08:00

Origin of first bearers: Provence.

Location in the 19th century: Aix-en-Provence, Arles.

History: The name of Lincel (also written Laincel) is related with the place of Lincel, in the estate of Forcalquier (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence). Family of Lincel owned it since 1601. It was one of the most ancient Provence seigneuries. Lincel also owned, at different times, seigneuries of Roumoules, Aubenas, Puimichel, Hospitalet, Mouriès, Thorame, Brusquet, Moustiers and Mousteiret.
Two bishops of Gap and many Knights of Malta were named Lincel.
In 1326, the viguier (police commander) of Arles was named Lambert de Lincel. In 1354, two brothers, lord of Saint-Michel, Fuburge de Lincel and Pons de Lincel, attended the general Nobility assembly at Aix.

Bonds:
Lincel had many important relatives, such as families d'Isoard, de Beauvezet, de Fontanelle, du Lour, de Catelin...

Lincel in the 19th century:
Louis de Lincel, marquis.

Picture : HéraldiqueGenWeb, with their kind permission.

360 year old eyes (Aix-en-Provence, 1644)

2008-11-15T01:00:00.000-08:00

Death records of convent of Cordeliers, year 1644.

Below this picture, one can find a text that does not seem related to those eyes:

"Jean Mille
Monsieur Ripert
L'[h]oste de la Croix-Rouge
Madame d'Anglezy"

[Jean Mille,
Mister Ripert,
Keeper of Croix-Rouge Inn
Mistress d'Anglezy]

Anecdotes of Aix-en-Provence

Anecdotes of Saint-Martin-de-Crau

2008-11-13T05:21:00.000-08:00

17th Century.

Murdering of a servant (5/2/1665)

Murdering of a servant (Saint-Martin-de-Crau, 5/2/1665)

2008-11-13T01:00:00.000-08:00

Parish of Saint-Martin-de-Crau, 203 E 151.
Text from Sébastien Avy.

« On the 2nd of May 1665 was buried a servant called Jean assassinated at the mas of Pons Meron, where he lived, in the cemetery of St Martin de la Palud* by me. »

MARTIN vicayre

* Ancient name of Saint-Martin-de-Crau.

Anecdotes of Saint-Martin-de-Crau

Plague at Cornillon (Cornillon-Confoux, 1720)

2008-11-11T01:00:00.000-08:00

Sources: "Cornillon et Confoux, leurs églises et leurs histoires", by Joseph de Boisgelin.
Text by Géraldine Surian.

Autumn 1720: Antoine Reimond, working at Confoux castle, dies of the plague. That's at least what one thinks then...
Shortly after, another resident of Confoux dies of the plague.
In 1721, the owner of the castle, Marquis de La Roque d'Anthéron, also dies (probably) of the plague.
Facing the curse, inhabitants of Confoux comply with the rules prescribed in such cases...
Laurens, chaplain, said to have confessed Reimond standing aloof, as rule requires, then to have buried him in the land of Lacanan.

During the years 1720 and 1721, no rally was authorized in the Church of Confoux. Baptisms and marriages are celebrated at Lançon or Cornillon.
Reasons are always the same: "The plague is suspected to be at Confoux" or "because of the great plague ravages" ...
In fact, the epidemic caused only two victims at Confoux, but then spread on Salon. It was then accused a resident of Trez Castel (1) to be responsible.
A woman nicknamed La Crestade worked for the lord of Confoux Castle. She's said to have carried "old clothes" belonging to Antoine Reimond. Thus, the plague went from Confoux to Salon ...

1. Section near castel of Empéri at Salon-de-Provence.

Anecdotes of Cornillon-Confoux

Anecdotes of Cornillon-Confoux

2008-11-10T02:48:00.000-08:00

18th Century.

Plague at Cornillon (1720)

Jean Marie Emmanuel Bonfillon's life of pain

2008-11-08T01:00:00.001-08:00

"Some people are not made for happiness."
This was probably said to Jean Marie Emmanuel Bonfillon a lot of times. His life of misfortune began in Marseille on March 7th, 1858. A son of a landowner of Lançon (estate of Regneiris*) who became a broker - this explains the child's birth in Marseille -, Jean Marie caused the death of her mother, Marie Honorine Barthélemy. A painful delivery caused the young mother's death, 19 days after her kid's birth.

Jean Marie probably grew up with the thought of that mother whom he brought nothing but misfortune, though his father did not seem to charge against him (both men went into partnership as brokers). Though a heavy weight!

In 1901, he lost his father. This one died at Salon-de-Provence, after a 43 year widowhood.
Jean Marie decided to find a wife. He set his cap at a divorced woman, 14 years older than him, Christine Méthieux, from Lyon. What had attracted him? Her wealth? Maybe, though nothing proves she was rich. "Love, then!" Then this love must have been extraordinary and unreasonable. For Christine suffered from an incurable illness, a chronic gastroenteritis: a form of necrosis.

On the 15th of June, 1902, there was a marriage license at Lançon. When Christine and Jean Marie needed a second license, the doctor was firm: "I, doctor at Salon (Bouches-du-Rhône), certify that Mrs. Méthieux Christine, living at Lançon, suffers from a serious illness and is unable to leave her bedroom. Signed : doctor Boulian."
The matter was urgently referred to the Aix court, "stating that Méthieux Christine was suffering from a chronic gastroenteritis and that her life is in danger", commanded on the 16th of June to exempt the couple from a second license.
The following day, June 17th, 1902, at the estate of Regneiris, in the spouse's bedroom, Jean Marie Emmanuel Bonfillon and Christine Méthieux became husband and wife through a special procedure devised by the 5/11/1811 decree about in extremis marriages. The doctor was a witness of this marriage and Christine summonned up her strength to draw a fine vigorous signing, which was her last written official mark.

12 days later, on June 29th, 1902, she left this world forever...
Jean Marie Emmanuel Bonfillon was not made for happiness...

* The estate of Regneiris lies close to the village of La Fare but administratively belongs to the village of Lançon. The oldest identified ancestor of Jean Marie Bonfillon was Honoré Bonfillon (born in 1618 at La Fare), manager and judge lieutenant.

Appendix :
Genealogy of Jean Marie Emmanuel Bonfillon

Picture : St Rosalie Chapel, La Fare-les-Oliviers. © Jean Marie Desbois, 2001

Sinking of brig Brescia (Azores, 3/7/1885)

2008-11-05T01:01:00.000-08:00

Brig "Brescia", having done a stopover at Faial Island (Azores), sailed from there on 3/7/1885 towards Le Havre (France). Lost.

6 dead persons:

1. FABRE Joseph François Millon,
2. LUCHAIRE Jean Charles,
3. MARINI André,
4. LAPERRINE Marie Joseph Dominique,
5. BOURSEAU Marius Théodore Maximin (b. Marseille (13) 6/10/1856), seaman apprentice, son of BOURSEAU Jean and TROTEBAS Lucie Alexandrine,
6. CARMELLI Jean.

Source : Death records of Marseille, sept. 1889, n.270

Shipwrecks

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List of shipwrecks (with list of deceased passengers)

Brig Brescia (Azores, March 7, 1885) (6 dead men)

Anecdotes. Minutes or death records of drowned or wrecked persons.

Picture : Joseph Vernet (1714-1789), Tempête de mer avec épaves de navires, Munich Old Pinacothec, painter from Avignon.

Raoul Viola, a singer of Marseille

2008-11-02T01:00:00.000-07:00

Raoul Viola was a famous tenor at the end of the 19th century.

Born in Marseille, Jan 21, 1861, he sang the most renowned French and Italian arias in many Europe and America halls.

At the end of his career, he retired in Marseille and coached singer students until his death.

Photograph : DR.

Dead with an unbearable odor (Montmeyan 1/2/1784)

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Montmeyan Parish Records 2MI EC2218 R1
Thanks to Marie-Françoise Allouis

"We have buried Joseph Roch Dauphin soon after his death, only fourteen hours after his death, because he has died of a spleen abscess with a gangrenous liver. Throughout his disease he exhaled an unbearable odor, forcing others to perfume constantly his bedroom in order to give him spiritual and temporal aid. Just after his death, it was impossible to stay in the room. This is why we could not wait twenty four hours before burying him."

Map of Montmeyan

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Anecdotes of Montmeyan

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18th Century.

Dead with an unbearable odor (1/2/1784)

The murdering of George Symian (Noves, 1/27/1661)

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Nove Parish records, year 1661
Text sent by Jean-Louis Martin

"On the 27th of Jan, 1661, we buried in our cemetery George Symian, son of François and Marguerite Bouissone from the city of Marseilles. This George was murdered 500 strides from the town gate by an unknown man who was hounded and who threw himself int Durance River and swam with nothiing on. One said, in the County, that he had been stolen. Symian still lived four days and received the last rites."

Anecdotes of Noves

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17th Century.

The murdering of George Symian (1/27/1661)

Hamlet of Vière (Ongles, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France)

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A street along a hamlet wall.

A tombstone.

Remains of a house at Vière.

Ruins of St Barthélemy's Church.

Remains of a tower.

All photographs are © Jean Marie Desbois, 2001.

Victor Leydet (1845-1908), a senator of Provence

2008-10-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

October 22, 2008 : Centenary of Victor Leydet's death

Victor Augustin Leydet, known as Victor Leydet (Aix-en-Provence, July 5, 1845 - Aix-en-Provence, October 22, 1908) was an industrialist from Aix. He became senator of Bouches-du-Rhône in 1897 and kept his fonction till his death in 1908, at the age of 64.
Born on the 5th of January 1845 at Aix-en-Provence, son of Joseph Vincent Leydet, a tailor, and Marie Françoise Laurin, Victor Leydet aspires to become an industrialist. But above all, politics fascinate him.
In 1865, under the Empire regime, he is only 20 but, as a staunch Republican, supports Jules Favre's candidature as Paris deputy at the elections of 1869. On October 6, 1868, he marries Louise Lucie Ély at Aix. Like him, she's from a merchant family*. At the same time, Leydet writes many articles in Republican newspapers, like National of Aix.
In 1874, he becomes the arrondissement Councillor of the South Canton of Aix,until 1880. At the same time (1875-1881), he is the first assistant of the mayor of Aix**.
In addition to his post of General Councillor of Peyrolles in 1880, he becomes a deputy the next year, as a replacement for Édouard Lockroy (1838-1913). He will be re-elected in 1885, 1889 and 1893.
He finally becomes a senator in 1897 as a replacement for Paul-Armand Challemel-Lacour (1827-1896). He will have many important laws passed, such as pensions for the old workers and fight to let railroads cross the region of Aix, such as La Calade-Salon line.
In the town of Aix, he obtains the foundation of a match factory and a labor relations court. He still has a good reputation in his birth town. Shortly after his death, his name was given to the street of Villeverte.

* He and Louise have 7 children, born at Aix:
7/11/1869 : LEYDET Edmond Francis Marius, a politician like his father,
6/25/1871 : LEYDET Fernand Barthélemy Marie,
2/7/1873 : LEYDET Louis Pierre Lucien, a painter,
11/18/1874 : LEYDET Lucien André Marc,
4/27/1876 : LEYDET Paul Gabriel,
6/7/1877 : LEYDET Marthe Lucie Francia,
4/11/1883 : LEYDET Sextia Marie Louise.
(source : GénéProvence)
** Town councils led by Mougins-de-Roquefort and later by Bédarrides.

Picture : DR.

Life stories