Mon arbre familial

From: Tortoba@aol.com
Subject: [BOAZ-L] More on the French Archdeacons
Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 14:12:28 EDT

As I mentioned previously, Antoine du Boullay, an Archdeacon descendant, is
writing the history of the French branch of the Archdeacons for an article to
appear in the Old Kilkenny Review. In addition to his own sources, du Boullay
is also working from information collected by Baron Maurice de Saint Leger
who lived in Paris but wrote about the Archdeacons in Ireland. Much of the
English translation I have is out of order, incomplete, one-sentence notes,
and in some cases difficult to understand. However, in order to get it out to
you I’ve put it together as follows:

The National Library in Paris has a genealogy of Wm. Archdeacon who lived
in Bruges by 1720.

While there is no absolute proof, it is highly likely the Archdeacons
accompanied William the Conqueror to England, then went with the Count of
Pembroke to Ireland, where they received the Barony of Galmoy. Evidence
suggests that a number of Archdeacons emigrated around the world in the 17th,
18th, 19th centuries.

The French branch was established by Edmund Archdeacon, said to have been
born in either 1693 or 1703 in Waterford, Ireland. Extensive research
beginning in 1766 has not proved who his parents were, although they are
believed to have been John and Anne Archdeacon. John Archdeacon, who died in
1719 at Kilkenny, was the grandson of Jacob Archdekin [sic] and Catherine
Woodlocke.

Edmund was in London about the year 1741, and on June 11th of that year
married Anastasie Magdelaine Harris (b. Nov. 1704). She was the daughter of
Mathieu Harris, merchant of Dunkerque, and his wife Marie Magdaleine Bischop.
Mathieu Harris is believed to been one of the Irish who followed James II to
France. He married (Nov. 24, 1701), in the presence of two notable Irish
witnesses, Edward Gough and Tobie Geraldin. Edmund and Anastasie lived in rue
St. Julien, Dunkerque, where Edmund had set up a business, probably the
“furnishing of vessels.” Anastasie’s brother, Antoine Harris, an ensign of
the French corsair ‘le Solide” was “killed by the enemy” [the English?] on Oct
. 24, 1744. Edmund signed his death certificate. Antoine's widow remarried,
and in an interesting note, in 1748 her second husband made a claim upon
Edmund Archdeacon “native of England,” for some expenses for Antoine's
children.

Anastasie died on Oct. 23, 1746 in Dunkerque and was buried in the church
of St. Eloi. Edmund remarried on March 19, 1748, to Jeanne Laurence Marcade
(b. Feb. 17, 1714). She was the daughter of Jean -Jacques Marcade, merchant
and alderman of Dunkerque. Jeanne was the widow of Pierre Sebastien Gamba of
Ouisterham, and lived in the same street as Edmund. She had a son and
daughter by her first marriage, Pierre Jean and Antoinette Jacqueline.
Edmund and Jeanne had two children, Edmund Jean Pierre Archdeacon (Nov. 30,
1750) and Jeanne Antoinette Robertine Archdeacon (Mar. 20, 1752). This
daughter died without issue on Aug. 18, 1766.
Edmund himself died at the Place d’Armes, Dunkerque, on March 18, 1753.He
is buried in the Church of St. Eloi in Dunkerque. Edmund’s widow continued the
business he started, being aided by both her son from her first marriage,
Pierre Jean Gamba, and her son Edmund J. P. Archdeacon. After Jeanne's death
her sons changed the firm’s name to “Gamba and Archdeacon,” and apparently it
was quite successful.

Edmund Jean Pierre Archdeacon married Marie Josephe Thiery (b. Apr. 10,
1754) on July 15, 1773, in Dunkerque. She was the daughter of the “building
contractor to the king,” which one might suppose was a rather lucrative job
in those days in pre-revolutionary France. Among other things, her father
“furnished a large amount of pavings of Dunkerque.” Marie’s mother’s father
was Pierre Robert Peelaert, an alderman, mayor, counselor to the Chamber of
Commerce. The Peelaert family was entitled to a coat of arms. Edmund an d his
wife would have fourteen children, five boys and nine girls (note: in other
places the text says he had twelve or thirteen children).

It would appear Edmund J. P. Archdeacon and his family enjoyed a
prosperous life, probably as members of the French upper middle class. “Their
life was peaceful until the [French] Revolution,” and like so many other
families, the Archdeacons were thrown into chaos by the opposing forces. I
previously reported the comment about Edmund’s hot temper, attributed by the
genealogist to his Irish blood. During the Revolution, Edmund’s wife seemed
to have her hands full trying to rein in Edmund’s temper, which apparently he
directed against the revolutionary class in France. According to the text,
Edmund at one point had been incarcerated “under the TERROR,” and later on a
pier he chanced to come upon his old accuser, “Citizen Vandale.” Edmund
threatened Vandale with both arms, saying “I meet you here! I have a good
mind to throw you in the port [water]. He was the man to do it. He would have
regretted it later. Vandale didn’t give him the time, he turned heels and
fled, and he’s still running.”

During the Revolution, Edmund was among those imprisoned by the Committee
for Public Health. They had orders to imprison a number of the “well known
inhabitants’ of Dunkerque. He was arrested during the night of Dec. 24-25,
and imprisoned with 24 others in the citadel at Lille. Ironically, his son
Jacques Edmund was among the escorting soldiers. Jacques Edmund would boast
of his actions; but later tried to help get his father released. Edmund J. P.
would spent eight months in prison. When he returned, he found his business
“greatly diminished due to the paralysis of the maritime business.” This
would improve, however, Edmund J. P. Archdeacon had evidently lost a
substantial fortune.

Edmund J. P. was in Spain on a business trip in 1799-1800, accompanied by
Wilhelm von Humboldt, brother of the famous Alexander von Humboldt. In 1812
Edmund J. P. went into bankruptcy, due both to the losses during the
Revolution and “the imprudences” of his partner and half-brother, Gamba. He
apparently recovered his prosperity somewhat, as the text says later that his
fortune was “made of rural properties.” Eventually he and his wife moved to
Paris, where some of their children lived. His wife died September 5, 1827,
after which Edmund J. P, became “dispassionate but serene,’ knowing that “his
sons would provide help to those in less happy circumstances in an honorable
manner.”

Toward the end Edmund J. P. lived with two of his daughters, one of whom
he loved to tease. All his other children and grandchildren visited, at and 3
o'clock every day in good weather he walked to the Champs Elysees, and would
stop to admire “the horse and gear.” He had a great fondness for the theatre,
and many evenings he attended the Theatre Francais. He died June 5, 1830, at
the home of one of his children. His last words were “I love you well” were
his last words to son Charles.

This is part of a letter regarding the family’s genealogy written in 1822
by Mathias (also shown as “Maurice” in the translation) Archdekin, a grandson
of John and Catherine:

“My Family was never able to procure other information on its origin, not
on the allied lines; the age of 16, my father [Edmund J. P. Archdeacon] was
sent to London by his mother to gather information on the family of his
father.” However, the man he was to see died before Edmund could visit him,
but Edmund [the father] had a sister living in Waterford, and she was asked
to come to Dunkerque. She did so, but the ship was lost at sea. However,
footnotes to the text questions whether the “sister” was actually Peter
Archdeacon, who is known to have perished in a storm at sea in 1787. Peter,
born 1708 in Waterford, was the younger brother of Edmund.

Separate note: Charles Archdeacon was an attorney living in Paris in
1822, a grandson of William Greighe Archdeacon, born at Cork, died at
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England.

Hope this is interest to some of you. If I can figure out how to communicate
with a man who speaks no English, nor I any French, we may get more
information on the always-interesting Archdeacon family.

Tom