Jeanne AMÈLIE.

7th generation. G7.

Eldest daughter of Charles Antoine de Chazal and Marie Augustine Sainte de Saint Félix.

She was born in Port Louis, Isle de France in September 1800, and travelled with her parents to France in 1815 aboard the Rose, her Father’s ship. She married François CHARLES CARPENTIER, Comte de CHANGY, son of François Ignace Carpentier, and Rose Esther du Bois des Cours de La Maisonfort on 26 November 1817 at La Sablonnière in the Loiret.

Arms of the family of Changy:
Azure, three crescents argent; with central star or.

Four children were born of this union:

  1. Eugène (1819-1880).
  2. Esther (1821-1825).
  3. Félicie (1824-1847).
  4. Alix (1826-1904).

In 1818 the couple lived in La Sablonnière, Charles Antoine Chazal giving them an allowance of 3,000 francs. They stayed there more frequently than at Vanzé Castle until the death of Amélie’s father in 1829.

In about 1836 they left the Loiret for good to set themselves up in Paris. La Sablonnière would have been sold for a million francs and this sum would have been shared between the six children.

François Charles de Changy died in 1837.

In 1840, Amélie met the family Perrot in Paris and the young doctor, AMÉDÉE Damase PERROT proposed marriage. From this union was born in 1841 Philomel Pierre Perrot. Amélie remained in Paris, in The Champs Elysees where the Perrot had an apartment. Then the couple went down to the Nivernais, where her husband had a medical practice.

In 1844, Amèlie returned to Mauritius with her husband, her three year old son and her 18 year old daughter Alix. Dr. Perrot first established himself in Port Louis where he set up his medical practice in Chartres Street. Amédée Perrot was born in Mauritius, at that time under English administration, he was the son of Pierre Perrot, privateer, and had returned to claim his heritage.

Pierre Perrot, his father, was born in Bayonne around 1760, and came to the Isle de France in 1785 as second captain aboard the Hirondelle, commanded by Captain de Siest. In 1806, he married Antoinette Caton, a native of St. Malo and sister of Madame de Siest. He was a commander of ships trading in spices and spent several years in Batavia[i],

He amassed a fortune but lost it all in the bankruptcy of the Bank of Batavia. He then joined up with Sylvain Roux carrying troops to the Ile de France.

From 1793 to 1810 he commanded several corsaires ships, notably the “Henry”[ii]. After the taking of the Isle de France by the English he settled near Grand Port on the Beau-Vallon Estate[iii].

A fervent Bonapartist he was compromised in an anti-British demonstration held in Grand Port on 4th September 1815. Arrested and imprisoned in Port Louis he was deported without trial on the orders of Governor Farquhar and sent to England on 17th September on the corvette “Minden”. Having arrived he saught  the intervention of Admiral Sir Samuel Romilly who spoke up for him in Parliament on 6th June and he was authorised to return to Mauritius where he arrived on 4th February 1817. His friends asked him to take charge of a commercial transaction in the Red Sea. Having barely arrived, he died in 1818 in Moka, Côte d’Arabie.

The property of Chamarel having been sold in 1844 to the Gourel de Saint Pern family settled Amélie’s father’s estate

On 12th May 1846, Eugène de Changy married Félicie Mélotte d’Envoz (1822-1878). The young couple settled in Belgium in the Château de Mélotte d’Envoz which the de Changy Family still own.

On 22nd June Amélie wrote to her daughter in law:

“my son I hope will have put in your heart a little bit of the tenderness his mother fells for you my  dear Félicie it is one of my hopes, as well as accepting you as a daughter of mine and I hasten to add that the happiness you impart to Eugene brings forth much of my maternal feelings. Often my thoughts cross the distance between us and I enjoy my son’s happiness, happiness that will sustain you both, I have the firm conviction that I already know you from the strong religious beliefs which we hold and in which my Eugene has made his vows with you.
It is only religion which helps us to support each other from our imperfections and the hurts which will always insinuate themselves into even the most perfect unions. I do not understand how a marriage can be happy unless one way or another there is a religious element to it.
I am convinced my son will not let you down.
He will witness in your mother and father testimony of the friendship of parents who are so far from him and I am sure that Madam de Melotte will appreciate all the more her son-in-law, whose sweet and kind character, will always appeal to women who love their inner spirit.
Mr Perrot claims a little of your love, he really deserves it, as the best friend of your husband.
Your sister Alix wishes to know you better and sends her love.
Then comes, in his turn, little Pierre who wil know how to make you love him when you see him!
He wishes to know if you will understand him when he writes to you in English. In hope of this he will redouble his efforts.
Please accept, my dear Félicite the assurance of our union from one who would also wish to be your mother.

(sd) Amélie Perrot

On 22nd April 1847 Aimée Gabrielle Alix de Changy married Marie Alfred de La Hogue, painter, living in the Rue du Rempart, Port Louis.

After her studies in Paris, Félicie de Changy entered a convent whereas her mother returned to Mauritius. She died in 1847.

In 1852 Amédée Perrot once again bought the Chamarel estate and eight years later enhanced it with a sugar factory.

At the beginning of the second quarter of 1861 the Perrots returned to France with their son Pierre. They stayed in Vaux at Amélie’s sister, Jeanne-Pauline d’Anglars. The went to Envoz where Amélie was reunited with her son and got to know her daughter in law.

As soon as they returned to Mauritius  in 1863 they lived in Chamarel where the climate was better for Pierre Perrot

In November 1866 Amédée Perrot died in Chamarel of a vascular-cerebral complaint. (Stroke?)

Amélie wrote to her son in Belgium:

Ask the Prioress  of Loudes Convent to say prayers for Amédée who once attended St. Bernadette in Nevers, seeking a cure for his asthma.

Amélie remained in Chamarel to manage her legacy. Meanwhile her son Pierre was in agony[iv] since the death of his father. He died in March 1867. That same year her grandson Eugène de La Hogue went to spend eight years to live with his uncle  de Changy in Belgium.

Amélie did not approve of the return of her Grandson to France before settling into a profession. She made her concerns known in a letter addressed to her son Changy:

What will Eugene do here? He will become a landsman. Do you know what a landsman is? It is one who talks sugarcane, guano and that is the limit of their horizon. I hope you will send him back to me and I will give him administration skills.

Eugène de La Hogue stayed at Chamarel where he became an agriculturist but soon after 1870 he left his Grandmother to join his parents in Port Louis.

Chamarel, managed by Amélie, went downhill more and more. She refused to sell her assets in the hope that the situation would get better. Little by little she swallowed up that which she obtained by selling small plots of land and parts of the forest, falling even more into debt.

The Ceylon Company lent her some money in anticipation that the Mauritian Government would buy the forest land which remained.

On 8th March 1871 she wrote to her son Eugene:

My Dear Son,

I am worried about how you will take the news of the loss of the Family fortune. Two simultaneous disasters[v], leaving only eyes to shed tears.

I’m not yet fixed on what I should do but in the meantime I live in the thatched cottage on a portion of four acres of land that I have been given, I can say that Providence and my conscience refuses to allow me to dip into the little fortune that remains to me.

Pierre Perrot, the son of her second marriage, had already given this place for a religious work, but as nothing had been put in writing it had passed, like the rest, in the sale. The Good Lord would not wish this donation to be lost and it came to me without having to ask for it.

On 30 May of the same year, Amélie wrote:

So you see, dear boy, I have not a lot to comlain about I have some good things: $45 a month, my cows, my barn and my back yard.

You will see that my little place has not much value and it will not be a great sacrifice to give it away to ensure that masses should be said in perpetuity;

We have a cold wind for the last few days; it is like the Mistal with a little light rain.

My feet are covered in a pair of cotton socks with woollen socks on top, then double soled shoes. I have the heater next to me, flannel pants and a coat in cloth but my head is always hot despite it only having a few hairs left.

Poverty still has its charms but mine is a relative pittance because I have a surplus. – I hope your poor heart recovers – it is better to lose a fortune rather than loved ones. It seems to me that God intended me to bury everyone, young and old – there is no doubt that I have more courage and energy than all the others despite my seventy years. I don’t count the pain of old bones. La Hogue and I are like two strong wooden beams given over to ants and rats…

Her house of refuge was sold, and on 18 August 1875, she left Chamarel to go to the convent of the Sisters of Bon Secours in la Rue du Rampart in Port-Louis.

She imparted this news to her son telling him: “my dear child, what makes me the most pain is the deep sadness that you feel in your heart. Life is short and the happiness of heaven is eternal. Offer to God all our miseries trying to take it as a purification that brings us closer to God.

The demons are unchained and we are only at the start of our pain. If God wishes it we are his friends.

Keep to the Cross, it is a salvation.

If you knew how much satisfaction I have at the bottom of my soul and of all my moral and physical pains I would never ask God to take them from me. I cry out when I feel them but it a cry of nature and I am pleased because at the same time it purifies me.

Ask God therefore to give me courage and perseverance and not an end to my suffering.

There is no doubt that one espouses the love of suffering, it is a wonderful gift from heaven.

It is at the foot of a stone crucifix placed on the tabernacle, that has so often hidden the Holy Sacrament in my poor chapel that I write to you my dear son. My cell is too small, I can only write by leaning on the alter, but I am surrounded by all its debris.

Goodbye my dear boy I put you and all of yours in the heart of Jesus and Mary where I am often.

Your mother, Amélie.”

On 18th August 1875 she wrote this:

Here I am at last n the convent where I have been for a few days. The journey was tiring, it has been ten years since I set foot in a car and I travelled by night to avoid the heat.

My health is not too good and needs the administration of a doctor.

After a life full of incident, Amélie de Chazal died on 9th Juin 1876.in the Couvent du Bon et Perpétuel Secours, in la Rue du Rempart, Port-Louis, Mauritius.

Her dearest wish of building a church at Chamarel was realised since the bishop blessed the foundation stone of this building on 16th July 1876, just a few days after her death.

Amélie de Chazal had four children from her first marriage to François de Changy and a son from her second marriage to Amédée Perrot:

G7.1. EUGENE de CHANGY 1 , born 2nd August 1819 in the Château de Vanzé (Nivernais), died in 1889, he married Marie Anne FELICIE MELOTTE d’ENVOZ on 12th May 1846 in Belgium, , she was born in 1821 and died on 18th Januaryr 1878.

The Chateau of Envoz was the seat of the Seigneurie of Envoz, property, in the 17thC of the Family de Namur. The Envoz tower is the only remaining vestige of that time. Around this are several different buildings of the 18th and 19th Centuries, whereas important aspects of the Chateau build around 1783 by Georges de Mélotte were severly damaged in a fire in 1965.

They had seven children:

Letter from Comte François Pierre Charles Eugène de Changy to Pierre Edmond de Chazal, dated, 5th January 1879 from Paris

My dear Cousin,

I have received your letter which you kindly sent and Ihave read it with interest. The details that you give me on the Mauritian branch, still numerous, of my maternal family, to which you are related.

Could you please advise me further, my dear cousin, as I am still vague about the origin of the de Chazals in France and the de Chazals who immigrated to Mauritius. I have a slight memory of the Forez being mentioned as the original French province, but the catalogue of gentilshommes (gentlemen) which came together in 1789, in the several bailiff areas to elect deputies of the nobility to the General State of the Kingdom does not show any de Chazal in that province. I found one in Livourne. A General Officer, but is he one of ours? Nothing leads me to confirm it as I can find no link. I can only find one authentic one in Orleon and Nivernais, he being Pierre de Chazal Chevalier, Seigneur de la Villeneuve de Bony, de la Sablonnière, membre de la Cour des Aides, du Parlement de Paris et Doyen du Grand Conseil (Cour de Cassation).

This was the Batchelor uncle from whom my grandfather Charles de Chazal de Chamarel returned to France to clam his heritage. Furthurmore this property of Sablonnière near Bony sur Loire where he died in 1829 was therefore owned by the brother of our common great-grandfather.  But who was this brother of our common Great Grandfather? I can only reply with speculation so leave it to you to shed light on it.

The catalogue of the l’Isle de France gives me among others in 1789 a François de Chazal. Is it he who gave rise to the two branches in the colony, as I suppose? Was it he who married Miss de Corday (of the famous Charlotte) daughter of a ships captain or is my memery playing tricks? You will have to enlighten me.

While I am keen to do this research I only had one aunt in France a Mrs d’Anglars who died a year before my mother and she could tell me nothing of her father’s past. Even though she was good fiend ofCountess of Meaux, mother of the former Minister son in Law of The Count de Montalembert, Speaker. She has never given any hint of a relationship between the Meaux and Chazal families. This relationship must have come about somewhat earlier with imigration to Mauritius when the two Families associated together at the time of my Grandfather when his daughters were young.

But, thank God, after being assured by my mother who remembered the disgust of her Grandfather because lieutenant-general Baron Chazal[vi], former Minister of War in Belgium was none other than the son of a French Regicide, made Baron and prefect by Napoleon 1st, then exiled with the other regicides during the restoration, he took refuge in Brussels where he died. This Chazal had two sons of whom the elder, publicly rejected by his father killed himself in despair. and the other, an officer in the National Belgian Guard; and after the the revolution of 1830, he had a brilliant career in the army, enriched by his marriage to the daughter of the opulent Industrialist, Terneaux and having the favour of Léopold1st who befiended him, the Belgian General, true to his revolutionary traditions and had stood behind the barricades, he nevertheless became Minister in two Liberal Cabinets., its true enough and in addition was Belgium Ambassador Extrordinary to Russia. I think has has two sons, officers in the belgium army. His family comes from Pau where his father was a lawyer before having a part to play in the Revolution.

After this digression I return to the Family and return to the branch the de Chazal family to which my mother belonged.

CHARLES ANTOINE DE CHAZAL DE CHAMAREL, my grandfather of whom I could give his date of birth if I had it to hand; an extract of his death certificate, where his date of birth should be shown, shows that he was destined for the forces and obtained a leiutenantcy at the dawn of the revolution. His mother told me he only put his uniform on once for a fitting. It was no doubt at this time that hereturned to the Isle de France to join François de Chazal whom I assume is his father, or maybe an Uncle. He married in the Languedoc Marie Augustine Sainte de St. Félix daughter of Vice Amiral de St. Félix, Marquis de Maurémont who commanded a naval station her mother being N… du Solliez, another well known family from the Languedoc

Leaving I think in 1814 withhis family to claim their heritage  from his uncle Pierre de Chazal, of whom I have written above, on the journey has wife died, he remained a widower with six daughters. They settled in the Chateau of Sablonnière where he died  in 1829.

His daughters of whom none survive to this day were:

  1. Amélie, born Septembre 1800, married in 1817 to François Charles Carpentier, Comte de Changy, widowed in 1837,

She died on 9th June 1876 in Port-Louis without leaving any children[vii] of her second marriage to Amédée Perrot who died before her.

She had from her first marriage.

  1. François Pierre Charles Eugène (who is writing these notes) born 2nd August 1819 in the château de Vanzé in the Nivernais, married Marie Anne Félicie de Merlotte d’Envoz on 12th May1846 in Belgium, widowed on18th JJanuary 1878 having four boys and three girls.

(a) Marie Denis François, born in 1847, married Marguerite Boulard de Vaucelles in 1874. They had one son and two daughters.

(b) Marie François Charles, bornin 1849 married Adrienne de Royer de Douze, in 1875 They had two daughters.

(c) Marie Rose Amélie died at 14 years of age.

(d) Marie Ghislaine Gabrielle, did not marry.

(e) Marie Elizabeth Berthe married Raymond de Muster de Betzenbroeck, three sons

(f) Marie François René, 23 ans.

(g) Marie François Jehan, 16 ans.

  1. Françoise Charlotte Félicie, not married died at 23 years old in Nevers in 1847.
  2. Aimée Gabrielle Alix, married Alfred de la Hogue, of whom one son, Eugène de la Hogue who married Eugénie de Simard de Pitray, four daughters and a son.
  3. Rosine de Chazal de Chamarel, married Gustave de Latour de St. Ygest, died in childbirth from her only daughter.

Charlotte de Latour St; Ygest, married M. Bonnet de Malherbe and had two sons.

III. Uranie, married Gustave de Latour St. Ygest, her brother in Law, widow of Rosine, both died over 20 years ago, having had 2 sons die before them and a daughter Augustine who married Maurice Robert de Chazal[viii]

  1. Charlotte, married to William de Martenue, died several years ago, leaving her husband who still lives, one unmarried daughter and two sons Robert the eldest married a Miss de Guérin with whom he had several children.Paul the other son is a widower who married his cousin Marguerite d’Anglars with a young girl
  2. Pauline, married the Comte Alphonse d’Anglars who died in 1785, leaving her a widow with two daughters: Marie married Alexandre Mac Nabb who is in the Ecole Militaire; Berthe wife of Comte Henri de Penfentenyo, Frigate captain; there were several children Marguerite wife of Paul de Martenue died before her mother
  3. Caroline, married in 1836 to her first cousin, le Comte de Madron (whose mother was a St. Félix) died the following year without issue.

This then, my dear cousin is the abridged history of the passing inthis world of the six daughters of Charles Antoine. My mother was therefore the first to be born in Mauritius, who died alone and the last to have died in her country of her birth.

Your family name has disappeared from France; may it be perpetuated with honour in The Colony which itself has lost it’s previous French name!

I would be pleased to think that this has been agreeable to you, I pray that with this short exposé, I send you my expression of sincerer Sympathy.

(Signed) Comte de Changy. »

[i] Dutch East Indies–Jakarta

[ii] I have been unable to find details of the “Henry”. I doubt it would be the “Henry Morgan”

[iii] Beau Vallon Sugar factory/estate was in the 1950’s managed by my Uncle Guy Harel, married to Tante Gladys (5th of Edgar’s many children). Your translator spent many happy times there, specially at Pointe Jerome which then belonged to the estate. It is now, 2019 a Boutique Hotel.

[iv] Agony due to ill health or mourning his father?

[v] Loss of fortune and loss of the estate?

[vi] I am sure he had mothing to do with our family. There are sever “Chazals” in Belgium

[vii] This seems to presume that Pierre had previously died

[viii] See https://docs.google.com/document/d/13Gvs9vbqwrhM1nZttQI_0d6t0Cn0dZEoBbWNU7wBhY0/edit