Link to Catherine in my tree
Catherine Sievwright, the third child of John Sievwright, writer in Brechin, and Helen Low to be mentioned in Helen's will, (see previous post) was hard to track. Helen died in 1838. In the hand-written will it looks like Catherine married "Lewis Pollorou Mouhaut". Fortunately both her birth and the marriage are recorded in Scottish Old Parish records. The "Mouhaut" is Merchant!
Catherine was born in 1798 in Brechin, Angus, Scotland and married a French merchant Louis Appollinaire Pellerin of Paris in Brechin in 1823 *. I wonder how they met. The Sievwrights and Lows had interests in London, but Paris? In the will Catherine and Louis are said to be living in Paris although by the time of the death of Helen Low they were in America.
They had 2 children born in Paris: Helene Pellerin baptised 1825** and Henri Pellerin about 1830. Helen Lowe widow Sievwright was godmother at Helene's baptism. Father Louis was a cashier (caissier).
I suspected they moved to Louisiana from a naturalisation record for a Louis Appolinaire Pellerin in 1849 and a court case in 1845. But Pellerin is quite a common French name.
I am indebted to Lucretia Ramsey Bishko*** for filling in the gap.
In 1833 Louis (Lewis A Pellerin) and his wife and two young children set sail for Florida with a letter of recommendation from General Lafayette. Louis had suffered financial losses in the July Revolution of 1830****. Louis hoped to buy land in the Lafayette township in Florida. After 6 unsuccessful attempts to buy land, during which time they "lived in a cabin like savages" Louis gave up and they moved to New Orleans about 1837 where he owned a cotton press yard (1850 census and 1845 court case). I hope Catherine got her share of her mother's estate in 1838!
Catherine died between the 1840 and 1850 censuses. Louis died in 1859. Son Henri died age 36 in 1866. Helene married Benjamin S Harrisson, a builder, in 1851 and they had 3 children. She died aged only 33 in 1859 and is buried in Lafayette Cemetery in New Orleans. Louis's funeral notice mentions Benjamin S Harrison, proving the link between the two families. Helene died in the January and her father Louis in the August of 1859.
* "Scotland, Marriages, 1561-1910," index, FamilySearch
(https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XTRF-Z93 : accessed 16 May 2013),
Louis Appollinaire Pellerin and Catherine Sievwright, 09 Sep 1823.
** (France, Protestant Church Records, 1612-1906 004340993 Image 192)
*** from a research piece entitled A French
Would-Be Settler on Lafayette's Township published by the Florida
Historical Society, accessed 6 Aug 2012. It was gleaned from a series
of documents and letters in the Dean Collection of Lafayette.
**** He was awarded the Croix de Juillet in 1831 Bulletin des lois de la République Française Issues 86-134 Page 16
Showing posts with label Pellerin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pellerin. Show all posts
Thursday, 16 May 2013
Saturday, 30 October 2010
Solomon, John and Norman Sievwright (updated)
I have been sent a copy of a letter from cousin Lyndsay written in 1886 by Colin Sievwright to his grandson in New Zealand which details his family history. Gold dust - a primary source!
His father was Solomon born about 1776 which we knew. Solomon apparently was an officer in Nelson's navy and didn't return to Scotland until after Napoleon's exile in 1815. This fits with his marriage to Martha Burnett in November 1816.
I can't find any reference to Solomon to support this but no reason to think it is not the case. According to the letter, Solomon was the oldest son of John, the only son of the Rev Norman Sievwright. Since John was married to Helen Low in 1788, either John was married before or Solomon was illegitimate. There is no baptism for Solomon which is strange for the grandson of a clergyman. Mind you only 2 of Norman's 7 children have baptism records.
His grandfather Norman Sievwright was educated at Aberdeen University and was first a schoolmaster in Monymusk and then presbyter in the Scottish Episcopal church in Brechin from 1749 until his death 1790. My granny maintained she had an ancestor who was a Bishop! He was a learned scholar of Hebrew.
His son, Solomon's putative father, John was a writer in Brechin and appears to have been quite wealthy. I have seen (the transcript of ) his widow Helen's will dated 1828. They clearly had property, land and stock in the London Docks Company. Solomon does not get a mention in the will although he was still alive and living nearby until 1843.
Of John and Helen's children only 3 are mentioned in the will. Presumably the others were already deceased. Joseph Alexander who is living on a frustratingly illegible island*, Catherine who is married to a Frenchman Louis Apollinaire Pellerin and living in Paris and Marjory who remains unmarried until her death in 1874. I can't find any more about the Pellerins. But I have found Joseph Alexander in Canada - for another post.
John and Helen also had a son Colin b 1792 after whom Solomon may have named his son Colin, the poet. There is a reference to a Colin Sievwright, a fellow of the royal college of surgeons. I need to go through to Angus Archives for a look at that! Perhaps he too was in the navy and perished!
Now at least we can see that Colin, the poet, had brains in his genes!
My tree
* Since writing this I have purchased the original will and can see that it is the Island of Demerary. The mystery deepens and no such island exists in the present day. I think it is part of Guyana in central America.
His father was Solomon born about 1776 which we knew. Solomon apparently was an officer in Nelson's navy and didn't return to Scotland until after Napoleon's exile in 1815. This fits with his marriage to Martha Burnett in November 1816.
I can't find any reference to Solomon to support this but no reason to think it is not the case. According to the letter, Solomon was the oldest son of John, the only son of the Rev Norman Sievwright. Since John was married to Helen Low in 1788, either John was married before or Solomon was illegitimate. There is no baptism for Solomon which is strange for the grandson of a clergyman. Mind you only 2 of Norman's 7 children have baptism records.
His grandfather Norman Sievwright was educated at Aberdeen University and was first a schoolmaster in Monymusk and then presbyter in the Scottish Episcopal church in Brechin from 1749 until his death 1790. My granny maintained she had an ancestor who was a Bishop! He was a learned scholar of Hebrew.
His son, Solomon's putative father, John was a writer in Brechin and appears to have been quite wealthy. I have seen (the transcript of ) his widow Helen's will dated 1828. They clearly had property, land and stock in the London Docks Company. Solomon does not get a mention in the will although he was still alive and living nearby until 1843.
Of John and Helen's children only 3 are mentioned in the will. Presumably the others were already deceased. Joseph Alexander who is living on a frustratingly illegible island*, Catherine who is married to a Frenchman Louis Apollinaire Pellerin and living in Paris and Marjory who remains unmarried until her death in 1874. I can't find any more about the Pellerins. But I have found Joseph Alexander in Canada - for another post.
John and Helen also had a son Colin b 1792 after whom Solomon may have named his son Colin, the poet. There is a reference to a Colin Sievwright, a fellow of the royal college of surgeons. I need to go through to Angus Archives for a look at that! Perhaps he too was in the navy and perished!
Now at least we can see that Colin, the poet, had brains in his genes!
My tree
* Since writing this I have purchased the original will and can see that it is the Island of Demerary. The mystery deepens and no such island exists in the present day. I think it is part of Guyana in central America.
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