Orfèvres (silversmiths) de St. Domingue

[Francais]

This is a checklist of silversmiths who worked in the French Islands. It is by no means complete, but more accidental in nature. Some years ago I was doing some genealogical research at the behest of a distant cousin. I was looking through some parish records of the island of St Domingue (now Haiti) on the French government site: http://anom.archivesnationales.culture. ... T-DOMINGUE

While looking for records of ancestors, I started noticing a lot of references to silversmiths and watchmakers. I always said there were a lot of silversmiths on the islands, but I had no idea how many. After quite a while I started making notes when I saw one. So the at end of the list are silversmiths from Les Cayes a not very large town. Then I ran across a paper published at Le Cap in the 18th c. Images are available on the Digital Library of the Caribbean ( dLOC ) on the site of University of Florida Digital Collection ( UFDC ) Issues of the Affiches Americaines of St. Domingue (1766-91) are on line at http://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00000449/00027 . The issues are now all searchable, keeping in mind that OCR is not perfect. You should be warned that if you want to read about life on St. Domingue, the treatment of slaves there could be extremely brutal, and branding was quite common.

Because most silversmiths were just identified by “Sieur” and a last name, and the spelling was sometimes difficult to determine, I doubt many of the silversmiths will be traced either to France or the US. So far I have only identified one Canadian silversmith, Huet, and his mark is unknown.
I also made a list of miniature artists several of whom have been traced to Europe or the US.

I took the notes in French.

So some words you might need:

“feu” = deceased
“ainé” = the elder
“jeune” = the younger
“Frères” = brothers
“Negre” = black usually a slave
“dit” = nickname
O= Orfevre = Silversmith
MO Marchand Orfèvre= Merchant Silversmith
B, or J = Jeweler
G = engraver

Some of my notes might be somewhat cryptic, but this is a work in progress.

Most of the references in the papers were people advertising items for sale, or the legal notice that they were leaving the island, or they were just identified by others for some reason, like they had recently died. After finding them in the newspaper, some complete names were found in the parish records, at least when the priest’s handwriting was somewhat legible.

One unavoidable fact is that many of the silversmiths had slaves doing the work for them.

Also the wealth of the islands, and its planter class cannot be overestimated. The merchants, including silversmiths, regularly advertised the arrival of luxury goods from France, the lists were very long. Some of the silversmiths were no doubt just merchants, just doing occasional repairs, and only a some probably marked goods.

I did not include watchmakers unless there was some carry over. There are probably as many horlogers who advertised as silversmiths. I will be happy to give advice to anyone who wants to tackle that subject. I will note that I ran across Chaudron a famous silversmith in the US, who was only listed as an Horloger in the paper. The difference between the two in France was significant although both worked in precious metals. Several watchmakers in France became silversmith in the US, where the difference was blurred, probably none more successful than Chaudron.
The last point I will make, for the moment, is that when attributing a mark on a French style spoon without French control marks, you have to include the, at least, hundreds of those working on St. Domingue.

Anyone having information on any of these silversmiths, please post it here and we will make corrections.

Maurice


André 1784-5 O, J partner of Mussard in ad by engraver
Anguyer, Louis Joseph 1788 MO
Appollon dit Tolle
Arnaud 1766 mort en 1784 O, MO
Fortuné, negre de Arnaud 1766 O
Negre de Aubert 1766 O
Augier 1787 MO, B see page 592
Auguste, Henri 1759-1816 PaP
Augustin, slave Dutch 1774 O escaped from Masson
Baillet 1768 St Marc MO
Barremme, Barreme 1784-9 MO In 1886 described and ex controler and inspector
Becqueville, Jean Joseph M1784 PdP MO
Belanger
Rigaudon, Benoît Joseph André 1761-1811 Les Cayes O, Militaire
Beranger, Joseph 1784 dep 1788 O left with wife in 1788, daughter born 1788
Bierre 1774 O
Leblanc 1769 O partner with Mainguenau
Blanchard 1769 condemned to be hanged for fake gold coins.
Blayon
Blondel 1786 Limonade
Bourgeois
Bremond 1774 Manuel
Bremond Figuiere Fourm
Bremond negre
Bridon
Brosseau dep 1787
Bury 1770 MO
Buschop 1769 MO, J
Camoin 1782 St Marc
Camouen, J
Cappeau dep 1784 O
Carrou, P 1790 St Marc Negotien but sells slave and shop OB
Cassaignard, Richard
Castan 1789 O
Ceremond
Charles Mr & Mrs dep 1788-90 Arcahaye O
Chastant 1789 MO
Chaudron, Jean Simon 1790 Horloger
Chesneau
Chevalier 1774 PaP O
Coignaud, Louis François1780 Cap MO
Collet 1785-6 O, B
Da our 1776 Manuel
Damour 1774 Partner of Levesque
Daniel 1790 St. Marc O
David 1788 dep1789 MO Mariotte H ads that he is there.
Delabaude 1790 O
Delaferté, Jean Baptiste 1787 St. Marc O
Delisle 1787 O
Dieu dep 1789 MO
Dolley 1779 Cap Mo
Doré & Harmand 1788 O, B Denoel an engraver ad he is available at their shop
Douzarbre dep 1789 MO
Dubois, Francois 1774 H Has son 1786 p19
Duchemin dep 1770 O
Dulaure, F 1788 succession sells slave orfevres
Dupont 1770 O
Duvet 1785-90 PaP MO, J , B
Duveuf dep 1768 O
Duvivié 1785 B
Esléves freres 1788 B
Eveque 1770 MO
FÉLIX, Louis 1765-1851 St. Marc
Figuieres 1784-5 O
Flique dep 1788 Léogane O
Formy-Mauroy 1766 pos feu en 1768 Cap MO
Fornier, Alexandre D after 1791 PaP MO
Foucherot & Co 1784 O
Fournier 1788-89 MO, B, G nice ad page 300
Francois Apollon 1781 Mul Adam
Frick dep 1790 O
Gabé dep 1784
Genouds
Genoux 1786 Les Cayes
Germain, with wife and children dep 1784 MO
Girard 1785 O
Giraud, Jacques Joseph 1768 ancien O de Marseille looking for son Jean Francois posible dead in 1784
Grandmaison 1785 1790 sells shop O Possibley Giraud of Giraud & Ravinete departs 1789
Grellier, Jacques Louis
Guerin , Henri dep 1788-90 O, MO
Guigue, Jean Baptiste 1776 Mole O
Henri Cousin MO
Heyneman dep 1788 Cap Francois O
Huet, Pierre Francois dit Lapierre mort 1774 O 41 from Ste Susanne, Le Mans
Jedeon, Chesdreu, & Desouches 1787 MO
Joubert 1766-81 Cap O,J,B&G
Jouffard
Kerruforet 1779
Laferte
Lafontaine feu 1767 MO widow, Marguerite Catherine Queniot dies in 1767
Lamothe, Pierre @1770
Lantheaume, Joseph Moyse dep 1788-9 O LANTHEAUME (Joseph Moyse) marries 1786 p.59
Larouseliere freres
Larousse 1784
Larousseliere, Pierre R? 1790 MO Marries 1786 several of family sign.
Laussin dep 1788 MO
LeBlanc & Maingueneau 1769-70 Cap MO
Lemesle, Jean mort en 1769 age 32 from Laval, Le Mans
Lesserré & co 1789 MO, B, G worked 3 years in ateliers of the king, will take apprentices.
Leveque 1786 tuteur of Dolbos children
Lévesque, René André 1774-85 MO ends partnership with Rousseliere the younger daughter born 1777
Limousin
Mahaut 1787 ? sells mill etc.
Maingueneau dep 1768 1769 O Partner with Blanc in 1769
Martin 1784 B, J, G
Masson 1774 O Had slave
August tin
Mathringhand 1780 croix de Bouquets
Mery, Mery & Masson
Masson
Mestayer l'ainé 1767-9 1771 Fort Dauphin 1771 MO. O Bunel H de Caen en 1768
Metayer negre
Monod dep 1789 Petit Trou
Morin 1771-87 Cap O,Mo,B
mulatre
Muret 1784 MO partnership with Larousse
Mussard, Musard, Muzard 1784-5 O, J partner of Andre in ad of engraver
Namur & Datrouil 1789 Arcahaye MO, B, H & G
Pagnon, Etienne dep 1785, 1788 Môle O & Armurier ad includes branding slaves apparently dead in 1788 son is born
Pastre 1790 O advert that he has an engraver, student of Lottier engraver to king
Pernel 1790 O
Pichon 1790 MB
Pilliard 1769 feu en 1771 Fort Dauphin O, MB his silversmith slaves sold in 1771
Portier 1786 dep 1787-88 sells shop & 3 slave orfevres
Raynal, Paul dep 1789 MO leaves with wife and child sells his slaves including orfevres daughter born 1777
Rivoire 1785. feu 1787 Passibly Delarivoire who had and auction in 1774
Robin 1785-dep 1786 St Marc O, MO
Rognon, Francois
Rorcourt, Rocourt frères 1774-78 Léogane O
Rousseliere jeune 1785 ends partnership with Leveque
ROUVIERE, Pierre Ettiene 1700-1764
Rouviere, mort en 1768 O, B
rules
Sabron
Sagety
Sallefranque, Jean M 1799 PdP Mb O
Santinier 1790 St Marc OB
Soubira 1771 ? selling goods
Terin
Tessier Frères 1784 MO, J, B formally worked for Dugage of Nantes
Tessier ainé 1785-89 MO, J, B
Therin
Therin 1766-72 Cap O
Thibault 1786 O
Tixier
Touache, Jean Francois d. 1802 Cap O
Trajquet, Traquet dep 1789 O
Tresse 1784 O
Urbin 1769 dep 1770 MO
Viel
Vieyre 1774-5 Cap


Leblanc, Alexandre Boulogne MO,
Théolliere, Francois Les Cayes O 1795 p.10
McKnem-Weauchatel, Jean Baptiste Versaille, Les Cayes H 1795 p. 28
1794 P. 120
1800 p. 484
Lasegue, Jean Baptiste Les Cayes O 1795
de La Marre, Samuel Robert H 1776 2
Bleck. Guillaume O 1776 3 Mulatrel libre
Rubon, Jean Pierre 1777 8
1777 18
1797 104
1797 180
Raingeard, Honore 1794 148
Danastre, Raphael O 1794 125 25
1794
L'Herison, André Romain O 1794 12
Herne, Jean O 1794 25
Rongean, A O 1794 40
Jonckheere, Francois Notable et H 1794 85, 109 1780 p10
Brémont, Jacques 1794 90 33
Fredouillard, Mathieu O 1794 25
Gachet, Jean Pierre Mathieu MO 1794 109 38
Fredouillard, Francois 1794 152 27
Mercier, Guillaume Jacques MO 1794 109 45
Geroud, Jean Francois MO 1782 4
Laroche, Jacques Gabriel Theodore Jeremie H 1788 17

[dognose]

Hi Maurice,

The reference you have to 'Dupont 1770 O' may relate to Louis Dupont, a one time London based silversmith.

DUPONT, Louis - No record of apprenticeship or freedom. It would seem almost certain that he was the Louis Dupont, son of Pierre du Pont, goldsmith at Poitiers in Poitou, married to Marie Rachel Migault at Leicester Fields Church 12 February 1737, and whose daughter 'Susane' was baptised 1 January 1738, at the Savoy Church, and son Stephen at the same 4 February 1739. First mark entered as largeworker, 20 September 1736. Address: Wardour Street, Soho. Second mark, 2 July 1739. Address: Compton Street, near St. Anne's, Soho. Heal records him here till bankruptcy in 1747. Dupont was described as 'late of St.Anne's Westminster now of the Island of St. Domingo merchant' in the apprenticeship of his son Stephen to Samuel Courtauld in 1753. Another son, Oliver John, was apprenticed to Isaac Chartier, 1754. Listed as Huguenot by Evans (Hug. Soc. Proc., 14).

Source: London Goldsmiths 1697-1837 Their Marks & Lives - Arthur G. Grimwade - 1st Edition 1976

In the addenda contained within the 3rd edition of the above book, there is this entry:

DUPONT, Louis - His wife Rachel Marie was the daughter of the Amsterdam goldworker Olivier Migault, whose mother Elisabeth Fourestier was a distant relative of Lewis Mettayer. Dupont was probably related to the Amsterdam silversmith Jean Maxiimien du Pont. (Information Mr. K. Citroen).

Trev.

[Francais]

Thanks,
I guess I should pick up this project again. Lewis Mettayer is mentioned, I wonder if that could be the older Metayer mentioned in the list?

Maurice

[bstaunto]

Hi guys,

Out of interest, are there any pieces attributed to any of these makers? Or any of the French Colonial Silversmiths in the Caribbean?

Ben

[Francais]

Hi,
Yes some have been found in the US, Chaudron I mentioned. Attributions are alway difficult, as most French silversmith's would just use initial marks, and the style would be no different that in France or other French colonies. I have seen several pieces for sale in the US and France attributed to Island silversmiths but was not interested enough to question the attribution. So how do you tell the difference between a silversmith in France who stamps his initial mark three times or one who does the same thing in the islands or Mississippi Valley. Most of the refugees ended up in Philadelphia, New Orleans, etc.
I never actually checked to make sure how many made it to different cities. Pierre Lamothe was in New Orleans. I figured that was the job of the people interested in New Orleans silver or other cities. I really only did it out of curiosity. There are as many or more watch makers who worked in the islands, but I could find no one in the watch community, to take on the task.
I did a similar check list of Painters, and found several artists well known in France and the Americas.
The islands were fabulously wealthy.
Maurice

[Jothra]

Hello, is your research on goldsmiths still relevant? Have a good day

[dognose]

Hi,

Welcome to the Forum.

We are always grateful for any information on the subject.

Trev.