Genealogy Chat

My English Relatives lived in Paris from at least 1812 to 1814. Does anyone know why they were likely to be there during the Napoleonic Wars?

lots of Brits lived all over Europe, and in Russia and Asia, in the 19th century.

I have a relative who spent at least 5 years in Russia around 1900, had at least 2 children there ............. he was a Cotton Mill Manager in Lancashire before and after the time in Russia, as well as in Russia. I presume he must have been "recruited" by the Russians.

Don't forget that well off Brits went on the Grand European Tour in the 18th and 19th centuries.

To find out what your relatives did, look at what they did in England before and after their stay. Does that give any help?

Welcome to the Community Boards Jennifer.



(I'll let Jennifer know how to find her replies) :-)

Hello Jennifer, have you checked to see if there was any connection to the military at the time?

One of my husband's ancestors was born in France in 1814 - that man's father fought at Waterloo so I'm still trying to find out if he took his family with him, or acquired one there and brought them to England.

Thanks for that, I believe that he was in the Marines but I would have thought that being in Paris for at least 2 years prior to Waterloo in 1815 is a bit strange. I will find a military historian to help with this perspective. :-S

could they have been servants?

I have just realised that there was a contingent of Marines that took over the Isle de France (now called Mauritius) I think that it is likely they were there rather than in France itself.
:-)

Another thought for you .................

are you looking for more than one relative, ie, are there children born in France??


if your male relative was in the Marines, it is very possible that his wife followed the drum ................... went along with the regiment.

Many women did that, including married women, common-law spouses and singletons.

They provided valuable services to the men, such as cooking and laundering, and so their presence was ignored by the senior officers, even though it was officially forbidden. Even the fact that they sneaked on board ships was often ignored.

Any women, legal or common-law, whose husband was killed would be taken care of by his closest mates, and often took one of them as her second husband.


There must be military histories that describe this aspect of the Napoleonic and other wars, but Bernard Cornwell described it very well in some of the Sharpe novels.

Thanks for those thoughts