Minard

From: Biological Stn. Pearl Beach
Via Woy Woy
NSW
To: Miss M. C. Sadler
"White Lodge"
101 Northcourt Rd.
Abingdon, Berkshire
England
July 28, 1952
My dear Margaret,
My last letter to you was posted only on Sunday, so imagine my surprise and delight when your packet arrived today with the copy of Anne's picture and the two coats-of-arms! I am so pleased to have them and after all I would love to keep the photos of the crests - they are so beautifully clear, and so well done. May I do that? You have been so good to copy out so much for me - especially as you are so troubled with arthritis. I will try to answer your questions as I amble along and if I fail, please remind me in your next letter.
I seem to have my hands so full of interests, and it is very difficult now to keep up with them. Of course, my chief wish - my dearest hope - is to realize my aim for obtaining a National Botanic Garden. As you have expressed a wish for information, I will send you copies of a couple of addresses which I was asked to give, and you will see by these how things came about - and what a long story it is! I hope they won't bore you. I cannot expect other people to see with my eyes, but I have such a great love for the particular interest, beauty and value of the things which are passing away so quickly. Sometimes I feel great disappointment when I feel indifference, and even antagonism, as I am sorry to say I do, from my own family. They are so furiously angry with me that they will neither come to see me, nor would they read anything I write, or listen to any of my opinions! So I have been lonely in my interests but supremely happy in trying to work out the problems in the peace and quiet of 'the bush'. I am never lonely in spirit, and much too busy to brood over disappointments.
I did not think it would be right to spend my small legacies upon personal enjoyments. I feel it was given to me in answer to prayer, and I try to use it faithfully. For so many years I placed my duty to my family first. When they were ably settled in life, and when this came (at 55 years of age!) I began to feel the freedom of being able to do the things I had wished to do all my life. Moreover, I have obtained peace and comfort. My small superannuation is sufficient, and I have many things from the University which I could not have enjoyed otherwise. There is a caretaker here to cut the wood and look after the place. He neglects the garden very much but is good in other ways so I have a feeling of complete security and independence. And that is a great deal now in a changing world!
I was amused when you said "the C's appear to have been on friendly terms with his (Henry IV of France) relatives." Of course you have gathered from Scheffer's book that Marie de Semeries was a lady of the French court. That fact and the incorporation of the 'fleur de lys' quarter in the arms of her son is most significant in relation to the customs of those days, and a rather interesting fact in that child's descendents, namely you and me!

Re Mark Anthony, I have a note from French Hospital Records, London: "Mark Anthony C., son of Pierre Etienne & Francoise Seignoret. His wife naturalized by Act of Parliament (No. 94.4.5 Anne 1706). Went to the East Indies (or India). Thrice married & wife thrice married - her first & second husband being Dacry, the third...Say."

That was just the way the note was written. It was made, I think, by either Wagner or Agnew and was in a bundle of scattered pencil notes - all in disarray. They had apparently been gone over many times, or perhaps had never been sorted and arranged. I had no time to do it. Agnew wrote several books upon the Huguenots in different parts of the world. There is one which might be able to help us. I think it is called "The Huguenot Settlement of North America". I have tried to concentrate upon the various Charles C.s, and every one of them seems to have gone to America; East Indies; or India. I will make a list of them from Scheffer and notes supplied by Evelyn de la Cherois Crommelin.
George de la Cherois of Donaghadee, Northern Ireland, gave me my Scheffer book and photograph of grandfather. He (George) died a few years ago and left a fortune of about a quarter of a million to two daughters. One of these girls (the younger), Gina, married a Swede named Stone - a very nice young man, I have heard, and Gina was left all the family papers which had been in the possession of May de la Cherois Crommelin (the authoress). May died soon after the end of the first World War.

May de la Cherois Crommelin, authoress
She had 2 brothers, 4 sisters.
It was May's younger sister, Evelyn de la Cherois Crommelin, whom I met in London. She was a dear little woman who told me quite a lot about her family. After I came out she sent me some notes to copy and I had to return her book as it was all she had. The notes were in French mostly, and dates were tabled. It was she who told me the history of the beautiful Lawrence picture of (?) Mrs. Crommelin. It was her favourite picture, and when all the things at Carrowdore Castle were sold off by May, she was so upset about the sale of this particular picture, she never enquired where it went. It brought 5000 pounds.

Carrowdore Castle in Co. Donaghadee, Northern Ireland,
built by Nicholas de la Cherois Crommelin where May Crommelin
and her siblings were raised under the tutelage of continental governesses.

Carrowdore: See upper right...
Gina Stone (nee Gina de la Cherois) of the Manor House Donaghadee received a letter from Major Gribble, the present (?) owner asking her for particulars. Gina looked up papers and found a note about one of her relatives having a picture painted - it was her g. grandmother who was a Townsend (daughter of Lord Ventry) - and the picture was described as 'ill painted'. Now, the point is that the painting thus referred to is NOT the picture by Lawrence, but Gina had never seen the Lawrence picture because it was sold before she was born. Moreover, her grandmother's picture (referred to in the papers) is of a simply attired young woman with pretty arms. Evelyn de la C. C. sent me a copy of that also. This WAS her grandmother.
The very remarkable likeness between that Lawrence picture, and our grandfather; great grandfather; and great great grandfather, set me thinking. I gathered together all the Charles C's and their dates in a list and sent them to Gina. I asked her if she had anything amongst her papers relative to them and would she please let me know. She has never replied or acknowledged my request. The other sister, Jacqueline, with whom she divided the large inheritance, married a Roman Catholic man (Day I think is the name) and they have a young baby son. They live in Kenya. Gina has apparently quarreled with her and they are not visiting each other, or so I hear.
Another de la Cherois-Crommelin I met was Captain Nicholas dlC-C who was remarkably like my father. The most extraordinary thing happened about that meeting. When in London I stayed at Queen's Gardens, Kensington, and one misty evening I was stepping out of the house to go for a walk down Kensington Gardens. I saw a tall man approaching, a woman by his side, and another woman with a little boy in a pram. I noticed the pram first, and then raised my eyes to the man. He was so like my father that I got quite a shock and stood still, staring at him. They passed on and I went for my walk, thinking of Father.
Some weeks later I went to Cushendun, Northern Ireland (where Nicholas used to live), for the purpose of seeing him. He came into the room without his hat and overcoat. He had straight dark hair which stood up like a brush all over his head. I looked at his face which seemed slightly familiar but it was not until later that I found he had been staying at a house in Queen's Gardens for two months and it was opposite the house that I was staying in! I tried to analyze where the likeness rested but could not. My father had soft, wavy hair. Their skin was similar and something about the general build - the bones, I think. It seemed almost incredible after centuries, but after all, we do recognize different breeds in animals. It's difficult to explain, isn't it?

Countess Marie Angelique de la Cherois
When in Ireland I got a copy of the "Montgomery Manuscripts by George Hill, Vol 1, and read the will of the old Countess Mary Angelica whose mother had been a Crommelin. She married Daniel de la Cherois, a very wealthy man from whom Mary Angelica inherited an enormous fortune which restored the old Earl of Mount-Alexander's estates. Her excellent management, kindly considerations and natural ability was prominent in all affairs. She died without children and left the whole of her enormous estates to her cousins Samuel de la Cherois the elder, and Nicholas Crommelin and their heirs male forever.
Montgomery Manuscripts Vol. 1
P. 293
P. 294a
P. 294b
P. 295a
P. 295b
P. 296
Other Crommelins mentioned in the will were:
1. Nicholas (godson of the Earl) - 100 pounds
2. De la Cherois-Crommelin - "My dear cousin and godson" - Cousin of hers and brother of the aforesaid Nicholas de la Cherois - 1000 pounds
3. Mary Crommelin, elder sister of the aforesaid Nicholas Cromelin - 800 pounds. (She was also "my dear cousin").
4. Mary Ann Crommelin, younger sister of the aforesaid Nicholas C. - 800 pounds
5. Mary Ann C. otherwise M. Cullogh, daughter of William Crommelin - 200 pounds

Miss Maria Dobbs - Enlarge
I think the Lawrence picture may be of Miss Dobbs who was either a Mrs. Samuel Crommelin or another Crommelin, and not Mrs. Samuel de la Cherois.
Strange to say, several extraordinary things happened in Ireland about that time. Graves were opened up and removed; records disappeared. Now they say that Samuel de la Cherois (presumeably the one who married Miss Dobbs) took the name of Crommelin as his surname in 1804 because Nicholas Crommelin died about 1790 leaving all his vast share in the property to his cousin - that same Samuel de la Cherois who took his name in gratitude, and ever since that branch of the de la Cherois' have called themselves 'Crommelin'. However, the Crommelins do not exist in Ireland now (as far as I can understand).
When Capt. Nicholas de la Cherois Crommelin died (I had correspondence with him after my return [in 1936]), his wife sent me a book which had been written out for him by his Aunt Maria from the family records at Carrowdore. I cannot make that book agree with Scheffer's and some of the dates are not given. Important names are omitted. George de la Cherois of the Manor House Donaghadee (whose mother was a C.) told me that Jacob Crommelin, who wrote the Scheffer book, had been to Ireland to collect particulars. Maria speaks rather disparagingly of the Crommelin descent as somewhat inferior to the de la Cherois which is rather amusing because I believe the very fact of being de la Cherois shows they did not belong to the nobility, and I am very proud to know that the Crommelins throughout their history were able to produce men interested in the most honourable service to their fellow man - not only in defending their faith, but in defending their country and producing linen - one of the most beautiful and serviceable materials for the use of their fellow man.

In 1698 Louis Crommelin said his people had been interested in the growing of flax and the making of linen "before the memory of man"! They were great travelers and merchants and they used beautiful things. In this book of 'aunt Maria's' she says Madeline de la Cherois, cousin of the Countess, married Daniel Crommelin (her mother's nephew) and died leaving 3 sons. By her will she left all her estates to be divided equally between them. The eldest of Madeline's sons was Nicholas Crommelin who died an old bachelor and neither of his brothers leaving any male heirs. He left his portion to the youngest of Samuel de la Cherois' sons who then took the name 'Crommelin' in gratitude.

In the Lisburn Cathedral grounds are the following tombstones:
"Here lieth interred the remains of Ann, wife of Samuel Louis Crommelin, who died the 3rd August 1718 aged 31 years, also Henrietta, second wife of Samuel Louis Crommelin who died 19th May 1732, aged 37 years (she was Henrietta Mangin - both of his wives were his cousins), Esther, wife of James Crommelin, died 2nd Sept. 1748, aged 41 years, and said Samuel Louis Crommelin who died 2nd Sept. 1743 aged 57 years."
[Note the discrepancies in the dates between those given by Minard Crommelin and the above plaques! It would be best to refer to Scheffer's book for the accepted 'official' dates...]

On another tombstone:
"Six foot opposite lyes the bodye of Louis Crommelin born at St. Quentin in France, only son of Louis Crommelin and Anne Crommelin, Director of the Linen Manufactory, who died beloved of all aged 18 years, 1 July 1711."

Louis Crommelin, the director of the French colonists, whose last days were spent in giving higher status to Ireland's linen manufacture, died in July 1727 aged 75 years. This Louis Crommelin whom I call 'Louis Linen' was married to his first cousin, Ann Crommelin, a daughter of Samuel C. and Madeline Testart. She was born at St. Quentin 22 Feb. 1659 and died Aug. 15 1755, aged 95 years and also buried at Lisburn. (Evelyn de la Cherois says she was aged 97 years.) His three brothers were:
Alexander who married Miss de Lavalade and had a son, Charles, who was supposed to have died unmarried.
William Crommelin, the youngest brother, married Miss Battu (2 children, Louis and Marianne, both unmarried).
Samuel C., the second brother married Miss Bellecastle and had 4 sons - Samuel, Daniel, James, John.
Samuel (the eldest) married Harriet (?) Mangin (whose picture is a dark bright-eyed handsome woman now in the possession of the Donaghadee de la Cherois). She was his cousin, the daughter of Madeline and Paul Mangin.
Daniel - Married Madeline de la Cherois by whom he had 3 sons:
Nicholas Crommelin - Died unmarried; inherited the Mt. Alexander estates
Daniel Crommelin - also died unmarried
Delacherois Crommelin (Christian name!) - left only one daughter

James - married Miss Gillotte (died without issue).
John - married Miss Blaquiere; 1 son, Isaac, who returned to Holland, married and settled there.

Now to return to the gravestones in Lisburn Cathedral. We have:
Ann - Wife of Samuel Louis Crommelin, d. 3rd Aug. 1718, age 31 years.
Henrietta - second wife of Samuel Louis Crommelin d. 19 March 1732, age 37 years.
Esther - wife of James Crommelin d. 2 Sept. 1743, age 41 years.
Samuel Louis Crommelin also d. 2 Sept. 1743, age 57 years.

I wonder what happened that they both died on the same day! Perhaps Capt. Mangin could enlighten us. These were all people due to inherit from the great estates.
Maria in her notes avoids any mention of Charles Crommelin but Evelyn de la Cherois Crommelin gives the Charles I am listing separately. It seems strange - very strange - that although the de la Cherois speak about the Crommelin property being inherited in 1789 (because there were no male heirs in the Crommelin line) they did not change their name to 'de la Cherois Crommelin' until 1804 although this was supposed to have been done to show their gratitude!
[Continued on letter dated August 22, 1952...]