le Marchant family dynasty
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
The family of Le Marchant has been long seated in this Island. The common ancestor of the different branches now living was Peter le Marchant, who held the high office of Lieutenant-Governor and Bailiff of the Royal Court in the time of Edward III. and dying in 1335, left two sons, John and Denis le Marchant.
John, the eldest son, was likewise Bailiff of the Island in 1359, but died without issue in 1382. Denis le Marchant, the second son, was Lieutenant-Bailiff to his brother, and died in 1392, having married Janette de Chesney, by whom he left issue two sons, Peter le Marchant and Janequin, and one daughter, Michelle (who married Janequin de Plessis). Janequin died an infant, but…
Peter le Marchant, the eldest son, was a Jurat of the Royal Court, and married Janette Lempriere, sister of the Seigneur de Rozel, in Jersey, by whom he had issue three sons, Denis, John, and Drouet.
Denis, the eldest son, who was living in 1438, was Lieutenant-Bailiff of the Royal Court, and Seneschal of the fief St. Michael of the Vale, and of the fief Le Comte, but died without issue.
John, the second son, was a Jurat, and living in 1450. He married Collette, daughter of Thomas de la Cour, Bailiff, and had issue two sons, Janequin and Peter (who was a Jurat, and living in 1493, but died without issue),
Drouet, the third son, styled the Honourable Drouet le Marchant, was Captain of the Castle of Beauregard, under the great Earl of Warwick, Lord of the Isles. He was living in 1460, and whose issue we shall notice hereafter.
Janequin le Marchant, the eldest son of John, by Collette de la Cour, was a Jurat, and living in 1493. He married Catherine, daughter of Peter Martin, Jurat, by whom he had issue an only son, John.
John le Marchant, the only child of Janequin, was also a Jurat; and at the Chief Pleas holden the 7th of January, 1546, he and his second cousin Nicholas, the eldest son of William, and their heirs, were decreed to be styled Honourable Gentlemen at all Chief Pleas. He married Collette, daughter of William de Beauvoir, Jurat, by whom he had two sons, Thomas and Peter, and one daughter, Catherine, married to John de la Marche, Jurat.
Thomas, the eldest son of John, married Collette, daughter of Hellier Gosselin, Bailiff, by whom he had issue two sons, Thomas, who married and had issue, and Peter, who died S. P. ; and three daughters, Elizabeth, Sarah, and Collette.
Peter, the second son of John, married Elizabeth Perrin, by whom he had issue four sons, John, the eldest (who married 9th of February, 1688, Rachel Etur, by whom he had three daughters, viz. Elizabeth, wife of John Mauger ; Collette, wife of Peter Fiott ; and Esther, wife of Simon Effort), and Peter-Thomas, and Thomas, who died without issue ; and one daughter, Elizabeth, wife of Matthew Foudan, Seignior de Handois.
Thomas le Marchant, eldest son of Thomas, and Collette Gosselin, married first Mary Guille, by whom he had four children ; and by his second wife, Michelle de Jersey, had two children. His issue were two sons, Eleazar and Thomas; and four daughters, Judith, wife of James Housse ; Margaret, wife of James du Plessis; Mary, wife of Nicholas Nicolle ; and Susannah, wife of Daniel Girrard.
Eleazar le Marchant, eldest son of Thomas, by Mary Guille, married, 18th January, 1631, to his first wife, Jane Nicolle, by whom he had two sons, Eleazar, who died without issue, and Thomas, who married Anne Nouel, and by her had an only son, Thomas le Marchant. Eleazar’s second wife was Mary Girrard, and by her he had an only daughter, Mary, wife of Nicholas de Quetteville.
Thomas, the second son of Thomas, and grandson of Thomas, and Collette Gosselin, was a minister, and married Olimpe Roland, by whom he had issue three sons, Thomas, who died without issue; Eleazar, a Jurat, and afterwards Bailiff, who married Mary, daughter of John de Saumarez, Jurat, but died without issue ; and Joshua ; and one daughter, Olimpe, first married to Peter Priaulx, Seignior du Comte, and afterwards to four other husbands.
Joshua le Marchant, the third son of Thomas, by Olimpe Roland, married, 2d June, 1681, Martha le Pelley, who was buried 30th March, 1696. He bad issue four sons, Thomas, baptized 8th November, 1683, who died unmarried, and was buried 18th November, 1703 ; Joshua, Eleazar, and John, which last died an infant ; and one daughter, Martha, baptized 29th March, 1682, wife of George Andros, Governor of Alderney, Deputy Prevost du Roy, afterwards Jurat, who died in London, 20th October, 1714, and was there buried. She died 29th January, 1714, and was buried in Guernsey, leaving issue two daughters, one of whom (Martha) was Governess of the Island of Alderney, but both died without issue. –
Joshua, the second son, was Bailiff, and married first Rachel, daughter of Thomas de Lisle, Jurat, by whom he had issue one son, Joshua, of whom hereafter; and two daughters, Catherine and Rachel, who both died young. He afterwards married to his second wife, Mary Martin, and to his third, Rachel de la Noe ; and died 13th November, 1751.
Eleazar, the third son, was elected Bailiff in 1752, and married Catherine le Marchant, daughter of William, by whom he had issue five sons and three daughters. He died 3d December, 1757. William, the eldest son; Joshua, the second (Seignior of the fief Du Comte and its dependencies, King’s Comptroller, and afterwards Jurat, who married Mary, daughter of John de Sausmarez, and died without issue) ; Thomas, James, and Eleazar, who all three died young. Elizabeth, wife of Joshua, son of Joshua le Marchant, Bailiff; secondly, of William le Marchant, son of James, Bailiff; Catherine and Cartharette, who died young.
Joshua le Marchant, the only son of Joshua, by Rachel de Lisle, married Rachel, daughter of Peter Careye, Jurat, and by her had issue two sons and two daughters. He married, secondly, Elizabeth, daughter of Eleazar le Marchant, Bailiff, by whom he had five sons and one daughter. His issue were, Joshua, who married (and whose issue will be mentioned shortly), and Peter, Eleazar, William, Thomas, and John, who all died unmarried; and Elizabeth, wife first of William le Messurier, son of Henry; secondly, of Charles, son of Thomas le Marchant.
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William le Marchant, the eldest son of Eleazar and Catherine le Marchant, was born 16th June, 1715 ; was Seneschal of the Court of St. Michael. He married, 10th November, 1737, Martha, daughter of John de Havilland, and by her had issue three sons and five daughters, viz. William, who died unmarried; Eleazar le Marchant, Esq. Seignior du Comte, sworn a Jurat of the Royal Court, I8th July, 1778, now Lieutenant-Bailiff, who married Judith, daughter of John de la Mare, Jurat, by whom he had no issue ; George-Frederick, who died unmarried in 1789 ; Martha, who died unmarried ;
Catherine, wife of Osmond de Beauvoir ; and Mary, Rachel, and Elizabeth, all three now living unmarried ; besides William, Eleazar, William, Joshua, and Rachel, who all died infants.
Joshua le Marchant, M. A. eldest son of Joshua by Rachel Careye, was Rector of St. Peter’s Port, and married Rachel Careye, daughter of Nicholas Dobree, and had issue one son, Joshua, and three daughters, Rachel and Martha, who died young, and Elizabeth, wife of Thomas, son of James Andros. Joshua le Marchant, Clerk, M.A. late Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford, now of Sidmouth, in the county of Devon, the only son, was born 16th November, 1763, and married, 26th March, 1792, Sarah-Susannah, youngest daughter of the Reverend John Glubb, Rector of Bicton, in the said county, by whom he has issue one son and two daughters.
[Having traced the elder branch of this family, we shall now proceed with the second line of descent, beginning with Drouet, the third son of the first Peter le Marchant, by Janette Lempriere, who lived in 1493, and had issue one son, William, and one daughter, Janette, wife of Thomas Effart, Jurat.]
William le Marchant, the only son of Drouet, was Lieutenant-Bailiff. He married Laurence, daughter of John Perrin, Jurat, and had issue one son, Nicholas, and two daughters, Michelle and Laurence, wife of Michael le Petit.
Nicholas le Marchant, the only son of William, married Philipine, daughter of Hellier de la Roque, of the Trinity, in Jersey, by whom he had issue three sons, Thomas, who married and had issue, and Nicholas and William, who both died without issue.
Thomas le Marchant, eldest son of Nicholas, was a Jurat, and married Thomasse de la Marche, by whom he had issue three sons, William, the eldest ; Thomas, second son ; and Eleazar, third son, who all died without issue ; and one daughter, Rachel, wife of Giles Germain.
William le Marchant, eldest son of Thomas, was Lieutenant-Bailiff, and married, 14th September, 1578, Margaret, daughter of William du Port, Jurat, and by her had issue seven children, five sons and two daughters, namely, Thomas, Josias, Paul, M. A. Denis, and John ; the three last died without issue ; and Mary, wife first of John Priaulx, and afterwards of Nicholas Martin, Lieutenant-Bailiff; and Jaquine, who died without issue.
Thomas le Marchant, eldest son of William, was a Jurat, and married Anne, daughter of James de Beauvoir, also a Jurat, by whom he had four children, viz. two sons, James and Thomas (who married, 27th March, 1632, Margaret Martin, but died without issue) ; and two daughters, Judith, wife of Thomas Careye, Seignior de Blanchelande, and Anne, who died unmarried.
Josias le Marchant, second son of William, was a Jurat, and married Mary, daughter of Thomas Effart, Jurat, by whom he had issue one son, William, and two daughters, Mary, wife of James de Havilland, Jurat; and Collette, wife first of the Reverend John Bouillon, and secondly of Charles Andros, Lieutenant-Bailiff.
James le Marchant, eldest son of Thomas, by Anne de Beauvoir, was a Jurat, and was baptized 17th October, 1613. He married Rachel leMoyne de Vitray, by whom he had issue two sons, William and Thomas, and two daughters, Rachel, wife of Thomas de Lisle, a Jurat j and Charlotte, wife of Michael de Sausmarez.
William le Marchant, eldest son of Josias, by Mary Effart, was a Jurat, and married first Anne, daughter of John Fautrat, Lieutenant-Bailiff, and by her had issue only one son, William. He married secondly Jane Priaulx, by whom he had issue two sons, Josias, who died without issue, and John ; and four daughters, viz. Mary, wife of John Bouillon ; Rachel, wife first of William Beauvoir, and secondly of Thomas Andros, son of Charles ; Jane, wife of Peter Careye ; and Anne, wife of Captain Grills.
William le Marchant, eldest son of James, by Rachel le Moyne, was a Jurat, and married Elizabeth, daughter of Caesar Nepton, an English gentleman, and by her had issue three sons, William, James, and Thomas ; and one daughter, Cartharette, wife of Eleazar le Marchant, Prevost du Roy. Thomas le Marchant, the second son of James, by Rachel le Moyne, married Martha, daughter of Thomas de Lisle, Jurat, and had issue one son, Thomas ; and two daughters, Martha, wife of James le Marchant, son of William ; and Elizabeth, wife of Nicholas Dobree.
William le Marchant, eldest son of William, by his first wife, Anne Fautrat, married first Elizabeth Dobree, by whom he had only one daughter, Mary, wife of George Andros, Deputy Prevost du Roy. He married secondly Elizabeth, daughter of Elizee de Sausmarez, Jurat, and by her had issue two sons and two daughters, viz. William and Elizee, and Catherine, wife of Eleazar le Marchant, son of Joshua le Marchant, Bailiff ; and Jane, wife of John de Sausmarez.
John le Marchant, second son of the said William, by his second wife, Jane Priaulx, married Rebecca, daughter of John Priaulx, by whom he had issue two sons, John, of whom hereafter; and William, who married Mary Corbin, and died without issue ; and two daughters, Anne, wife of Elie Mauger; and Jane, who died unmarried.
William le Marchant, eldest son of William, by Elizabeth Nepton, married first Anne-Mary Cooper, by whom he had one daughter, Henriette ; he married secondly Anne-Marie Bagnall.
James, the second son, married Martha, daughter of Thomas le Marchant, and had issue four sons, William, of whose issue hereafter; Thomas, who married Mary, daughter of Peter Dobree, and had issue an only daughter, Martha, now the wife of Admiral Sir James Sausmarez, Bart. K.B. K.S. &c. ; James, who died unmarried ; and Peter; and seven daughters, viz. Martha, wife of John de Sausmarez, son of Matthew, Procureur du Roy ; Catherine, wife of Matthew de Sausmarez, son of Matthew ; Mary, wife of Nicholas, son of Daniel Lefebvre, Seignior du fief Blanchelande ; Elizabeth, wife of George Lefebvre, another son of the said Seignior; Catherine, wife of Isaac Piguenet; Charlotte, wife of Melby Brabeson, a Major in the King’s service ; and Rachel, who died unmarried.
Thomas, the third son of William, by Elizabeth Nepton, married Elizabeth, daughter of William le Marchant, Lieutenant-Bailiff, by whom he had issue one son, and three daughters; Thomas, who died unmarried Mary, wife of William Bell; Elizabeth and Rachel, who both died young. He married secondly Mary-Martha Mauger, and by her had issue three sons, Charles (who married Elizabeth, daughter of Josué le Marchant, and has issue one son, Alfred ; and three daughters, Elizabeth, Martha, wife of Samuel-Hill Lawrence, Lieutenant and Adjutant of the 52d Regiment, and Henrietta), William and James (who died young), and Martha, wife of Joshua Gosselin, Greffier du Roy.
William le Marchant, eldest son of James and Martha le Marchant, was Bailiff, and married first Margaret, daughter of Thomas le Marchant, Lieutenant-Bailiff, and by her had issue two sons and one daughter, Martha. He married secondly Elizabeth, daughter of Eleazar le Marchant, Bailiff, and by her had issue two sons. Hirzel le Marchant, the eldest son, was Procureur du Roy, and married first Mary le Marchant ; secondly Elizabeth, daughter of John Waugh, a Captain in the Invalids. Robert-Porret le Marchant, second son, was Bailiff, but resigned, and is now Receiver-General. He married Mary, daughter of John Ozanne, Jurat, and had issue one son, William, who died ; and three daughters, Mary, wife of John le Marchant, Harriet-Hirzel, and Julia.
Thomas le Marchant, the only son of Thomas, by Martha de Lisle, was Lieutenant-Bailiff, and married Catherine Mauger, by whom he had issue two sons, Thomas, who married Esther Fiott, daughter of John Fiott ; and John, a Lieutenant of Dragoons, who married and had issue, as after mentioned ; and four daughters, Catherine, wife of Peter Etienne (who has assumed the surname of Stephens) ; Margaret, wife of William le Marchant ; Martha, wife of Daniel de Lisle ; and Mary, wife of Darrel Careye.
William le Marchant, eldest son of William, by his second wife, Elizabeth de Sausmarez, was Receiver, Procureur, and at length Lieutenant-Bailiff. He married first Elizabeth, daughter of John Careye, and had issue one son, James le Marchant, M. A. and Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford, who died unmarried ; and one daughter, Elizabeth, wife of Thomas le Marchant, son of William. He married to his second wife, Elizabeth Perchard, but she died without issue.
Elizee le Marchant, the second son of William, by his second wife, Elizabeth de Sausmarez, was Prevost du Roy, and married Cartharelte, daughter of William le Marchant, Jurat, by whom he had issue four sons and two daughters, viz. William and Thomas, who both died unmarried ; Josias, of whose issue hereafter ; and Eli zee, who died young ; Mary, wife of the Reverend Thomas Fiott ; and Caroline, wife of Charles Andros, Lieutenant-Bailiff.
John le Marchant, eldest son of John, by Rebecca Priaulx, was born 20th February, 1701, and married Anne-Devic de Havilland, by whom he had three sons and four daughters ; John, whose issue will be mentioned hereafter; James, who died an infant ; and James le Marchant, born 12th June, 1786, who married first Jane Eschaugies, and secondly Jane-Thomas, by the former of whom he had issue an only daughter, Jane-Mary, wife of James le Marchant, son of John. The four daughters were, Catherine, wife of John le Roy; Anne; Rebecca, wife of Thomas Priaulx; and Mary, wife of Peter
Lihou.
John le Marchant, Lieutenant of Dragoons, the son of Thomas, by Catherine Mauger, married Mary Catherine Hirzel, and by her had issue two sons, John-Gaspard le Marchant, eldest son, a MajorGeneral in the army, who nobly fell at the battle of Salamanca, in Spain, on the 22d July, 1812, whilst heroically leading on his men at the head of his brigade. He married Mary, daughter of the late John Carey, Jurat, who dying 21st August, 1811, left issue by him four sons, Carey, Denis, John, and Thomas, and five daughters, Catherine, Mary, Caroline, Ellen, and Anna-Maria. Carey, the eldest son, was a Captain in the army, and Aid-de-Camp first to his father, and afterwards to General Stewart. He was wounded in the instep, of which wound he died, at St. Jean de Luz, on the 12th of March, 1814.
James le Marchant, the second son, married Susannah Falla, and has issue three sons and three daughters, now living, viz. John, Thomas, Stephen, Louisa-Catherine, Susanna, and Cassandra-Morack. Josias le Marchant, son of Elizée and Cartharette his wife, married Mary Bonamy, and by her had issue two sons, Josias the eldest, who married Judith, daughter of John Ozanne, son of John Ozanne, Jurat, and has issue three daughters, Harriet, Caroline, and Sophia ; Peter, second son, living unmarried ; and four daughters, Mary, wife of Hirzel le Marchant, Procureur du Roy, Cartharette, Elizabeth, and Anne.
John le Marchant, eldest son of John, by Anne-Deyic de Havilland, was born 31st August, 1727. He married Mary Brock, and by her had issue four sons and six daughters ; viz. William le Marchant, eldest son, born 19th April, 1758, married Elizabeth, daughter of Elizee Tupper, Jurat, and had issue, John-Tupper, William -Devic-Tupper, and William-Devlc Tupper, and Elizabeth-Mauger, who all died infants, and Henrietta-Tupper, now sole surviving child. James, second son, born 23d June, 1760, married Jane-Mary, daughter of James le Marchant, and has issue. John, third son, born 29th March, 1762, died unmarried ; Henry, fourth son, born 29lh January, 1767, died an infant. Anne, wife of Captain Robert Bourne of the Invalids; Elizabeth, wife of Hellier Gosselin; Rebecca, wife of Hellier, son of Peter Dobree; Mary, wife of Carteret, son of Thomas Priaulx. Sophia, the eldest, and Catherine, the youngest, now living unmarried.
Resource: The history of Guernsey, from the remotest period of antiquity to the year 1814
Channel Islands 