Page:Protestant Exiles from France Agnew vol 2.djvu/156

 

The noble family of, which traces its pedigree back to the eleventh century, held the estate of Champagné, in the Province of Saintonge. Their title of nobility was Seigneur de Champagné. The refugees of this family were Josias de Robillard, Chevalier de Champagné, and his household; and (as was usual) they adopted their territorial designation as a surname. The Chevalier’s “chére et illustre” wife was Marie de La Rochefoucauld, daughter of Casimir, Seigneur Des Touches, who was the second son of Charles de la Rochefoucauld, Seigneur de la Rénaudie.

The daughters of the family (four in number) and three sons took refuge in England in 1687, under the charge of Madame de Champagné. Her narrative in manuscript is in the possession of Sir Erasmus Borrowes, her lineal descendant, and the following is a translation of her account of the emigration of her family in two detachments:—

“On the 10th of April 1687, my four daughters and my two youngest boys, with my cousin Mademoiselle de Maseriée, left La Rochelle. It was night. The head of a wine cask was knocked out; the wine was emptied into the sea, and they were put inside the cask. The vessel in which they sailed was only eighteen tons burthen. They paid twelve hundred francs for the passage.” [The other detachment consisted of Madame herself, her eldest son, and a maidservant; they escaped on the 3d of July; they had to walk several leagues to a secluded beach, and a boat rowed them three leagues to the friendly vessel. The lady proceeds:—] “We were put down into the hold upon a quantity of salt, and for eight days we remained there well concealed, the ship being at anchor. The vessel was searched without our being discovered. We set sail, and arrived at Falmouth eight days after, not without trepidation and much risk.”

In the same year the Chevalier de Champagné took refuge in Holland. The prospect of receiving orders from so bigoted a Papist as King James II. gave his sons a distaste for the British army, in which they might then have been enrolled. The family accordingly removed to Holland, and joined the Chevalier there. The projected descent of the Prince of Orange made another change in their plans, as the Chevalier volunteered to take part in the expedition. We again borrow his noble wife’s words:—

“My dear husband was appointed a captain, and incorporated with the troops of Monsieur de Scravemoer, a Dutch gentleman in high favour with the Prince. After being some time in England, and being present at the coronation of the King, the Duke of Schomberg went to Ireland, and with him my good husband. . . . The officers had to supply themselves with scarlet cloaks, and black velvet doublets trimmed with silver lace. He bought for himself three horses and hired two men-servants, and provided everything that was necessary for this service. Some days before the departure of the troops, he was deputed by his corps to proceed to the Court to ask for means to enable a number of officers to join the army. He obtained a giant of money, which won for him the esteem and gratitude of these poor refugees, but I fear this honour cost him a great deal of fatigue. He had to travel post in order to join the regiment, and then to embark at Chester. He fell ill at Belfast. The chaplain who attended him declares that he was never present at so touching a deathbed, nor heard more edifying things than my dear dying husband said to him. The death of my beloved husband was announced to me on the 28th of October [1689]. I never could have expected, my dear children, to have survived after such a blow, but God has supported me in a surprising manner; apparently it is that I may take care of you.”

Madame de Champagné died at Portarlington, February 14, 1730. One of her daughters, Susanne de Robillard, married the Baron Tonnay Boutonne, who left France with the Chevalier de Champagné. Their son was General the Baron de La Motte Fouqué, whom Frederick the Great admitted to his friendship, grandfather of the great German romancist and poet, who inherited and adorned the title of La Motte Fouqué.

The Chevalier’s elder surviving son was Francis Casimir de Champagné, who was born 23d December 1671.

Josias de Champagné, youngest son of the Chevalier, was born at “la maison noble de Champagné,” 13th March 1673, and in 1689 was enrolled as an ensign in La Meloniere’s regiment of French refugee infantry. He was present at the battle