I have no idea who Bonnet married, but imagine she was Afrikaans and the son was named after his maternal grandfather. Family stories can drive one up the wall. My own great-greatgrandfather Wagner was said to have been a prisoner of war (during Napoleontic Wars) of the British and had to fight for them on the E Cape border. I have discovered that he was far more likely to have been a mercenary in the British Army, having joined them after Napoleon's defeat. He walked, with a friend George Hippert, from the far E Cape to Humansdorp in 1819 and they both settled on the farm Rondebosch 4 miles north of Humansdorp. I wonder what Deschamps *et al* did in India - not exactly a place for the French in those days. Bonnet then arived long before the other Frenchmen? I suppose that being French who did not like the English, they rather married Afrikaans girls than English ones. Adriana On 22 May 2013 09:55, Janet Melville <jmelville@xsinet.co.za> wrote: > So basically what we have is > > 1. Deschamps *France 1837 married in Humansdorp 6.7.1865 > > 2. D’Assonville *Paris 26.7.1834 married in Humansdorp 12.12.1864 > > 3. Bonnet arrived 1810 - married in 5.7.1818 in UITENHAGE his son > Petrus Gysbertus Bonnet born 17.3.1826 +Ladybrand 14.9.1911 is the one > whose descandants Iam looking on any info for > > 4. Cheze *1830 (father in Napoleons army) he married in Humansdorp > 26.12.1857 > > 5. Tiran > > 6. Leygonie *Granye, France 24.6.1828 arrived in SA 1851 married in > Humansdorp 8.6.1855 > > > > How come a French name such as Bonnet got names like Petrus Gysbertus? > > The Deschamp story is that they were coming back from India and > Deschamps, Leygonie, Tiran and Cheze left the ship in Port Elizabeth - > deserted! > > There are a lot of loose threads in this story. > > Funny that they all landed up in Humansdorp as shopkeepers, farmers and > married Afrikaans girls there. > > > > Janet > > > > > > > > > > From: Adriana Barrett [mailto:adriana.m.barrett@gmail.com] > Sent: 22 May 2013 09:22 AM > To: jmelville@xsinet.co.za > Subject: French in Humansdorp > > > > Hi Janet, > > I've also often wondered how these Frenchmen came to be in Humansdorp. > Definitely not part of Napoleon's army, as the old stories had it, as they > had not even been born at that time - Deschams, D'Assonville and Leygonie > were more or less the same age. As far as I know there were also Tiran & > Cheze. Deschamps died on the farm, The Burns, where the Leygonies lived > when I was a child. Francois Deschamps, son of Cyril, was in primary school > with me and his daughter has married into the Van Onselen family > (descendant of my mother's sister, Adriana du Preez x Van Onselen). The > D'Assonvilles also married into "my" Du Preez family and as a child I knew > a Henri D'Assonville who farmed not far from us on Honeyville. > > Best wishes, > > Adriana Barrett (* Wagner) > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > BUITENPOSTEN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message