Louis Guillaume (William) LEVEILLARD (ID #I6788)
(male)
Father: Louis Guillaume LEVEILLARD (b. 17 APR 1733, d. 15 JUN 1794)
Mother: Geneviève Elisabeth BELAMY (d. aft 1786)
This is Louis-Guillaume Leveillard "fils", and presumably the William Le Veillard whose will was made in New York City in 1789, probated in 1795. A letter to William Temple Franklin from Leveillard the father, dated at Passy, 19 mar 1788, indicates that Leveillard's son wants to come to America. Louis-Guillaume the son then wrote directly to Franklin, 04 jul 1788, expressing the same desire. In fact, as late as 13 nov 1789, Benjamin Franklin himself, writing to Louis-Guillaume the father, expresses his good wishes for his friend's children (elsewhere specified as a son and a daughter, and thus Franklin believed the son was still in Paris). The son had, however, intended to spend some time in Philadelphia. A letter from Benjamin Franklin to his daughter Sarah Bache in Philadelphia, dated at Passy 14 may 1781, says "My Friend and Neighbour M. Veillard has sent his Son to live some time in Philadelphia; he is a very deserving young Man. Do you, my Daughter be a Mother to him, and his Mother and Sister will be Daughters to me. It is a most amiable Family." However, Franklin, still at Passy, soon received a letter from London, dated 20 jul 1781 (from William Hodgson), with the news that the young Leveillard was among the passengers on the ship Marquis de Fayette, which had been captured by the British on its voyage from France to America. The passengers were at Edinburgh and arrangements were being made to return them to France.
However, there are other documents that place Louis-Guillaume Leveillard fils in America. Perhaps the clearest is a passage in a letter to Thomas Jefferson from Jean-Antoine Gautier in Paris, 07 jun 1796, which begins as follows: "J'ai reçu avec un grand plaisier la lettre que vous m'avés [=avez] fait l'honneur de m'écrire le 73 de 7bre de l'année dernière et qui a été for retardée. Les personnes à qui vous me chargés [=chargez] de faire parvenir votre Souvenir, y sont infiniment Sensibles. Vous mettiés [=mettiez] dans leur nombre notre excellent ami Mr. Le Veillard, ignorant sans doute qu'il a été une des malheureuses victimes du système de terreur qui a couvert la France de deuil en 1794. Son fils qui étoit [=était] passé a New-York pour un établissement de Commerce, y a succombé l'automne dernier à une Maladie très courte. Madame et Mademlle Le Veillard se portent bien et supportent tous ces malheurs avec beaucoup de force d'ame." (The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, 29:122-123.
From these sources, we must suppose that he arrived in New York not long before he recorded his testament, and that he died shortly before his estate was admitted to probate in 1795. The will raises raises some questions about the other members of the partnerships that he mentions:
Surrogate's Office, New York County, New York
Wills, Liber 41 (copy) pp. 384-386, and Wills, Liber 41 (original) pp. 530-533.
The text below is from the original liber, the copy is almost exactly the same.
In the Name of God, Amen. I, William Le Veillard of the City of New York Merchant and one of the Parties constituting the late House of Goix Cart & Le Veillard and the present House of J. S. Delessert and Company of the same City Merchants being at present indisposed but of perfect sound mind memory and understanding (considering the uncertainty of this Life and all the Parties of the said House of J. S. Delessert & Company being dead or absent from this City and that weighty temporal concerns belonging to myself and others might in case of accident to me be subjected to great loss and Injury from not being properly conducted and managed) do this Eleventh day of August in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty nine make publish and declare this my last Will and Testament in manner following. First, I order and direct that all just demands against me on my own separate account on the accounts of my late Copartnership of Goix Cart & Le Veillard and on the account of my present Copartnership of J. S. Delessert and Company shall be settled and paid as soon after my decease as possible. Then as to the rest and residue of my real and personal Estate whatsoever and wheresoever or of what Kind or nature whatsoever whereof I shall die seized or possessed of or interested in or entitled to by any manner of ways or means at the time of my death I give devise and bequeath the same to my beloved Mother and to her Heirs forever. And for the settlements of all my accounts as well respecting myself as the said Copartnerships and for all other purposes which may be necessary I do hereby constitute and appoint John Lewis Steinbach at present of this City of New York but of Hamburgh Merchant and Lewis H. Guerlain of this City of New York Merchant Executors of this my last Will and Testament. In Witness whereof I the said William Le Veillard have to this my last Will and Testament set my hand and seal the day and year above written. Wm. Le Veillard (L. S.)
Signed sealed published and declared by William Le Veillard the said Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as Witnesses thereto. Ant. Brunau, P. Malibran, John Wilkes Not. Pub.
City and County of New York } S.S.
Be it Remembered that on the fourteenth day of August in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety five personally came and appeared before David Gelston Surrogate of said County Antoine Brunau and John Wilkes both of said City and being duly sworn on their oaths declared that they and each of them did see William Le Veillard sign and seal an Instrument in writing purporting to be the Will of the said William Le Veillard bearing date the Eleventh day of August in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty nine (the preceding whereof is a true copy) and heard him publish and declare the same as and for his last Will and Testament that at the time thereof he the said William Le Veillard was of sound disposing mind and memory to the best of the knowledge and belief of them de Deponents that their names subscribed as Witnesses to the said Will are of their own proper hands writing which they respectively subscribed as Witnesses thereto in the Testator's presence and that they saw Pierre Malibran the other Witness to the said Will subscribe his name as a Witness thereto in the presence of the Testator. David Gelston.
The People of the State of New York by the Grace of God Free and Independent. To all to whom these Presents shall come or may concern, Send Greeting. Know Ye that at the City and County of New York on the day of the date hereof before David Gelston Esquire Surrogate of our said County the last Will and Testament of William Le Veillard deceased (a copy whereof is hereunto annexed) was proved and is now approved and allowed by us and the said deceased having whilst he lived and at the time of his death Goods Chattels or Credits within this State by means whereof the proving and registering the said Will and the granting administration of all and singular the said Goods Chattels and Credits and also the auditing allowing and final discharging the amount thereof doth belong unto us, the administration of all and singular the Goods Chattels and Credits of the said deceased and any way concerning his Will is granted unto John Lewis Steinbach one of the Executors in the said Will named he being first duly sworn well and faithfully to administer the same and to make and exhibit a true and perfect Inventory of all and singular the said Goods Chattels and Credits and also to render a just and true account thereof when thereunto required. In testimony whereof we have caused the Seal of the Office of our said Surrogate to be hereunto affixed. Witness David Gelston Esquire Surrogate of the said County at the City of New York the Fourteenth day of August in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety five and of our Independence the Twentieth. David Gelston.
The People of the State of New York by the Grace of God Free and Independent, To all to whom these Presents shall come or may concern, Send Greeting. Know Ye that at the Office of the Surrogate of the City and County of New York on the fourteenth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety five the last Will and Testament of William Le Veillard deceased was duly proved and the Execution thereof then granted unto John Lewis Steinbach one of the Executors in the said Will named. And Whereas Lewis H. Guerlain the other Executor in the said Will named hath this day appeared before our said Surrogate to qualify as an Executor to the said Will, Now therefore Know Ye that the administration of all and singular the Goods Chattels and Credits of the said deceased is granted unto the said Lewis H. Guerlain in conjunction with the said John Lewis Steinbach, he the said Lewis H. Guerlain being first duly sworn, well and faithfully to administer the same. In Testimony whereof we have caused the Seal of Office of our said Surrogate to be hereunto affixed. Witness David Gelston Esquire Surrogate of the said County at the City of New York the fifteenth day of August in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety five and of our Independence the Twentieth. David Gelston.
The reference is likely to Nicholas Goix, who, in the name of Nicholas Goix and Company, granted power of attorney to William Laight to manage all affairs of that company, New York County, Conveyances, vol. 57, pp. 278-280, dated 30 jun 1798. The next item, a sale of property on 21 sep 1799 by William Laight acting for Nicholas Goix, property that Goix had purchased from the notary John Wilkes and his wife Mary in March, 1798, identifies Goix as "late of the city of New York, merchant", but does not indicate where he now resides.
_Louis LEVEILLARD ___
|
_Guillaume LEVEILLARD ______|
| |
| |_____________________
|
_Louis Guillaume LEVEILLARD _|
| (1733 - 1794) m 1754 |
| | _____________________
| | |
| |_Hélène LE GRAND ___________|
| |
| |_____________________
|
|
|--Louis Guillaume (William) LEVEILLARD
|
| _____________________
| |
| _Louis Hervé BELAMY ________|
| | (.... - 1753) |
| | |_____________________
| |
|_Geneviève Elisabeth BELAMY _|
(.... - 1786) m 1754 |
| _____________________
| |
|_Marguerite Geneviève BOIN _|
|
|_____________________
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Jean Antoine LOUIS (ID #I261)
(male)
- BIRTH: 03 OCT 1766, Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland
- BAPTISM: 14 OCT 1766, Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland
- DEATH: 19 FEB 1819, Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland
Father: Jean Antoine OBOUSSIER (bp. 02 MAR 1732, d. 02 AUG 1804)
Mother: Jeanne (Anna) Susanne DALLER (bp. 1737, d. 21 APR 1813)
One of the sponsors at his baptism was Jean Félix Daller, his uncle.
See the article in the digital edition of the Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse. Known as Jean Antoine Ouboussier, he participated in the famous "banquet des Jordils" (14 jul 1791, a celebration of the anniversary of the French Revolution that greatly displeased Their Excellencies of Bern), and he was one of those participants to fled to France for a time to escape arrest by the Bernese authorities. He participated in political activities leading up to the revolution in 1798. Later, he served as Indendant des Postes, Député au Grand Conseil, and city councillor in Lausanne.
_Antoine OBOUSSIER __+
| (1663 - 1734) m 1697
_Antoine OBOUSSIER _____|
| (1702 - 1766) m 1723 |
| |_Lucrèce CHESNE _____
| (1672 - ....) m 1697
_Jean Antoine OBOUSSIER _______|
| (.... - 1804) m 1756 |
| | _____________________
| | |
| |_Esther REGNIER ________|
| (1697 - 1737) m 1723 |
| |_____________________
|
|
|--Jean Antoine LOUIS
| (1766 - 1819)
| ______ DALLER _______
| |
| _Johann Felix DALLER ___|
| | (.... - 1781) m 1729 |
| | |_____________________
| |
|_Jeanne (Anna) Susanne DALLER _|
(.... - 1813) m 1756 |
| _____________________
| |
|_Anne Lavinie AMAUDRUZ _|
(1703 - ....) m 1729 |
|_____________________
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