Juan MONTECINOS (1789-1864)
Juan MONTASSINE born MONTECINOS is quinquisaïeul (great-great-great-great-grandfather on the paternal side) my wife Dominique.Brief history
Napoleon Ist resumed with the deepening of the Ship Canal that connects Abbeville to Saint-Valery-sur-Somme needed a cheap labor. His armies at war with Spain (1801-1814), he then send the 7th battalion of Spanish prisoners to accelerate the work in 1811.
Thus 400 prisoners were set to Bouillarderie (of bouillard, common name of black poplar).
The position of the Bouillarderie is located along the canal, halfway between the Boismont bridge and the down of Saigneville
Cassini Map (second half of the eighteenth century before digging the Canal)
This Bouillarderie became "pouillarderie" then "pouillasserie" designations that indicate hygiene and destitution of the unfortunate Spanish patients of all kinds of fevers. To survive, they robbed in all orchards.
It is in this context that the story of Juan Montecinos which is described in a report published in 1930 in Picardy below.
The Ship Canal will name some time Napoleon Canal to become the Canal de la Somme.
Today would remain the Bouillarderie two old houses, one in the town of Boismont, on the other Saigneville.
If you read French, good reading otherwise, here's a summary of this publication
Some prisoners ... settled in Saint-Valery had no intention of returning to their homeland.
How they adapted themselves to our national manners? It is true that French women, in particular, undertook to soften the unfortunate exiles stages more or less painful...
The first acclimatization which officially recognized the excellence of its relations was Antoine Floro, a native of Saragossa, who came declare November 29, 1813 in front of Philippe Brule, deputy mayor of Saint-Valery, the birth of Josephus Adelaide Floro, saying to be the father of the child, and have had with a marriageable girl, Marguerite-Anne Philippe, aged thirty years.
...
The first Spanish prisoner who followed this example, Juan Montecinos was born in 1789 Alvanti, Murcia, the 6th Battalion, the son of Juan Montecinos and Maria Martino.
He married July 12, 1813 Marie-Anne Cava, aged twenty-eight, daughter of the late Francis Cava, died at St. Valery in 1784, and Marie Jeanne Delabye.
The groom was assisted by four prisoners, two native Alvanti like him. He said that given the state of war between France and Spain, he found it impossible to require the consent or the advice of his father and mother.
Such a statement would be repeated later by those of his companions even compelled to formalities.
Many children of this union were reported to the civil status under the surname of Frenchified Montassine, among others Elizabeth, born December 20, 1815, Julie, born May 4, 1818, Jean-Pierre Onesiphorus (nota : ancestor of Dominique) born September 5, 1824, Jean-François, born October 5, 1828. This family is still well represented in Saint-Valery.
Salvator Comas, born in Catalonia did the same with Marie-Austreberthe Torel December 1, 1813.
...
These families were very modest and a cholera epidemic spread in this community in 1832.
Salvator, his wife Mary and their daughter Mary "Come" aged 18 had the chance to be brought immediately to the Hotel-Dieu (the Hospice) where prescriptions well observed, allowed them to heal.
Salvator, blinded, renounced to be a carpenter to enter July 15, 1844 in the charitable institution where his wife and daughter had been treated with dedication by the Augustines binders, and end his days.
He was later to his former neighbor bed fellow prisoner Juan Montecinos said Montassine hospitalized April 25, 1852, died January 19, 1864.
