Docteur Francis LeBaron
| Accueil |
| Introduction |
| Objectif |
| Qui était-il ? |
| Recherches en cours: |
| 1694 |
| L'Aigle |
| Bordeaux |
| Canada |
| La Rochelle |
| Pecton |
| Signature |
| Résumé de mes recherches |
| Généalogie LeBaron |
| Annexe |
| Liens |
Gérard ANGLADE
1 chemin des Copeaux
91100 Villabé
FRANCE
Qui était-il ?
Francis LeBaron est toujours resté très mystérieux sur son passé en France (de 1668 à 1694), toutefois, j'ai pu recueillir certains indices, aux USA, me permettant d'établir le "portrait robot" suivant:
Francis LeBaron, à l'age de 26 ans, se trouvait à bord d'un navire de guerre français, l'Aigle, lorsqu'il tomba entre les mains de l'ennemi en Nouvelle Angleterre à Falmouth (Massachusetts, USA), durant l'automne 1694, sous le règne de Louis XIV. Il serait donc né, en France, vers 1668.
Source: Descendants of Francis LeBaron of Plymouth Massachusetts, Mary LeBaron Stockwell, 1904
" A French privateer had just been wrecked in Buzzard's bay, and her accomplished surgeon, only twenty-six years old, was Francis LeBaron...."
"The name LeBaron was first known in this country in the year 1694. In the autumn of that year a French privateer, cruising on the American coast, was wrecked in Buzzard's, near Falmouth."Francis LeBaron devait être d'origine bourgeoise car il aurait participé au financement de l'Aigle (pour la construction vers 1691-1692 ou pour l'armement vers 1693-1694) et il aurait étudié la médecine et la chirurgie.
Source: The First of the LeBarons, John Abbott Goodwin, 1876
"... he bought a share in the privateer L’Aigle. Then, assuming the name of LeBaron, as surgeon of his ship, he started out to fight the battles of Louis XIV against William and Mary."
"It was only known that he considered himself the victim of an official conspiracy, defrauding him hopelessly of his hereditary rights."Francis LeBaron et ses compagnons d'infortune (une partie de l'équipage de l'Aigle) furent fait prisonniers de guerre par le Major Bourne qui décida de les conduire de Falmouth à Boston où ils devaient être enfermés dans les prisons du Roi d'Angleterre.
Source: The First of the LeBarons, John Abbott Goodwin, 1876
"After some hours of threatening, Major Bourne, a magistrate, arrived and took command. By his order the Frenchmen were received as prisoners of war, and were finally started on the route for Boston."Francis LeBaron, lorsqu'il fut pris par les anglais, aurait porté une épée du type "rapière". Était-il officier? Noble?
Source: Descendants of Francis LeBaron of Plymouth Massachusetts, Mary LeBaron Stockwell, 1904
"In a letter written in 1870, by Sirrell C. LeBaron, of Tecumseh, Mich., a great-grandson of James, son of Francis, occurs the following inquiry:
Did you see in the inventory any mention of a dress sword, as having belonged to him ? for I well remember when four or five years old having played with a three-edge sword with rich guard, which my father said was brought over to this country by my forefather. It was of peculiar temper, for we used to double it up point to hilt. &c. But my father, for some reason, let a militia general, named Daggett, have it in 1810 or 1811, who was living in Calais, Vt., where my father then resided."Francis LeBaron devait avoir de grandes capacités de courage, détermination, voire de leader car dès le premier jour de captivité il faussa compagnie aux Anglais qui le prirent pour un espion.
Source: The First of the LeBarons, John Abbott Goodwin, 1876
"When they came to march, it was found that the surgeon of the ship was not among the prisoners. He had landed with the crew, and had evidently escaped inland. Some of the people, first agreeing that the fugitive must be a spy..."Francis LeBaron devait avoir beaucoup de charme et un grand pouvoir de persuasion car il a séduit une anglaise lors de sa fuite, il l'épousera moins d'un an après avoir été fait prisonnier.
Source: The First of the LeBarons, John Abbott Goodwin, 1876
"Mary sent her captive into his place of refuge, and then, replacing the floor, she spread some bedding over the spot and lay down."Francis LeBaron devait avoir de grandes capacités pour communiquer, s'exprimer et apprendre une langue. En effet, il ne savait pas parler anglais mais il aurait utilisé le latin avec un pasteur anglais.
Source: Descendants of Francis LeBaron of Plymouth Massachusetts, Mary LeBaron Stockwell, 1904
"He could not speak English; the people about him could not speak French; but Dr. John Cotton, the minister of the town, talked with him in Latin, and became interested in him."
Francis LeBaron a fait preuve de grandes capacités en médecine et chirurgie, ce qui lui a permis d'être "libéré" puis adopté comme un des leurs par ses ennemis anglais.
Source: The First of the LeBarons, John Abbott Goodwin, 1876
"There was then no surgeon in Plymouth, and there was a very serious case of disease requiring treatment. LeBaron volunteered to perform the operation, and by his knowledge and skill so impressed the people, that the selectmen procured his discharge as a prisoner from Lieut.-Gov. Stoughton, and persuaded him to settle in Plymouth. Dr. LeBaron's first use of his freedom was to revisit Falmouth, and bring back Mary Wilder as his wife."
Francis LeBaron témoigne de sa croyance en Jésus-Christ lors de la rédaction de son testament, le 13 septembre 1703.
Source: Descendants of Francis LeBaron of Plymouth Massachusetts, Mary LeBaron Stockwell, 1904
"I Francis Lebaron of Plimouth in the County of Plimouth in New England Chirurgeon being at this present Sick and Weak of body but through mercy of Sound disposing mind and memory. Do hereby make and Declare this my Last Will and Testament as followeth That is to Say first and Principally I commit my Eternall Concernments to the Mercy of God in Jesus Christ and my body to Decent burial When it shall please God to take me hence...."
Francis LeBaron était son nom en Nouvelle Angleterre, mais il est fort probable que ce n'est pas le nom qu'il portait en France.
Pour conclure, je pense qu'il s'agit d'un français qui souhaitait refaire sa vie dans un autre monde. Pourquoi? De qui peut-il s'agir?