MAILLIARDS --> MYERS by Thurston Ackerman Mon Jan 28 1991 ------------------------------- We all have at least one intrigueing family legend and this widow's son has one I would appreciate some help with please. My mother told us her grandfather, James MYERS was born as Julius James MAILLIARD. The reason given for changing their family surname from a nominally French "MAILLIARD" to a nominally Germanic "MYERS" was because his father, Claude Pierre MAILLIARD, and his uncles, Louis MAILLIARD and Agustus MAILLIARD, had been in the personal entourage of Joseph Bonaparte, the King of Spain until 1813, when the British deposed King Joseph on their way to dethrone his brother Napolean Bonaparte from the French throne. After a six months refuge in England the MAILLIARD brothers accompanied Joseph,(under the nom'de plume of M. Bouchard),to New York City and shortly changed his name to Comte de Survilliers and moved to Philadelphia,PA and then soon to Bordentown, New Jersey; where the Comte de Survilliers had a palatial mansion, "Point Breeze" built. Further research has disclosed that Louis MAILLIARD was the acknowleged illegimate son of Joseph BONAPARTE and had become his closest confidant and maitre d' personal wishes since the then 14 year old Louis joined his father when his father was crowned King of Spain in 1808 by his brother, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte of France. Louis faithfully executed his father's every wish thoughout Joseph's life, until Joseph's death in Florence, Italy in 1844 and there after as an executor of his will when he completed his last wishs; Louis accompanied ex-King Joseph's mortal remains back to France to be finally buried along side his brother Napoleon remains in the Invalides de Paris, June 1862, when the Bonapartes were once again welcomed in France. Louis MAILLIARD then retired to his native home in Mortefontine, France (which interestingly was where Joseph's wife, Queen Julie (Clary), lived thoughout Joseph's terms as King of Naples and the Two Sicilies (31 March 1806), King of Spain (1808) and his escapades in America, to raise their two daughters as ladies, etc.. But back to a bit more of the puzzle in America: In 1828 the Comte de Survilliers purchased 26,840 acres of rough forested as his hunting lodge and preserve in Jefferson County, NY for the sum of $40,260.00, from Mr. James Le Ray (the American nom'de plume for Comte James Donatien Le Ray de Chaumont, who had inherited approx. 350,000 acres of land in the northern New York state area from his father, who had been granted the land in lieu of repayment for financial assistance he had advanced to the Colonial American government during the American Revoluntionary War). An interesting turn in historical events - James Le Ray is the same American of French heritage who arranged to engage another American of Frence ancestry, James Carret, as Joseph's Secretary back in Europe and eventually assisted in chartering the Yankee brig, "Commerce" which surreptitiously carried Joseph BONAPARTE (as M.Bouchard), James Carret and our three MAILLIARD brothers to New York 27 Aug 1815). We have fairly well outlined the known life of Louis MAILLARD; what of the other MAILLIARD brothers, Claude Pierre and Augustus? Were they possibly the custodians of the hunting lodge the Comte de Survilliers had built on a high promotory over looking Lake Bonaparte (still so named about 30 miles easterly of Watertown, NY) and which he sold in for $80,000.00 in 1835. Nothing further is known of Agustus, but my gggrandfather, Claude Pierre MAILLIARD made his way westerly to Erie County New York (possibly to the village of La Salle, (midway between Tonawanda and Niagra Falls NY) on the Niagra River were there was a MYERS family farm I can remember in my own childhood. Claude Pierre MAILLIARD married Rosale ___ and they had my ggrandfather born as Julius James MAILLIARD and later renamed James MYERS. James MYERS married Barabra Christine WELLER and they produced my grandfather, John Jacob MYERS, b.28 Oct 1859 Buffalo, NY, died 17 Feb 1907 Buffalo, NY (the last firm dates we have for the MAILLIARDs).Did the MAILLIARDs change their surname from MAILLIARD to the more Germanic MYERS to avoid discovery by the French anti- royalists when Napoleon's nephew, Louis Bonaparte was dethroned? What ever the reason, it has made discovering their vitals of birth, vocations, siblings, death, etc. almost impossible to factually ascertain. I hope you have enjoyed this peek into the history of some secondary personages who were part of larger historical events and I will greatly appreciate any leads to filling in some of the blanks of Claude Pierre MAILLIARD and Julius James MAILLIARD (a.k.a. James MYERS)and/or the ancestors of Louis and Claude Pierre MAILLIARD back in Mortefontaine,(originally a canton between the present Chantilly and Senlis,Oise) France you may be able to offer through this NGC/CIG Echo, or by FIDO NetMail to Thurston Ackerman at the Hacknet FIDO (1:101/145) or by postal mail to 62 Quincy Street, Medford, MA 02155 USA. If you have an interest in any of these personages (including Louis MAILLIARD's son Adolph MAILLIARD's life and settling in northern California) or places. I have a considerable bibiograpy I will be happy to share with you. (Maillard.01x 1/28/91) Thurston FULLER ACKERMAN, The Hacknet FIDO BBS Reading, MA (1:101/145.10) (617)-942-1298 Bibliography for BONAPARTEs,MAILLIARDs,MURARTs,etc.. "The Golden Bees" by Theo Aronson MPL˙ "Napoleon's Family" by Desmond Seward MPL "Bonapartes in America",Clarence Edward Macarty BPL,MPL,NEHGS "The Bonapartes" by˙David Stacton NEHGS "Three Saints and a Sinner",Louise Hall Thrap MPL,NEHGS,NYGSL "Joseph Bonapart in Amerique" by George Bertin YUSL "Bonaparte's Park and The Murarts" by BHS BPL * * * * * * * Legand of available sources: BPL =Bordentown, NJ Public Library MPL =Medford Public Library,111 High St..Medford,MA 02155 NEHGS =New Englan Historic Genealogical Society 101 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116 NYGSL =New York Genealogical & ˙Biographical Society 122 East 38th Street, New York, NY 10022-1939 BHS =Bordentown Historical Society YUSL =Yale University, Sterling Library, New Haven, CT