The Poucel came from Marseilles. They belonged to the merchant class, owning a textile mill and involved in shipping. They seemed to have been people of substance. A street in the city bears our name: Rue Poucel. Also, the Poucel Chateau is still standing and in use, alas not by us!
Last names usually come from an occupation, or place of origin. We believe our name comes from the region. In Provence there is an area called Poucel. There are the cliffs of Poucelle in the region. The caves that pepper the cliffs were inhabited by prehistoric men. The cliffs are near Lourmarin where a certain Saloman Poucel was a Pastor.
Pastor you ask! Yes, it seems the Poucel were French Huguenots, and several of them were Pastors in Provence. Many scattered all over the world to escape religious persecution. A researcher mentions a Poucel family living in Cadenet (near Marseille) in 1656 with their valet. It now makes sense that Joseph Antoine's father was hiding the man who baptized him. During the revolution religious tensions exploded as well.
The name may also mean maid or virgin. Joan of Arc was called La Poucelle. Joseph Antoine's native tongue was Provencal, not French. Provencal is a mix of Spanish, French and Italian. Several Poucels came to America about the same time as Antoine. They were learned men studying and writing about the cultures and flora and fauna they encountered. Benjamin Poucel and Fortunato Poucel explored regions of Argentina. In fact, there is a street name Dr. Poucel in Santa Fe, Argentina. Some Poucels were involved in Politics and held office in the area of Marseille, others were religious and became Priests.
The father of Antoine Poucel, my great great grandfather (tatarabuelo), was a merchant sailor who died in a shipwreck. Antoine broke with family tradition becoming a junior officer in the French army, and later a fencing master. He was commissioned to train the Spanish troops stationed in Cuba, from where he migrated to Mexico: Thanks god! Otherwise you would not be reading this! While in Mexico he distinguished himself by being one of the best, if not the best, fencing instructor in Mexico City. His teaching services were in high demand by the upper class and army officers. He founded the first fencing school in the country, and probably in Latin America. He was considered the finest swordsman of the time, although there are very few records to the fact.
Emiliano, his youngest son, married a beautiful lady in mind and spirit, Dolores Guerrero, from Oaxaca and descendent of Vicente Guerrero. They sired the family offshoot from where I come. They had eight children: Maria de la Encarnaci�n Dolores (b. 1885, probably died the same year), my grandmother Ana Maria (b. 3 Aug 1886), Luisa (b. 21 June 1888, probably died the same year), Guillermo (b. 19 Jan 1893), Alberto (b. 30 Aug 1897), Magdalena Luisa Sahara, better known as Duba (b. 29 May 1901), Carmen Poucel (b. 1904), and Isabel Poucel (b. 1906), known as Chabela.
Grandmother Ana married Juan Manuel Santos Escudero from Salamanca, Spain in 1926. They had three children: My mother Martha (b. 06 Jan 1928), Emiliano (b. 1930), and Francisco, known by all as Pancho (b. 1932). Grandmother Ana died in 1932, when my mother was about four years old. Since the business of my grandfather Juan Manuel was not going well, he decided to return to Spain, but he only wanted to take my Mother, since he already had two boys from his previous marriage. So my uncle Alberto and my aunt Duba refused: "Either you take them all or none at all!" � Hey, you know how easy going the Poucels are! So Juan Manuel packed his stuff and left for spain with his two sons from the previous marriage, leaving behind my mother, Emiliano and Pancho to the care of my aunt Duba. That is why my aunt Duba was so loved by all of us, and that is the why Emiliano and Pancho did not use the Santos surname. When they should have been named Santos Poucel, following the Spanish tradition of two surnames after the first name (Name + Parental surname + maternal surname), they named themselves with the same surnames as their mother Ana, "Poucel Guerrero". Now you know why I call myself Gutierrez Poucel, and not Gutierrez Santos. Wow, what a long winded explanation!
We don't really know what my grandfather Juan Manuel did. I remember my uncle Alberto referring to him as a gambler. Well, whatever he was, he was certainly a handsome devil!
Grand uncle Guillermo was sent to the USA to study engineering, however, that was not meant to be. Meanwhile, the Revolution broke out in Mexico and his family was not able to send him any money. Guillermo was forced to interrupt his studies and started working as a maintenance man in charge of multiple buildings. It was not his career of choice, but it was close enough. Back in Mexico things were going from bad to worse for the family. Guillermo�s father, Emiliano, was thrown in jail (Chapultepec dungeons) by Huerta on trumped up charges for being a Madero supporter. The family no longer with an income had to sell their assets to survive. General Emiiano Poucel contracted pneumonia in the dark, damp, cold dungeons of Chapultepec, and his health was never the same. Back in the USA, Guillermo got on with his life, married Carrie, and started the American branch of the Poucel family.
Aunt Duba had to take care of Martha, Emiliano and Pancho on her own. There was little left from her parents. The large house in San Rafael where they were raised was sold. The sisters (Ana, Duba, Carmen and Chabela) inherited a housing building for low income people. Rents were frozen and with inflation, the rent proceeds dropped next to nothing. She moved out with Ana's three children to an apartment in the Col. Roma Sur, where my brother Popi still lives! She worked as a sales person in a large department store: "El Palacio de Hierro", until her retirement in 1962. She was quite a character. She could play "balero" better than most. She was also quite the handyman, could do electric work, carpentry and most home repairs. I should know, she taught me how to play balero and use tools. Her nickname "Duba" comes from Madame Duvalier. Somebody started calling her that because she was so French-like, so the nickname Duba stock, spelled with a b. Why? Nobody knows!
Me with Uncle Emiliano in the Pucelada of 1998
