Page:Protestant Exiles from France Agnew vol 2.djvu/96

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historical introduction.

9th June, 31st George II. (1758).

John Baptist D’abbadie, son of John D’abbadie Caesar, by Jeanne, his wife, born at Navarreins-en-Bearn, in France.

21st May, 12th George III. (1772).

Frederick Cazenove, son of Theophilus Cazenove and Mary de Rapin, born at Amsterdam.

16th March, 13th George III. (1773).

Stephen Beuzeville, son of James and Mary, born in parish of Millemare, in province of Caux, in Upper Normandy.

6th March, 18th George III. (1778).

James Cazenove, son of David Cazenove and Charlotte Marie Faure, born at Geneva.

In the introduction to this volume I have had to note generally the good-will and kind feeling of the British people towards the refugees. The grotesque rhymes, which I have quoted in this section, show that there was an under-current of jealousy, while they contain suggestions explanatory of this exceptional bad humour. The cause was trade. In 1702 there was published in London a “History of Trade in England,” which complained of the “great herd of French tradesmen,” and declared that “the English have now so great an esteem for the workmanship of the French refugees, that hardly anything vends without a Gallic name.” Professor Weiss admits that “some classes of the indigenous population momentarily suffered.” On his showing it cannot be denied that perfect equanimity and self-forgetful sympathy could not be expected from the sufferers or their friends. The following is his able and interesting statement:—

“The refugees’ manufactures were so much preferred, that the native manufacturers more than once testified their vexation. French stuffs in particular were so sought after, that an English manufacturer, named Thomas Smith, established in Spitalfields, having had precisely similar ones made by his workmen, in vain offered them for sale in Covent Garden market. In order to dispose of them he was obliged to avail himself of the services of a refugee manufacturer, who easily sold them as of his own make. The same was the case with a number of other articles : they would go down only with French names. A refugee opened successively in Eeadenhall Street four shops for the sale of ready-made clothes, stuffs, silks, and other articles of French manufacture; he made an immense fortune. Others followed his example in Smock Alley, in Bishopgate, and succeeded in like manner. It was calculated that if the number of French merchants and manufacturers continued to augment in the same ratio as during the past twenty years, more than a half of the trade and manufactures of England would be in their hands within ten years.”



Section VIII.

THE FRENCH REGIMENTS.

Before attempting a roll and chronicle of the regiments of French refugees in the English army, I quote the gallant and venerable Du Bostaquet’s list of officers of dragoons who joined the Prince of Orange and the Duke of Schomberg in Holland. It appears that before embarkation the Huguenot cavalry were provisionally enrolled in two regiments of blue and red dragoons.

The officers of “the Blues” [les bleus] were Colonel Petit, Captains Desmoulins, Petit, Maricourt, D’Escury, Montroy, Neufville, Vesansay, Montaut, and Bernaste; Lieutenants Quirant, Louvigny, Moncornet, Tournier, Le Blanc, D’Ours, Fontanes, Bernard, Senoche, Serre, and Rumigny; Cornets Martel, Dupuy, Larouvière, De Lamy, Lassaux, Salomon, Larouvière, La Bastide, De Bojeu, De Gaume, and Constnntin.

The officers of “the Reds” [les rouges] were Colonel Louvigny; Captains Bostaquet, La Grangerie, Passy, D’Olon, Vivens, Varenques, and La Guiminière; Lieutenants Boismolet, Mailleray, Clairvaux, Vilmisson, Ea Caterie, D’Ornan, and Rochebrune; Cornets Vasselot, Maillé, Maillé (brother), D’Olon, jun., Du Chesoy, Montpinson, and Ricard.

The French refugee officers and soldiers enlisted with all their hearts in the army of William and Mary; several effective regiments were formed. Some accounts, however, exaggerate the number. There was one regiment of cavalry, also one of dragoons, and three infantry regiments. These were disbanded at the Peace of