Protestant Exiles from France/Volume 2 - Book Third - Chapter 24 - Duroure
Chapter XXIV.
OFFSPRING OF THE REFUGEES IN THE ARMY AND NAVY.
Duroure. — The ancient family of Beauvoir in Languedoc had several branches, of one of which the chief, in the first half of the sixteenth century, was Claud de Grimoard de Beauvoir Du Roure, Seigneur de Grisac, de Bane et de Saint-Florent. His eldest son, Jacques, was the first Protestant Du Roure. Jean Du Roure, who in 1620 represented Vivarais in the National Synod of Alais, was the eldest son of Jacques. From Jean sprang Scipion Du Roure, founder of a branch of the family in Provence, who married Mademoiselle De Dangers in 1650. The eldest son of this worthy couple was the refugee Francois Du Roure, who was captain in a regiment of cavalry in the British service, quartered in Ireland in July 1706. He died at Southampton on 26th March 1722, aged sixty-two. His wife was Catherine de Rieutort, who died in 1731; by her he had two sons, Scipio and Alexander, officers in the British army, who made the surname Duroure.
In 1736, under General Wade, Commander-in-chief of the Forces in North Britain, we find Brigadier Charles Dubourgay, and Major Scipio Duroure, the Major of Brigade with ten shillings a-day. He became Lieutenant-Colonel of the 12th Foot, and he obtained the Colonelcy of this regiment, 12th August 1741. Colonel Duroure went with his regiment to Flanders, the hero Wolfe being one of his subalterns, and the corps got great glory at Dettingen. Scipio Duroure’s career of valour and of great promise was cut short by his meeting a soldier’s death at the Battle of Fontenoy, 10th May 1745. He had married in 1713 his cousin, Marguerite, daughter of Charles de Vignolles, a French officer in Ireland, by Marthe de Beauvoir Du Roure. The Colonel was buried on the ramparts of Aeth; he was fifty-six years of age.
Alexander Du Roure was born in 1700; we first meet him as Lieutenant-Colonel of the 4th Foot. In November 1748 he married Louisa Brushell of Hammersmith. He rose in the army to be Colonel of the 38th Foot (27th February 1752), and was transferred to the 4th or King’s Own Regiment of Foot, 12th May 1756. He was promoted to be Major-General, January 24th, 1758, and Lieutenant-General, 16th December 1760. He died in 1765 at Toulouse, and was buried in Westminster Abbey, where a monument was erected to the two gallant brothers by Colonel Scipio Duroure’s eldest son, Francis Duroure of Kensington, born 13th June 1715, died 16th February 1808.