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(Tratto dal sito “http://members.aol.com/daltongene/dgsjun05.htm” )

Aimee Irene D’Alton’s Irish/French Family

compiled by Millicent V. Craig

In the Spring 2000 issue of the DGS Journal, Vol.32, there appeared the story of Aimee Irene d’Alton, “Mademoiselle X” as described in the book, “Lettres d’Amour a Aimee d’Alton a Alfred de Musset (1810-1857)”, by Leon Seche and published in 1910.  In researching her ancestry and descendents of her extensive family, it became quite clear that  military life was  their main pursuit from the time her grandfather, William (Guilhaume) Dalton, left Ireland and entered the French Army.

In 1819, General d’Alton had commissioned Sir William Bentham of the Irish Herald’s Office to research his paternal line*.  In the document there are several generations of the General’s Irish ancestors that seem to follow the lines of the King James’ Army List of 1689.   Another section of the report lists Daltons from the time of William the Conqueror but the two parts do not appear to connect and therefore the latter section will be omitted from this extraction.

Aimee was from an upper class family and many d’Alton men were Officers in the French Army as well as titled.  Some of the military died quite young in insurrections and in World War I.  Several young Dalton women married titled members of French families and others, as the O’Shee’s, had brought their titles from Ireland.  Information on family members who are mentioned in the Seche book is for the most part in agreement with the data presented here.

In the sketchy Irish pedigree that precedes the birth of William (Guilhaume)D’Alton, it is evident that William was descended from the main line of Daltons in Ireland as outlined in the King James Army list and later in “Illustrations” published by the noted historian and genealogist, John D’Alton, of Dublin. The ancestry of William (Guilhaume) D’Alton extends back to about 1500 in Ireland.  It is suggested that use of this data be subject to further documentation but can serve as a guideline for additional study. Some of the pedigree material accompanied a History of Military Service for General Alexandre d’ Alton that was prepared in Ireland to prove his entitlement to title.  Through the years, the spelling of Dalton changed many times and the spellings as they occurred chronologically have been maintained in this report.

Ancestry

William  (Guilhaume) d’Alton was Aimee’s grandfather. He was born  9 Sep 1734 in Seskin, Ireland, parish of Noitroch, Kilkenny.  Seskin is now identified in the Parish of Killamery.  He died 7 Nov 1809 at Boulogne by the Sea and had been a Captain in the Brive Infantry.  On 16 Sep 1766, William married Marie-Louise Coillot at Brive.  She was born in Boulogne by the Sea and was a descendent of the Saint Beuve family. Her father was Jean-Francois Coillot and her mother was Louise-Charlotte Dempster.

The couple reportedly had 17 children but only five were listed on the pedigree.

1. James-William d’Alton was born in 1772 and died in 1801. He was an Adjutant Colonel in the French Army and died on the way to Brescia in Italy.  He was 29 years of age and no family was listed.

2. James-Wolfran  (Willfrand) d’Alton (Baron) was born in 1773 and died in 1815.  He was Receiver General at Aix la Chapelle and married Francoise O’Shee on 17 Apr 1801. She was born 23 Dec 1779 at Landrecies, Cambai, Aisne, France.  The O’Shee’s presence in France began with the emigration of Martin  O’Shee, Francoise’s great grandfather, b. about 1665 in Camas, Limerick, Ireland and who died in Aire, Artois France in 1727.  The pedigree of the O’Shee family extends back to the 7th Century in Ireland and includes knights and members of the local nobility.

Children of James-Wolfran d’Alton and Francoise O’Shee:

1. Amelia Henrietta Dalton, b. 17 Jan 1802
2. Caroline D’Alton, b. 8 Jun 1803.  From the book of “love letters” it appears that her

married name was Jaubert.

1810. Edward [Errore, il nome giusto è Edmond, Nota di Sandro] d’Alton-Shee, (Count) b. 4 Jun 1810.  He married Valentine Marquire and   had one son, Renee_Andre d’Alton-Shee b. c.1855 (wife unknown); a grandson Paul d’Alton-Shee b.c. 1880 (wife unknown); and a great grandson, Charles d’Alton Shee b. 1905 (wife unknown).  The Count wrote a history of his life entitled, “Mes Memoirs” a copy of which is yet to surface.  A search continues for further pedigree information.

Caroline, Edward and his wife, Valentine, lived in Paris nearby their first cousin, Aimee, and figured prominently in her adult life. It was Caroline who maintained a salon for artists.

3. Alexandre d’Alton, Aimee’s father, was born April 26, 1777 in Brive.  On 30 Oct 1803, he married Reine Elisabeth Ferdinand Baton at Saint Claude de Diray, Chateau de Noziers.  Reine  was born at La Bosse (Oise). Alexandre  was a Lieutenant-General and was titled a Baron in 1809.  He participated in many military campaigns as an officer in Napoleon’s Army.  His name is inscribed with Napoleon’s Generals in the Arche de Triomphe, Paris. He died at Versailles in 1859.

4. Helene Dalton married Walter Hussey, a Major in the British Army.

5. Edouard Dalton died in 1793 at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He was a Captain in the French Infantry. Although no birth date is available, he was very likely in his early twenties.

Aimee’s Immediate Family

Alexandre  D’Alton and Reine Elisabeth Baton had four children :

1.  Aimee D’Alton was born on 20 Sep 1804 in Paris according to the pedigree information.  (The book of “love letters states that she was born in Hambourg on 20 Sep 1811, a seven year discrepancy).  Through her lifetime she was the secret love of, and inspiration for the poet, Alfred de Musset. In later years she married Alfred’s brother, Paul  de Musset in Paris in 1861 and died in Paris in 1880. They had no issue.

2.  Laetitia D’Alton was born in 1810. She married Pierre Henri Chatard. (no date given). and  died 19 Nov 1874 at Versailles. They had three children: Louise Chatard; Alexandre Chatard, b.1835 and died in Algiers in 1859. He was an Officer in the Infantry; and son Alfred Chatard.

3.  Alfred d’Alton was born 20 Nov 1815 in Paris. He is listed as General Count. He married Anne Charlotte Josephine de La Tour (de Bonnafos) on 30 August 1849.  Anne was born at Metz on 21 May 1825. Alfred died on 3 May 1866 at Stephansfeld (Lower Rhine).

4.  Constance Ernestine D’Alton was born in Paris in 1821. She married Jean Alphonse Limoges who was born in Le Bugue in 1800. He was a prefecture councillor. He died on 6 Oct 1878 in Perigueux and Constance died in Perigueux on 18 April 1893. They had one child, Bertha Germaine Limoges.

The Family of Alfred D’Alton (3 above)

The marriage of Alfred D’Alton and Anne Charlotte Josephine de La Tour produced three children and a large family of descendents. The children are:

1. Francoise Laetitie Catherine d’Alton who was born on 16 Nov 1851 at Metz.   On the 21 May 1878 she married Viscount Louis Marie de Rambures, the son  of Leonce de Rambures and Alele Danzell de Trionville. Viscount de Rambures was born on 9 Sep 1846 in Abbeville. He died on 21 Jun1918 at Vaudricourt. Francoise died on 15 Nov 1926 also at Vaudricourt.  They had two children:

a.)   Marie-Therese Josephine Catherine de Rambures and Madeleine Louis Marie  de Rambures;

  b.) William Paul Charles d’Alton was born on 3 Nov 1853 at Caen. He served as a  Lieutenant in  the 13th Regiment of Dragoons.  On the 19 July 1885 he married Marie Josephine Antoinette La Roque at Ordan-Larroque. She was born on 24 August 1865 at Bazouges, Chateau de la  Barbee Sarthe.  Her parents were Count Henri de La Roque  and Roullet de la Bouillerie.

    c.) Charles Prosper d’Alton was born on 20 Sep 1857 at Giraumont (Moselle), L’Hermitage de Vallieres Giraumont.  He also was a Lieutenant in the 13th Regiment of Dragoons. On the 20 Apr 1884 he married Marie-Henriette Anne Louise de La Roque in Paris.  She was a sister to his brother William’s wife. Marie-Henriette  was born on the 16th August 1862 in Paris. The couple had two children; Colette and Helene.

The Family of William Paul Charles d’Alton and Marie Josephine Antoinette de La Roque (b. above).

    a.) Edouard d’Alton was born on 20 Nov 1896 at Ordan-Larroque. His marriage took place in Rio de Janiero.  He married Octavie Tagliavoro who was born in Nice, France on 21 August 1893. A son, Willy Henry, named after both grandparents was born in 20 June 1916 in Rio de Janiero. Willy Henry married Anne-Marie de Mauleon on 29 Dec 1951 at Menton, France. She was born  23 Jul 1924 at Lyon.   Family still resides at Ordan-Larroque and for privacy reasons are not printed.

1917. b) James D’Alton was born on 10 Jul 1888 at Clefs, Mainett, Loire.  His first marriage was to Carmen Coutreras whom he wed on 27 Aug 1914 at Toulouse. She was the daughter of Coutreras and was born on 14 Jun 1889 at Valladolid. They had two daughters; Beatrice who was  born on 11 Aug 1916 at Ordan-Larroque and Christiane Edmee Yvonne who was also born at Ordan -Larroque on 30 June 1917.  James D’Alton, their father, died fighting for France in World War I on the 28 Jan 1919.  Christiane’s marriage to Jacques Pochez took place on 4  Feb 1942 at Bernadetz, France.  Pochez was born on 23 Apr 1822 at St-Valery en Caux.   The  couple had five children; Herbert, Stephane, Haitier, Isabell and Pascale. (dates not printed for privacy).

c.) William d’Alton was born on the 15 Oct 1893 and died fighting for France in WWI on 25 Jan 1918.

d.)  Marie Odette Colette Delphine d’Alton was born on 24 Jun 1897 at La Bertraix. She married  Jean Louis Cesar Moreau on 28 Oct 1924 in Paris.  Moreau was born on 24 Jun 1896 at Villennes sur Seine and was the son of Edward Moreau.  They had one child, Jean Claude Louis William Moreau born in Paris on 25 July 1928. Moreau was married a second time to Clair Baron on 23 Feb 1931.

Editor’s Note.  I have recently received a pedigree of General D’Alton from the Herald’s Office in Dublin along with several other pedigrees that I will bring to the AGM in Dublin on July 30, 31 2005

Weimar, Fevrier 1846

….

Et puisque j’en suis à appeler les faits en témoignage, laissez-moi encore, pour en finir aujourd’hui, vous quereller sur un dernier mot : « Aucun de vos mensonges ne m’impose », me dites-vous. En bonne conscience j’ai toujours eu la conscience de n’avoir jamais menti avec vous, mais arrivons aux détails.

Ai-je donc menti quand je vous dis en 33 : « Marie, je n’ai ni expérience, ni éducation, ni fortune, ni nom, mais peut-être ai-je une tête et un cœur ?… »

Ai-je donc menti quand je vous disais : « A toute heure, à toute minute, en tous pays, et toutes circonstances, je serai à vous ? » (rappelez-vous le mot de Lichnowsky !)

Vous ai-je donc menti enfin pour arriver encore à de plus grands détails, à propos de Mme S[amoyloff], de la Princesse, de la Pl[eyel], etc… et si parfois il m’est arrivé d’être timide, embarrassé, confus, malheureux et brisé devant vous, étaient-ce là des mensonges ?

Non, Marie, rayez hardiment ce mot du dictionnaire de vos souvenirs. Il ne peut pas y rester longtemps.

Prefazione di Arcangelo Ghisleri a
“L’Italia e la rivoluzione italiana”

Due volumi di Raffaello Barbiera e alcune polemiche del Luzio resero testè famigliare al pubblico italiano il nome della Principessa Belgioioso, di questa donna d’ingegno e di vita singolari, che sussidiò le cospirazioni di Mazzini e accolse le idee dei sansimoniani, pubblicò quattro volumi sul domma cattolico e soccorse i profughi rivoluzionari in Parigi, dove il De Musset, Giuseppe Ferrari, Thiers, Giorgio Sand e una pleiade di altri intellettuali la circondarono della loro stima e amicizia. Scrittrice vigorosa e ammirata, accorre a Milano nel 1848 guidando un battaglione di volontari napoletani; poi, cadute tutte le speranze di Lombardia, la vediamo in Roma curare negli ospedali i feriti difensori della repubblica; viaggiatrice irrequieta nell’Oriente, e pacifica benefattrice de’ suoi contadini nel campestre ritiro di Locate; pensatrice positiva e sognatrice romantica; repubblicana e poi albertista; di nuovo repubblicana e poi cavourriana e autrice d’una apologetica Histoire de la maison de Savoie — questa donna singolare si presenta come la Sfinge, sfida e scombussola il pettegolo semplicismo dei cacciatori di aneddoti e la presuntuosa vanità dei critici, meriterebbe (ancora non è comparso) un biografo psicologo, il quale, alla profonda conoscenza dell’ambiente sociale e delle correnti storiche tra cui ella visse, accoppiasse la coscienza delle difficoltà di cogliere e spiegare tutte le faccie e le apparenti contraddizioni di quell’anima foscoliana, incarcerata nelle vibranti seduzioni della venustà femminile.

Di questa donna singolare noi pubblichiamo quì la storia breve, tacitiana, ch’ella scrisse della rivoluzione lombarda del ’48; narrazione degna di stare a fianco di quella del Cattaneo, alla quale in molti punti serve di complemento e di documento. Men sospetto, tanto più grave è il suo giudizio sugli uomini, che dopo la vittoria delle Cinque Giornate si presero nelle mani la somma delle cose e, o insinceri o deficienti, frustrarono lo slancio popolare del marzo portando il paese alle tragiche delusioni (il popolo disse: tradimento) della riconsegna di Milano all’Austriaco!

Molto si scrisse per contestare la fuga regia e le perfidie usate verso i cittadini, lusingati con augusta promessa insino all’ora della imminente entrata del Radetsky. La narrazione particolareggiata della Belgioioso, la quale era in Milano in quei giorni e personalmente si recò, essa medesima, messaggiera al re; di lei, che aveva propugnata la fusione col Piemonte, di lei, amica degli albertisti che avevano tenuto il potere, ci ritrae al vivo le scene tragiche di un popolo valoroso, che mentre rialzava le barricate preparandosi non dômo ai supremi cimenti, si trovò ceduto come ostaggio imbelle alla mercè del nemico da quel re, alle cui mani aveva affidato, col pieno abbandono de’ suoi poteri e dei suoi averi, la tutela della conquistata libertà.

Originalmente scritta in francese, per far conoscere la nostra rivoluzione a coloro, che dei patiti rovesci toglievano pretesto a denigrare il nome italiano, questa storia usciva nella Revue des Deux Mondes del 15 settembre (L’insurrection lombarde et le gouvernement provisoire de Milan) e del 1 ottobre 1848 (La Guerre de Lombardie et la capitolation de Milan) e subito era tradotta, ed edita in lingua italiana a Lugano, per cura di quella «Tipografa della Svizzera Italiana» che insieme con quella di Capologo, fu l’officina vindice dell’italico patriottismo negli anni più foschi delle nostre sventure.

Riproducemmo il testo di questa traduzione fedele, conservandone lo stile, perchè esso medesimo ha un poco il sapore del tempo. Strana coincidenza! Cattaneo e la Belgioioso, senza sapere l’uno dell’altra, dettavano in quel medesimo lugubre settembre da Parigi i loro scritti memorabili, mossi dal medesimo intento di rischiarare le tenebre dentro a cui giaceva avvolta, per la mente dei forestieri, la verità dei fatti nostri. Entrambi narrano di cose vedute, ben note, parlano di persone viventi, hanno l’accento commosso di chi fu partecipe degli avvenimenti, ma si offrono con coraggiosa veracità, senza nulla sottacere o nascondere, quali testimoni alla storia imparziale dei venturi. Lo scritto della Belgioioso, fra cotanto rifiorire di pubblicazioni erudite e di «contributi» alla Storia del nostro Risorgimento, era un documento necessario, che sino ad ora mancava.

Abbiamo creduto di completarlo pubblicando il resoconto, dettato dal D.r Pietro Maestri e dall’avv. Francesco Restelli, membri del Comitato di Pubblica Difesa, e pubblicato a Lugano il 16 gosto di quello stesso anno, coi documenti (veramente preziosi) che vi erano allegati. Gli storici aulici l’avevano ignorato o avevano finto d’ignorarlo; ma esso parrà agl’imparziali così notevole fonte per la dilucidazione degli «ultimi tristissimi fatti di Milano» (questo il titolo della loro memoria) che ogni storico sincero, sdegnoso di piaggierìe e di leggende, non potrà a meno di tenerne conto.

Così anche noi, come semplici esumatori, crediamo di servire alla coltura e alla verità. — Se non riscuoteranno la considerazione dei Titi Livii o dei Padri Lorriquet dei giorni nostri, queste pagine serviranno ai Niebhur dell’avvenire.

Arcangelo Ghisleri.

(da http://www.liberliber.it)