Find Ancestors

Hi everyone,
Am helping a friend to try and find some information but have come to a dead end.

Her ancestor, who is french, married a lady called Jeanette Decoppe from Switzerland and the family story goes that her brother moved to England some time before 1861 and worked as a chef for Queen Victoria. Apparantly there was a letter, not sure exactly what was in it but it is through this letter that the family believe he was a chef for the queen, but he could of course have embelished the truth some what.
My friend would like to try and find some information to either proove or disproove, the story, but unfortunately they have no other infromation on him. They don't even know his name or date of birth or if he married etc.

On 1861 census I have found a Jean Decoppet (transcribed as Joan on find my past) born 1825 (which would be about right) born Switzerland living St.Georges Hanover Square, which is not a million miles from Buckingham Palace, occupation, Cook. He is with Emily who is noted as his wife, occupation also Cook. She is also noted as being born St.George Square but I don't believe that that is correct.

On 1871 the couple are living Victoria Square, which is even closer to Buckingham Palace, noted as head of household, but there is no occupation noted. Emily is now noted as being born 1828, Bristol.
There is a niece living with them Annie E. (Watt - find my past) / (Wall - ancestry) also born Bristol, Gloucestershire
Also a nephew Henry de Coppet (find my past) / (de Copper - ancestry)

I have been able to follow Henry through to his death as he stayed in England, so don't need anything there, but can't find anything else for John and Emily either before 1861 census or after.
Hoping to find a marriage between John and Emily, or anything else to see if there is another clue.

Will post 1861 and 1871 census' below.

I know this is a difficult one but would be greatful for any help you can give. Thanks.

1861

John Palmer Head Married Male 49 1812 Furiterer Green Grocer St Marylebone, Middlesex, England Transcription
Mary A Palmer Wife Married Female 49 1812 Furiterer Green Grocer Manchester, Lancashire, England Transcription
Harriet Palmer Daughter - Female 13 1848 Furiterer Green Grocer St George Hanover Square, Middlesex, England Transcription
Helen Corroll Servant Unmarried Female 19 1842 General Servant Chelsea, Middlesex, England Transcription
John Turbervill Lodger Unmarried Male 38 1823 Cook Bosbury, Herefordshire, England Transcription
Helen Thomas Lodger Unmarried Female 48 1813 Cook & Housekeeper - Transcription
Joan Decoppet Lodger Married Male 36 1825 Cook Switzerland Transcription
Emily Decoppet Lodger Married Female 36 1825 Cook St George Hanover Square, Middlesex, England


1871

John de Coppet Head - Male 45 1826 - Switzerland Transcription
Emily de Coppet Wife - Female 43 1828 - Gloucestershire, England Transcription
Henry de Coppet Nephew - Male 19 1852 - Switzerland Transcription
Annie E Watt Niece - Female 15 1856 - Gloucestershire, England Transcription
Louisa Boultwood Servant - Female 20 1851 - Essex, England Transcription
Edmund Harford Lodger - Male 27 1844 - Gloucestershire, England Transcription
Alex H J Sankey Visitor - Male 28 1843 - Ireland

Jean Pierre Decoppet
France, Protestant Church Records
Name
Jean Pierre Decoppet
Event Type
Marriage
Event Date
24 Jun 1852
Event Place
L'Oratoire, Paris, Paris, France
Gender
Male
Father's Name
Jean Pierre Decoppet
Mother's Name
Marie Marianne Giraun
Spouse's Name
Emilie Marie Hurel
Spouse's Gender
Female
Spouse's Father's Name
Charles Grégoire Hurel
Spouse's Mother's Name
Mary Ann Hurel

(below looks to follow above Marriage, with Niece on 1871)

Chris :)

1861 (Find My Past)
William Wall Head Married Male 37 1824 Hosier Hereford, Herefordshire, England
Maria Wall Wife Married Female 32 1829 - Glamorgan, Wales
Emily A Wall Daughter - Female 5 1856 - Bristol, Gloucestershire, England
Charles H Wall Son - Male 1 1860 - Bristol, Gloucestershire, England
Charles Hurel Father In Law Widower Male 69 1792 Retired Farmer Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
Amelia A Giles Servant Unmarried Female 19 1842 House Servant Bristol, Gloucestershire, England
House number 33
Street Stokes Croft
Parish St James & St Paul
City or borough Bristol
County Gloucestershire
Parliamentary borough Bristol
Ecclesiastical district St Andrews
Registration district Clifton
Enumeration district 3
Archive reference RG09
Piece number 1729
Folio number 40
Page number 7

(if him)

Deaths Dec 1862 (>99%)
-------------------------------------------------------
Hurel Charles St. Geo: Han Sq 1a 179


Marriages Mar 1853 (>99%)
------------------------------------------
HUREL Maria Clifton 6a 193
WALL William Clifton 6a 193


Births Dec 1855 (>99%)
--------------------------------------
Wall Emily Anne Clifton 6a 74


Pigot's Directory of Gloucestershire, 1830

NAMES RANK / OCCUPATION ADDRESSES
HUREL Charles Day School 20 Alfred Pl, Kingsdown, Bristol

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/GLS/Bristol/DUFETTtoJOSEPH


25 November 1854 - Gloucestershire Chronicle - Gloucester, Gloucestershire

Death
Ann, wife of Mr Charles Hurel, aged 61 years.

Deaths Dec 1854 (>99%)
------------------------------------
Hurel Ann Clifton 6a 82


04 October 1862 - Western Daily Press - Bristol, Bristol, England

DEATH.
On the 1st inst. while on a visit to his daughter, 3, Victoria Square, London, Charles Hurel, of Bristol, aged 70, deeply regretted.

Thanks both for your replys. Will check it out and see if it turns up anything else.

Many thanks for looking.
Catherine :-)

Have checked out the marriage on familysearch and was able to see the original document.
As I speak french I was able to read it without any problem and it does state that Jean Pierre Decoppet was a Cuisinier (Cook) and he was from Switzerland, so there's a good chance that the marriage does correspond to the couple in 1861 census.

Well done and many thanks for that.

Oh my, well done Chris Ho thanks for the add on, what a find.
Thank you so much that does seem to pull this all together.
Many thanks again,
Catherine

Signing off now for the evening but will check in tomorrow. x

Just a quick update for malyon and Chris Ho who helped out yesterday.

Really don't know how I didn't see that marriage on familysearch. I looked for marriages in Switzerland and Englnad, so typical error I suppose in not looking wide enough.

Anyway I can now say that the marriage is correct so all other info found looks also to be correct people.

I also found this marriage on family search:-

Jeannette Decoppet
France, Protestant Church Records
Nom Louis L'Hoste
Type d'événement Marriage
Date de l'événement 20 May 1856
Lieu de l'événement L'Oratoire, Paris, Paris, France
Sexe Male
Nom du père François L'Hoste
Nom de la mère Françoise Genoud
Nom du conjoint Jeannette Decoppet
Sexe du Conjoint Female
Nom de père du conjoint Jean Pierre Decoppet
Nom de mère du conjoint Marianne Marguerite Giroud

Jeanette Decoppet and Francois L'Hoste are the ancestors of my friend which confirms that the other marriage is the correct one and therefore ties all the other information found together.

Many thanks again for you help. x x

(just to add, and because it came up as surname, the below, if relating anywhere!)

Chris :)

1891 (Find My Past)
Lucille de Coppet Head Married Female 58 1833 Lodging House Keeper Switzerland
Park Street, St George Hanover Square, London

Thanks Chris Ho, I noticed that one and have taken note, just in case.

You think you have a name that is very uncommon and all of a sudden they turn up everywhere.

Will leave thread open in case anything comes up for Jean and Emily after 1871.

Re. the family story about cooking for Queen Victoria, I am now thinking that, as Jean married in Paris in 1852, that maybe he cooked for her in Versailles when she visited there in 1855, so will need to check the census records there to see if I can find anything. French records are every 5yrs so you never know, but it will be a long haul as they are not centraly based so may leave that up to my friend.

Thanks again much appreciated. :-D

Just in case relevant somehow, in view of the place of marriage:

Marriages Sep 1888 (>99%)
DE COPPET Jean Alexis St Geo H. Sq. 1a 899
Grin Lucy St Geo H Sq 1a 899
Munnings Robert St. Geo. H. Sq. 1a 899
Smart Phoebe Annie St. Geo. H. Sq. 1a 899

Qualifications required for a 2nd Master Cook to Queen Victoria, 1854

http://www.queen-victorias-scrapbook.org/contents/7-4.html

Thanks ArgyllGran, I already have that marriage but not sure yet if it fits in with the family that I'm looking for, but it is noted and I will be taking a closer look.

What I didn't have was the letter from Buckinham Palace. No idea how you found that but how interesting.
Many thanks for that I must have a closer look at that web site.

Just another quick update:-
I have looked on 1845 french census and Mary Hurel is working in the Chateau at La Houssaye-en-Brie as a children's nurse and in 1851 she is still there and Jean Decoppet is also working there as Cuisinier (Chef)
........which is why they are not on the English 1851 census.

Thanks again. x

I don't know whether you are aware of this site or how useful it would be to you but there is mention of this family on there:

http://www.gen-gen.ch/L'HOSTE-DECOPPET/Jeannette/1215180?fnc=lg&lg=fr

It is for the "Société Genevoise de Généalogie". It looks like you would have to join or register to gain further info.

Dea x

Thanks so much Dea, I will tell my friend about it in case she doesn't know.
Off to see her for dinner so will pass that on tonight.
Thanks again
Catherine x

Just wanted to thank Dea for her contribution.
I had a look myself at the link, and there is so much information about the L'Hoste family that I am sure my friend will be over the moon. She hasn't been able to go too far back with that side of her family as Swiss records aren't on line yet so this will help her enormously.
Thanks from her. x

So pleased to have been able to help.

Dea x