Author Topic: Harriett Elizabeth LUCE, born Jersey 1828ish  (Read 7962 times)

Offline ChrisWJDH

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Harriett Elizabeth LUCE, born Jersey 1828ish
« on: Wednesday 25 February 09 15:11 GMT (UK) »
I am trying to trace my wife's late father's ancestors down the LUCE line and have come to a grinding halt.  I have gone back to the marriage of Alfred Smith to Harriett Elizabeth Luce in Portsea Island, Hampshire, in 1848.  Her father is shown as George Luce, Coach Maker, on the Marriage Certificate.  She is shown to have been born in Jersey in the 1881 and 1891 census returns.

My wife's father always insisted that there was a link with the Luce Perfume/Cologne company in Jersey but I have failed to make the connection.

Any help would be much appreciated. :)

Offline Hill

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Re: Harriett Elizabeth LUCE, born Jersey 1828ish
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 26 February 09 14:51 GMT (UK) »
Hi Chris

There is an entry in the parish records of St Helier for a baptism of Herriot Elizabeth, daughter of George Luce and Herriot his wife. on 28th May 1826. The god-parents were Jacob Hansford and Maria Hansford. I suspect the Christian name has been mis-transcribed (see later).

I then looked for a marriage and found one for George Luce of St Helier, Jersey, and Harriet Hansford of West Milton, Dorset. This was in St Helier Church on 29th January 1825. I think this proves, by the surname, that the Herriot should be Harriot.

While I was searching through the St Helier baptisms I also saw:

16th March 1828, Edouard William, son of George Luce and Harriet Hansford
God-parents were William James and Maria Hansford

19th July 1829, Elizabeth Rachel, daughter of George Luce and Harriet Hansford. God-parents were Le Det Pere (The said father) and Rachel Mary Davy.

29th April 1832, Richard Jean son of George Luce and Henriette(!!) Hansford. God-parents were Jean Pipin and Susanne Pipin.

I then got carried away and searched for a birth of George Luce.  Now remember I am only looking at St Helier but I found a George baptised on 11th August 1793. There were no other George's baptised around this time. His parents were Thomas Luce and Elizabeth Gigon and God-parents were Thomas Luce and Marguerite Luce. They had another son called Thomas, baptised 28th January 1791, God-parents Francois Bisson and Jeanne Sivret.

Going back even further the only Thomas Luce mentioned in the St Helier baptisms is one on 11th December 1768 to Thomas and Margaret Luce. Strange that, as in Jersey, wives are always referred to by their maiden name. Perhaps he did marry a Luce.

I couldn't find another Thomas Luce but stopped looking as it was getting a bit "finger in the air".

As regards the connection to a perfume company, how about:

The manufacture of Luce's Eau de Cologne was started in Jersey by Mr George Luce in 1837. Mr Luce soon introduced a production and sales system which was to give his product a world wide reputation, with a separate company in South Africa by 1924. The manufacturing departments were later transferred from Jersey to Southampton. In 1917 Mr J W du Pré purchased from the company all rights as regards the Channel Islands and subsequently formed a partnership for the Channel Islands with his brother Harold.

In the Archive Centre is a whole collection of items relating to Luce's Eau de Cologne.

Have a look at:

http://jerseyheritagetrust.jeron.je/wwwopac.exe?DATABASE=catalo&LANGUAGE=0&DEBUG=0&BRIEFADAPL=../web/archbrf&DETAILADAPL=../web/wwwreq&%250=600000220&LIMIT=50

The question  is whether the George Luce I have found is the one who founded the perfume company. This I'll have to leave until my next visit as I'm off to England tomorrow.

I'll keep in touch.

Stewart

Offline ChrisWJDH

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Re: Harriett Elizabeth LUCE, born Jersey 1828ish
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 26 February 09 15:23 GMT (UK) »
Hi Stewart

That's fantastic.  Many thanks for your efforts.

Regards

Chris

Offline Hill

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Re: Harriett Elizabeth LUCE, born Jersey 1828ish
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 03 March 09 20:16 GMT (UK) »
Hi Chris

I have now had the opportunity of looking at some of the papers at the Archive Centre about the Luce Perfume Co.

It was founded in 1837 by George Luce but he didn't have much enthusiasm for paper work and so it was left to his son George Jnr to do the daily running. There is a lot of paper work which I didn't look at but I'm reasonably confident that he is your man.

Incidentally, the company was sold to the Du Pre family. It would appear that George Snr was the maternal grandfather of J W and H E Du Pre.

You can get copies of all the paperwork from the Archive Centre.

Stewart


Offline ChrisWJDH

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Re: Harriett Elizabeth LUCE, born Jersey 1828ish
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 04 March 09 09:26 GMT (UK) »
Hi Stewart

I've been digging into the perfume company Luces on the censuses and still haven't been able to make the connection with my Luces.  Perfumer George appears to have been born in St Helier in about 1819 and was variously a Hairdresser (1841), Hairdresser/General Dealer (1851), Toy and Fancy dealer (1861), Perfumer (1871) and Eau de Cologne Manufacturer (1881).  He married Lydia and they had children: George (b 1838) and Lydia (b 1848).  This Lydia married James J Dupre and their five offspring included Wilfred James and Harold, both of whom are mentioned in the abstracts of the Luce Company information on the Archive Centre website.

The dates of George the perfumer don't really tally with my Luces.  The (only?) possible link could be that the Thomas Luce you found who was born in 1791 COULD be the father of George perfumer.  What do you think?

Thanks again for your efforts.

Regards

Chris

Offline Hill

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Re: Harriett Elizabeth LUCE, born Jersey 1828ish
« Reply #5 on: Wednesday 04 March 09 17:30 GMT (UK) »
Hi Chris

Yes I see what you are saying - I've had to draw this tree out to follow it!

I'll have a look next week for any children of Thomas and Elizabeth. Hopefully one of them will be a Richard.

Stewart

Offline Hill

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Re: Harriett Elizabeth LUCE, born Jersey 1828ish
« Reply #6 on: Thursday 12 March 09 12:25 GMT (UK) »
Hi Chris

Using the information you have given me on George Luce, I have found that he was baptised 6th Sep 1818. His parents were Thomas (baptised 1st Dec 1778) and Elizabeth Marie Sauvage (baptised 21st Feb 1793). They were married 21st May 1814.

I have now been to the Societe Jersiaise Library and discovered a person from Quebec has kindly lodged copies of the Luce family trees going back to 1510 and associated documentation. On one of the trees I can see the birth of George to Thomas who has a birth date of 1778 so it appears that this is the relevant tree.

Unfortunately there is no mention on that tree of Harriet Elizabeth Luce or her father George Luce, born 1793. Neither was there a mention of Harriet on any of the other trees. So my conclusion is that there does not appear to be a "close" relationship between Harriet and George.

I have taken a copy of the tree and will scan it in if you wish. Send me a private email with your home email address and I will forward it on.

Stewart

Offline Piers du Pre

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Re: Harriett Elizabeth LUCE, born Jersey 1828ish
« Reply #7 on: Monday 06 January 14 14:42 GMT (UK) »
Hi, Just found your posting courtesy of Google. My paternal grandfather, James Wilfred du Pre owned Luces Eau de Cologne at 42 King Street, St Helier. Is there anything I can help with?

Piers du Pre

Offline ChrisWJDH

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Re: Harriett Elizabeth LUCE, born Jersey 1828ish
« Reply #8 on: Friday 10 January 14 08:54 GMT (UK) »
Hi Piers. 
Many thanks for making contact.  I've not pursued the Luce family connection for some time - rather given up if I'm honest.  Can you add anything to the facts uncovered by myself and Stewart?
Regards
Chris