FRANCE: Marie Isabelle Baroness Gudin

[cire]

I am researching Marie Isabelle Gudin, on behalf of my daughter in law, one of whose ancestors worked for the baroness around 1910 -1920.
The Baroness was the daughter in law of the painter Theodore Gudin. I have details of her life in England from the censuses but would like to trace her back to France. She was born in Paris around 1845. There is suggestion that she was the widow of Alphonse De La Font. I think her maiden name was Ardouin.
If anyone has any information I would be grateful.

Eric

[jorose]

http://gillesdubois.blogspot.com/2006/07/descendance-de-benoit-de-la-font-de.html
 - information on the de la fonts here.

This entry on geneanet has her as born Paris, 23 December 1839
http://gw1.geneanet.org/index.php3?b=garric&lang=en;p=theodore+james;n=gudin

This fits with a baptism at www.familysearch.org for Marie Isabelle Ardouin, parents Jean Augustin Ardouin and Pauline Elisabeth Bouché.

There are also some newspaper/court records from 1885.  She was residing in England at the time, and he in France (at the "Chateau de la Castellane, Lavatette, near Toulon"), and she wanted him to give her access to investments belonging to her which were with the Bank of Scotland.

There is a reference to Alphonse here, he died in 1880 which makes sense if Maria remarried in 1882.
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k112011p/f281.image.r=%22Alphonse+de+lafont%22.langEN

I don't know if you've seen the married "Maria I LaFont" living with Theodore Gudin (sr) in 1871, but it looks like she knew the family well before the marriage in 1882.

http://www.lulu.com/items/volume_62/490000/490710/3/print/490710.pdf
 - here there is info about her parents and the fact that they had three daughters, then got married, then officially recognised the kids in 1858, just before Marie Isabelle got married.

[cire]

Many thanks "jorose" for the reply.
 I had found  references to her in the 19C newspapers. She and her husband had certainly moved in London high society!
I had seen the birth in Paris but the date of 1839 did not line up with what she said in the censuses!!
1891 had birth year as 1849, 1901 as 1846 and in 1911 she didn't answer the question --- it just had "woman" in the age column!!!!! I have now found her death in 1922 and her birthdate from that is 1839. Shev was a little coy about her age!!!!!

I had seen a couple of the other sites you mentioned but hadn't found the one about the La Font family noor the lady visiting Theodore Gudin in 1871  though again there the age is all wrong!!!!

Many thanks again. There is certainly more for me to do there.

Eric

[jorose]

If you contact the owner of the tree on geneanet who has reference to her marriage in 1882, they may have a copy of the original marriage record, which is presumably where the birthdate/place comes from.  I would also expect that to either list her parents or to list her as the widow of M. de la Font (if your luck is very good, perhaps both!).

Her second husband was younger than her, so I am not at all surprised if she chose to obfuscate in later years.

Paris archives are at http://canadp-archivesenligne.paris.fr/archives_etat_civil/index.php but there are difficulties with records before 1860s.  You can see, for example, Jean Augustin Ardouin's death on the 28th May 1868 in the 8th arrondissement.

Also looking in 8e there is a birth for one of her sons - Gaston Eugene, registered 21 January 1862, which gives her age as 22.

[sdeb]

Bon afternoon,

I read with interest your discussion on family ARDOUIN GUDIN.
I would be interested to talk to you about it.

Best regards,

Stephanie

Sdeb

[cire]

Bon jour Stephanie, (thats about as far as my French goes these days!!!!!!)
Welcome to RootsChat.

I should say that Marie Isabelle is not part of my family. One of my grandsons had been to visit his grandmother (of his mother's side of the family) and she had told him that relations of hers ( I think her great aunt and uncle) had worked for Marie Isabelle when she lived in London, around the time of the 1914 - 1918 War. Grandson knew I did a lot of family history and when he told me about Marie Isabelle I said I would see what I could find out about her, mainly to encourage his interest.

Marie Isabelle was quite a character. I'm not sure how much I can remember what I found out, but I will be happy to help.

Eric

[Jessiedewdrop]

Baroness Gudin was related to me.  One of my aunts visited her with her mother in London around 1920.  My aunt said she lived in the basement of her London house and on the wall upstairs were hunting trophies, all falling to bits.  She was sleeping on a pile of mattresses.  Don't know why.
She definitely married Alphonse de La font - I have seen the entry of her marriage in La Madelaine church and got a copy of her civil wedding certificate when in Paris.

[cire]

Hi Jessie
Welcome to RootsChat. I sure you will find it helpful in your research.

It is around 3 years since I was researching "The Baroness". I still have some of my notes (somewhere!!!!). We found quite a lot about her after she came to England in the newspapers. Do you have access to the English censuses? I remember in one of the censuses she apparently wouldn't give her age!! She is just recorded as "woman"

Eric