The Cazeneuve Family Part II

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Searching for Cazeneuves on family history sites or in archive indexes is not easy; the name is spelled in various ways, and often transcribed or indexed wrongly. In transcriptions of various baptism records, for example, it is Cassanave, Caronensur or Cozensu.

Where it is possible to check the original record, it seems that the spelling Cazeneufre or Cazeneufue was the one preferred in the family's early days in England. 

The earliest mention of the family in England appears to be in 1696, when a licence for the marriage of John Cazeneufre and Esther Brodu was issued by the Vicar General. It is not known where or when this marriage took place. 

A daughter of John and Esther, Marie Ester, was baptised in 1696. Two places of baptism appear in indexes - Westminster and Stepney. A son, Jean, was baptised in Spitalfields in 1698. Spitalfields was where many Huguenots chose to settle, many of them in the silkweaving trade, but John and Esther did not remain there long. Another son, François, was baptised in Westminster in 1700.

In 1700, 'John Cazeneufue' became naturalised English. At that time naturalisation required a private Act of Parliament, but a single Act could include many people. The Act under which John was naturalised received the Royal Assent on 11 April 1700.


According to the naturalisation documents, John Cazeneufue was born in the Island of Oléron in the province of Saintonge in France, the son of John and Anne. 


Oléron is an island on the west coast of France. It is only 32 kilometres, or 20 miles, from La Rochelle, which was a Huguenot stronghold earlier in the seventeenth century. 


Oléron is in the Cognac producing region, and also was and is known for fishing and oysters. It was also heavily defended, being vulnerable to attack from the sea. One of the fortifications, the Citadel, had existed since the Middle Ages. It had been extended at times in the seventeenth century.


In 1685 the French military engineer Vauban inspected the Citadel and decided to carry out extensive work. This became urgent in 1688 when war broke out between France under Louis XIV on the one hand and the Netherlands, England, Scotland, the Holy Roman Empire, Spain and Savoy on the other hand. This war is variously known as the Nine Years War, the War of the League of Augsburg or the War of the Grand Alliance. It was the first of the series of conflicts between England/Britain and France down to 1815. 


A workforce of 7,000 men was recruited - possibly conscripted - to work on the Citadel. The winter of 1689-90 was particularly harsh. Many of the men died of cold or exhaustion. 

It is unknown whether John Cazeneufre was still in Oléron at this time, but if he was, these events may have contributed to his decision to leave.

John and others who petitioned to be included in the Naturalisation Act stated that they had 'served all the late war in [an] English regiment'. 

French Huguenots had been serving in the armies of other nations since the sixteenth century, some as far afield as Hungary. Large numbers served in the Netherlands, and there were several hundred among the troops that accompanied William of Orange on his invasion of England in 1688. Once established on the English throne, William organised Huguenot regiments within the English army. Other Huguenots served in other English regiments. 

Some time after John's naturalisation in 1700, he and Esther moved to Chatham. The earliest mention of the family in the Medway area so far discovered is in 1702, when Jeremiah, son of John and Esther Cazeneufre, was baptised at St Mary's, Chatham. Jeremiah was buried at St Mary's the following year. Another son, Jacob, was baptised at Chatham in 1703. 

John Cazaneuf was buried in Chatham in 1714. This may be the Jean who was baptised in Spitalfields in 1698. 

Some researchers identify John Cazneufre or Cazeneuve of Chatham with Jean Jacques, or John James, Cazeneuve of St Ann's, Westminster. However, they can be clearly shown to have been two different people. 

'John Jacobus Cazeneufve' was granted letters of denization, not naturalisation, in March 1699/1700. Jean Jacques and his wife Marie were having children baptised in Westminster at the same period as John and Esther's children were being baptised in Westminster and elsewhere. The will of Jean Jacques of Westminster was proved in 1736. His wife Mary was named executrix. John of Chatham was buried at St Mary's and his will proved in 1740.  In his will he refers to his 'loving wife' Esther. Jean Jacques, according to his will, was a pastry cook. John was a distiller. 

Having settled in Chatham, John Cazeneuve established himself as a businessman and property owner. John Cazeneuve and his family in Chatham will be the subject of future posts.



Next: The Cazeneuve Family Part III
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The author has lived all her life in Kent, apart from a few years elsewhere as a student. She has a lifelong interest in local history, especially the history of Kent, and has been researching family history for decades. This blog brings together those interests in an ongoing study of the history of a small area of a smallish English city. The author also writes historical mystery fiction, which can be found on Amazon Kindle: see links at the foot of each blog post.

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