Columnist has family ties to people who fought at the second siege of Louisbourg
This summer visitors will gather from all over North America to commemorative the 250th anniversary of one of the defining moments in the history of our country – the second siege of Louisbourg, which secured the Maritimes for Great Britain. In 1759, after the fall of Quebec, all of Lower Canada would fall into British hands.
The anniversary will have special significance for me and the Martell clan because my grandfather (five times removed) Charles Martell, was a soldier in Wolfe’s army. Could our clan be the only one that can trace its ancestry to a person who fought in the second siege of Louisbourg?
Charles Martell was a distinguished citizen of this island. He was the son of Anthony Martell, a French Hugenot who was forced, in 1733, to flee Lyons, France for Ireland with his young wife during one of the sporadic persecutions of that religious group. The Hugenots, beginning in 1698, were outlawed in France, their lands often taken away and their children declared illegitimate so as to legalize any confiscation. Anthony’s mother, who chose to stay in Lyons, hid in a wine cask but was betrayed by a servant. Religious zealots decapitated her.
Information on Charles and his children was preserved largely in bibles or passed down through the generations. Although much of it cannot be corroborated through official records, it nevertheless has the ring of truth. On the other hand, there is much official documentation.
In Ireland, Anthony became a linen and silk merchant, he anglicized his name and became an adherent of the church of Ireland. On February 12, 1733, his son Charles was born. Fifteen years later, we find the family in Halifax. Tradition has it that young Charles was active in the laying out of that garrison city. He would later receive a grant of land near the provincial buildings. Meanwhile, his father acquired a business partner, whose name never surfaced in official accounts, and he continued his business in the city and beyond. On a trip to New York with his son, Anthony Martell died of yellow fever. The partner sold the business and decamped for France.
Much research has been done on that part of the story but with few results. A relative of mine could find no references to Anthony’s business in local papers at that time. Others found no evidence that there were outbreaks of yellow fever at the time that Anthony visited New York. Nevertheless, yellow fever was common enough not to be reported.
About 1753, a family of Swiss origin, named Schmidh came to Halifax. Waldensians, they too were persecuted. A daughter, Ann, (1739-1804) escaped martyrdom at the age of 14. She would later marry Charles Martell.
In 1758, we find Charles Martell in Louisbourg as a soldier in the 45th Regiment of Foot. Legend has it that he was a sergeant in the commissary department of Wolfe’s army. Given that Charles Martell was a highly educated person with very good leadership skills, it is entirely possible that he knew Wolfe well and even served on his staff. He appears, however, on a regiment list in 1760 as a corporal.
Next week I shall proudly describe the distinguished career of Charles Martell.
LeRoy Peach lives in Port Morien and may be reached at leroy_peach@yahoo.ca. His column appears every week in the Cape Breton Post