Anna Charouleau (1812 - 1898)

On a beautiful afternoon in March 2013, Annie, Laurette, Nicole and Paule, all descendants of Sebastien Charouleau, meet in Cazères (Haute Garonne) and, while sharing a crispy ariègeoise, sprinkled with champagne .. ..

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Anna, my name is Anna Charouleau This name Charouleau is a surname of the southwestern region, diminutive of charchar derived from chariot, which designated a path between fields or tanks can pass. It also derives from Carol or Carolus. I was born on December 15, 1812 in the hamlet of Fort in the commune of Montardit in Ariège and I died in Toulouse on April 3, 1898. It must be said that life in the 

Fort's house had become difficult. Indeed, in addition to the economic difficulties of this half of the nineteenth century, 

Gérôme my father dies on January 1, 1825, at the age of 47, it is therefore his eldest son Sebastien, my elder brother who, of 20 years ensures the destiny of the exploitation with our mother Marianne.

That year, (1825) my sister Paule is just 15 years old, Joan 10 years old, Rose 5 years old, the last little Marie is only 2 years old, and myself 13. In 1833, Sébastien married Jeanne Saint Germes. My niece and nephew were born successively, Jean in 1834, Jeanne in 1837, Pierre in 1840, Jeanne Marie in 1842, Louis in 1847, and Jean Pierre in 1849. In 1842, the Charouleau house counts no more than 12 people ...

Around 1840, Paule was 30 years old, Marie just 17 years old and myself 28. That year, Paule, took the road to Bordeaux, the port through which all migrants seeking wealth in South America or to the United States, encouraged by the agency Colson de Bordeaux which offers shipping prices defying all competition ... and with the hope of a better life and make a fortune ..... Then it was my turn to take the road around 1849 when I was 37 years old; As for Marie, she went to Bordeaux in 1852 when she was 29 years old.

To make this journey, each one of us went to Cazères sur Garonne either by horse-drawn omnibus which linked at the time Cazères to Saint Girons, or, through our brother or a brother, a neighbor of the Fort who came to Cazères on a market day with his cart. Then, it was the diligence that linked Cazères to Toulouse by the old Roman road which skirted the Garonne which has since become a national road, transformed at the end of the 20th century into a motorway. The journey lasted 18 hours ..... Today, at the beginning of the 21st century, it is 14:30, to go from Paris to Santiago de Chile ... by plane ...

Paule my sister, married on February 19, 1842 in Bordeaux with Joseph Martres. Joseph was born May 21, 1814 in Salerm, of unknown father. His mother, Bernarde Dario, married on August 27, 1817 with Joseph Louis de Martres, who recognized Joseph as his son on that date. He was 3 years old. They lived in Bordeaux at No. 50 Rue Saint Eulalie. Joseph, who was a baker's boy, set sail for Buenoos Aires in 1850 on the 3 masts "Le Paris, as a cook." Paule joined him with his sister Mairie in 1852. They embarked on the ship Le Lion on 17 February 1852. In Buenos Aires, Paule and Joseph were recorded in 1855, under the name of Don Jose Martres and Paulina Ialuxo born in Lufe (Le Fort)

My little sister Marie, embarks for Argentina with her sister Paule in 1852. She was single and tapissiere. She married on July 17, 1854 in Montevideo with Louis Naury, rentier. They will have 2 children, Pauline born in 1855 and Joseph born in 1857. Marie and Louis will return to France, and will end their days at Jurançon.

I arrived in Bordeaux at the beginning of 1849. On the quays, I met Michel Artigue, a merchant, originally from Martres de Riviere. I married her on March 17, 1849. I was then 36 years old, 23. Today, this difference in age has become a sort of "norm" or even a trend, but in my day it was very wrong to marry a man much more young. It must be said that a woman embarking on her own risked being a prey to the contingent of emigrants, who were in the great majority of young men full of ardor and hope. Being married was therefore a guarantee for me to make this trip in complete tranquility. We embark the same year for  Peru .... on the ship Chile on July 7. 

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On its spur, Montardit is a village-street, close to Saint Girons. It was fortified, which allowed it during the wars of religion and unlike Mérigon, to escape in large part to the Protestants. As early as 1195 Montardit, its castle and church belonged to the bishop of Couserans until 1576, when half of the seigniory was sold to laymen. At that time, the hamlet of the Fort, because of its dominant position, was only a fort (hence its name), which protected Montardit and its surroundings from Protestant incursions during the religious wars of the 16th century.  It is known that the day of August 1, 1569; was completed by the plunder of Montardit, by the Huguenots from the Mas d'Azil. The house where the members of my family were born was probably built by my ancestor Philippe in 1663.