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CHAPTER 2THE FIRST YEARS OF CHARLES DE LAMBERT Charles, Alexandre, Maurice, Joseph Marie, Jules, Stanislas, Jacques count Charles de Lambert is born in Funchal on December 30 1865 03:30, in the presence of his grandparents on mother’s side. On account of mortal danger and ad caute’lam (by way of precaution) the christening ceremony takes place on January 4 1866.   Fig. 2-1 Translation: ‘On the fourth day of the month of January of the year thousand eight hundred sixty six, in this Chapel Nossa Senhora das Augustias, situated in Quinta das Augustias, in parish of San Pedro, Council and Diocese Funchal, authorized by Order of Excellency and Rev Dom Patricio Xavier de Moura, Diocesan Bishop, dated December six of thousand eighthundred and sixty five, I have practised exorcism and baptised, administered Holy Oils to a person of male sex, who because of mortal danger and by way of precaution, was baptised by me in this same chapel, whom I have given the name of Carlos Alexandre Mauricio José Maria Julio Estanislau Jacques, who was born in this parish of San Pedro at three o’clock thirty of the morning of the thirtieth day of the month of December of the year thousand eighthundred and sixty five, legal son of Exc. Count Alexandre Carlos de Lambert, dceased, real property owner and Aide-de-camp of His Majesty the Emperor of all Russias, born in Paris, received in this same chapel, parishioner of this parish of San Pedro and at present living at rua de Sancta Clara, grandson on the father’s side of Exc. Count Maria Carlos de Lambert and of Exc. Countess Julia Deeff de Lambert and on the mother’s side of Exc. Count Luis Estanislau de Savary de Lancosme Brèves and of Exc. Countess Maria Antonietta Julia Gaudar de Laverdine de Lancosme Brèves. Was godfather His Exc. Count José de Lambert, Aide-de-camp of His Majesty the Emperor of all Russias, married, living in the town of Saint-Petersburg, represented by his attorney Exc. Count de Lancosme Brèves, grandfather of the person receiving baptism, in virtue of a warrant of the second of the month of last November, and godmother Exc. Countess de Lancosme-Brèves, grandmother of the person receiving baptism, and assist with this certificate as witnesses, Exc. Count do Carvalhal, Lieutenant-General José Julio do Amaral and José Antonio Monteiro Feixeira, ex-consul of this town, whom I know in person. I declare that the person receiving baptism is son of Exc. Count Alexandre Carlos de Lambert, deceased, and of Exc. Countess Maria Luiza Margarida de Lambert, widow, born in Paris. And so I have drawn up this certificate in twofold which we after reading and comparing in presence of priests and witnesses have signed collectively. I declare that with this certificate of baptism, which took place on day thirty of last December, were present Exc.Vice Consul of Russia Joaquim José Bernes, and Exc.Vice Consul of France Mr César Blaize, who have signed this registration as well. Era ut supra. = Laverdine = Count de Lancosme Brèves de Laverdine Countess deLancosme Brèves
Jose Julio do Amaral General V da G Division Joaquim José Bernes Canile do Carvalho J.A. Monteiro Feixeira C. Blaize The Cannon Priest Filippe José Nunes’ Fairly paradoxical situation, that of a child born on Portuguese territory of a half Russian father whose family has been living for seventy years in exile from their native country, and of a French mother. The young Charles de Lambert obviously enjoys a privileged upbringing. About his mother one knows indeed she has a weak health but she is known as devoted and attentive. His grandfather, enervated by a life of struggle, remains active and receives the surname ‘tireless grey-haired man’ by the end of his days. Especially his grandmother, born Marie-Antoinette, Juliette, Gaudar de Laverdine is there. To meet the expense of the unexpected passing away of her husband countess de Lambert, residing at Rua (or Largo) de Sancta Clara, is to urgently request for a loan of 12.000 ruis with Russian merchants settled on Madeira. It is to meet certain obligations among which the transport of the corpse of her husband to France as well as the necessary repairs and furnishing of the ‘Quinta das Augústias’ she is going to let; (on August 19 1903 countess de Lambert and her only son Charles, both living on the address 64 avenue de Paris in Versailles, sold ‘Quinta Lambert’ to baron Julio Paulo de Freitas, doctor and real estate owner, for the sum of £ 4.000 or 22.160.000 ruis, through the agency of the firm Blandy Brothers and Co., their representative having full powers). Nothing really binds them to the island of Madeira (otherwise from the beginning of July 2008, more than 140 years after his birth, piloto Charles Conde de Lambert is also honoured there on my proposal).  Fig. 2-2 General’s wife countess de Lambert, her parents and her son return to France in August 1867. They settle in the mild and beneficial climate of Basses-Pyrénées, first of all in Bayonne. Countess de Lambert born Marie-Louise Marguerite Savary de Lancosme-Brèves and Charles de Lambert lost her father respectively his grandfather on November 25 1873.  Fig. 2-3 Translation: ‘In THE YEAR thousand eight hundred seventy three and the twenty fifth of November, at eleven o’clock in the morning. In front of us deputy attorney, civil servant of the registration service of the town of Bayonne, department of Basses-Pyrénées, have appeared Messrs Pierre Auguste BLAZY, fifty eight years old, waiter, and François Henri HARAN, forty two years old, padre of the boarding school St. Bernard, living in this town, who declared us that the twenty fourth of this month at eleven o’clock thirty in the evening Mr Stanislas count de LANCOSME-BRÊVES, sixty four years old, rentier, Knight of the Legion of Honour, living and born in Vendoeuvres en Brenne (Indre); husband of Mrs Julette GAUDAR de LAVERDINE; has passed away in this town, rue du Gouvernement nº 28, as has been assured to us, and the informers have signed with us this death certificate, after it has been read to them. The deputy attorney. Signatures follow.’ After the death of Lancosme-Brèves mother and son move to Pau where Charles count de Lambert attends secondary education. It has also been published that he takes an academic grade in law. His marriage certificate of June 6 1893 (see CHAPTER 4 CHARLES DE LAMBERT AND HIS ONES) indicates ‘licencié en droit’ (‘candidate in law’). Somewhat confusing his uncle count de Beaumont, in whose villa he lives in Pau, calls him ‘ingenieur’ whereas he appears in the lists of the census in 1911 and 1921 in Neuilly-sur-Seine with the profession of ‘Ingénieur Aviateur’. >From 1878 until 1884 he studies higher education at the Collège Saint-Jean in Versailles, nowadays (maybe still?) ‘private catholic schooling’. In 1924, no doubt an older branch becoming extinct, he takes the title of marquis de Lambert (one step higher on the noble scale). However it is also held that he probably could bear this title from the death of his mother on July 6 1909. The carelessness about his title causes him to be called count de Lambert. Also in 1869 a suchlike attitude appears when countess de Lancosme-Brèves born Marie-Antoinette Juliette Gaudar de Laverdine, grants by notarial act, the possession of Brèves at the Bornaie, community of Vendœvres, Indre to her grandson. The castle built by the count from 1834 (stone in a wall) is sold by Charles de Lambert in 1904 to Mr Trotignon-Lignelet, producer. He, as well as the countess, does not take the trouble to sign the deed of sale. Moreover it is said that de Lambert never came and fetched the furniture and familymementos reserved for him. But perhaps it is also possible that he left the removal to his mother!   Fig. 2-4 It is probable Charles de Lambert and his mother visit the province of Touraine. By 1883 the priests of the order of the Oratory decide to sell the property ‘Sainte-Marie’ situated in Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire opposite the Loire, which they obtained as legacy under the name ‘Galanderie’ in October 1862. The villa is bought, as second residence, by Marguerite de Lambert born Savary de Lancosme-Brèves “ill son of whom needs it to inhale fresh air”. So writes canon L. Bossebœf in his book ‘Tonnellé et Clocheville’. Miserably the minutes of the notarial certificate have been lost in a fire during “the war 1939-1945”. Countess de Lambert sells the villa again in 1886 namely to count de Boisgelin. At the time of the war 1914-1918 he has it, at the request of public authorities, furnished as ‘Technical school of the Crippled Persons and Disabled Persons of the war’.  Fig. 2-6 Besides villa ‘Sainte-Marie’ countess de Lambert has obtained in Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire, on April 12 1884, lifelong concession of ground on the municipal cemetery.  Fig. 2-7 Translation: ‘We mayor of St. Cyr Undersigned Considering the request of Mrs Countess de Lambert of April 12 1884 in order to obtain the concession of thirty square meters of ground in the municipal cemetery; Considering the agreement of the party involved to pay the sum due in conformity with the decision of the Governor of September 31 1878 coming to an arrangement of the tariff of the concessions in the municipal cemetery. Decide Art. 1. – Lifelong concession of thirty square meters of ground is granted to Mrs Countess de Lambert living in St. Cyr to be taken in the northeast corner so as to found a family vault. Art. 2. – This concession is granted for the sum of four thousand five hundred francs which Mrs Countess de Lambert is bound to deposit immediately in the municipal treasury a third part will be credited with the office of charity. She will also be bound to pay all charges resulting from this. Done and decided on the town hall of St. Cyr. April 12 1884 The Mayor Was signed François Brocherioux’ No doubt it has to do with the visitors of the cemetery around All Saints and All Souls that about thirteen years later mayor Mr Albert Bruzon, is to approach “Mrs the Countess” with a kind letter of November 3 1897.  Fig. 2-8 Translation: ‘Mrs the countess I beg to draw your attention to the fact that the plot you bought with a lifelong concession on the municipal cemetery on April 12 1884 is in a state of total neglect. The fence provisionally placed as façade is in a very bad condition and the public, not knowing the destination of the plot, throw away there faded bouquets, papers etc, . in spite of the superintendence. My attention is especially drawn to this state of affairs during these days of the year when the cemetery is visited more often and I request you to give instructions to clean this plot and to place a solid fence, announcing for your information, that the guardian of the cemetery widow Legras would be more than willing to do this maintenance at little expense. Yours sincerely, The Mayor, Was signed A. Bruzon’ From his address 64, Avenue de Paris in Versailles Charles de Lambert, 31 years old, reacts with a letter of November 4 1897.   Fig. 2-9 Translation: ‘Mr Mayor my Mother instructs me to thank you for your letter of the 3rd of this month, and to tell you she is writing to have the necessary done. I intend to go to Touraine one of these days and I will have the fence replaced. Thanking you Mr Mayor once more, yours sincerely, was signed count de Lambert’ Thus having lost her husband on Madeira on August 1 1865 – within half a year after her wedding and expecting her son Charles – and also her father in Bayonne on November 24 1873, countess de Lambert herself dies on July 6 1909 in her home (close by in the same street on number 74 her son will live from 1907 until 1923) in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts de Seine, France.  Fig. 2-10 Translation: ‘In the year thousand nine hundred nine the sixth of July at ten o’clock in the morning Death certificate of Marguerite Marie de LANCOSME BRÉVES, sixty nine years old, without profession, born in Paris, district could not be indicated to us, died today July six of this month at half past three in the morning in her residence in Neuilly sur Seine; rue Charles Lafitte 80; daughter of Stanislas de Lancosme Bréves and of Juliette Godard de la Verdine, his wife, both deceased Widow of Charles Alexandre de Lambert Drawn up after verification done of the decease by us Frédéric Léon Lemaire deputy of the Mayor of the Town of Neuilly sur Seine fulfilling by special power of attorney the functions of officer in the registration office. According to declaration of Charles Alexandre de Lambert forty three years old, engineer, living in Neuilly sur Seine, 74 rue Charles Lafitte son of the deceased and due to the absence of any other member of the family, neighbour Maurice Taylor, twenty four years old, public servant, living in Paris avenue de la République 108, witnesses who have signed with after reading. was signed de Lambert M. Taylor Lemaire’ Due to the absence of any known descendants the concession has been discontinued at the time of mayor Claude Griveau (from April 1965 until October 1984). Her remains are still in an alcove on the cemetery of Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire on Friday July 15 2005.    Fig. 2-11 |