The Marchon Family - History

Migration to Brasil

Text by Albino José Marchon

In July 4, 1819 depart from Estavayer-le-Lac, Lake Neuchatel, 1088 Swiss, included 830 of the Canton of Fribourg, presents Jean-Claude Marchon, his wife Marie Prostasie Chavannaz Marchon, his brother Antoine Marchon and fiancee Marieanne Elizabeth Clerc, to Basle, the meeting point of the Swiss Transmigration for Brasil. And then 2006 Swiss, by the Rhein River, go to Holland and after a lot of peripetia they depart from St. Gravendeel, near Dordrecht, in the Daphne, for the crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, in September 11. Their arrival in Rio de Janeiro was in November 4, spenting 55 days, a very good time for the epoch. And, finally, they arrive in Morro-Quiemado (Burnt Mount) in November 15, 1819 – about 12000 kilometers in 105 days, approximately 114 kilometers a day.

In Morro-Queimado, in the forested mountains, about 140 kilometers from Rio, now three big farms, acquired by the King João VI, of Brasil, Portugal and Algarves, for the stablishment of the Swiss Transmigration and the Foundation of a new city – Nova Friburgo (New Fribourg). And the Marchons became the Founders of Nova Friburgo and Marie Prostasie - the first Marchon to die in the New World, dies of complications post-partum the day following the birth of the first woman Marchon in Brasil, in September, 4, 1821, Marie Rosaline Marchon. About 20 years after, Marie Rosalyne married with Swiss Henri Monnerat, son of Swiss immigrants François Xavier Monnerat and Elizabeth Köhler Monnerat and leaves a prolific and important descent.

In his first farm, the 51, about 8 kilometers from Nova Friburgo, Jean-Claude Marchon, spents more than 1.500 French francs and as he declares that his land is sterile and asks for another. In 1822 Jean-Claude Marchon starts with his farm Pedra Riscada, 1,5 kilometers from Lumiar, and 20 kilometers from Nova Friburgo. And Jean-Claude works, works and works until his farm have almost 1500 hectares and 40 slaves. In April, 21, 1823 he is married with Swissesse Marie-Anne Elizabeth Balmat, daughter of Swiss immigrants André Balmat and Françoise Zurkinden Balmat, and both, Jean-Claude and Marie-Anne, were acclamed, in 1990, id est, 167 years after, Patrons of the Associação da Família Marchon (Marchon Family Association), in Brasil, being considered the Patriarch and Matriarch of the Marchons of Brasil. They have had 14 sons, 10 men and 4 women, between 1824 and 1849: Maria Luisa (married with Jacob Berbert, son of German immigrants Peter Berbert and Margueritte Umstäter), François-Xavier (married firstly with Marie-Joséphine Jaccoud, daughter of Swiss immigrants Jean-Pierre Jaccoud and Anne Marie Rose Robadey and secondly with Marie Emilie Oberländer, daughter of German immigrants Gottlob Friedrich Oberländer and Annemarie Schmidt. François-Xavier and Marie Emilie have had 3 children: the middle Emílio Oscar Marchon, married with Emerenciana da Silva, who have had 3 children, the middle Eurico Marchon, married with Georgeta Mariana Gerhard, who have had 10 children: Myron, Maria Paulina, Agenor, Carmem, Nair, Pedro, Eurico, Euta, Paulo and Albino José, the subscriber of this, who married with Regina Heidi Engmann, have 3 sons: Albino José, Renato and João Cláudio), André Cyprien (married with Marie Françoise Curty, daughter of Swiss immigrants Jean-Joseph Curty and Marie Françoise Bard), Tiago Basílio Marchon (married with Maria Isabel Tardin, daughter of Swiss immigrants Antoine Tardin and Marie Genilloud), Antônio Leôncio (married with Maria Amélia Jaccoud, daughter of Swiss immigrants Vincent Jaccoud and Cathérine Balmat), Felipe (married with Maria Adélia Balmat, daughter of Swiss immigrants Pierre Balmat and Maria Luísa Périsset), Cláudio Eduardo (single, is legendary in our family his horse trip from Pedra Riscada to Rio Grande do Sul, almost 2000 quilometers, where he was dead, in 1857), Pedro Celestino (married with Emília Guimarães), Augusto (single), Luciano (married with Maria Paulina De Roure, daughter of João De Roure, of noble French origin, his father was Grand Tallion of Louis XVI, and Marie De Bossens, daughter of Swiss immigrants), Maria Adélia (married with Joaquim Francisco Pinto, Captain of the Brasilian National Guard, of Portuguese origin), Maria Lydia (married with José Martins da Costa, of Portuguese origin), Constância Eugênia (married with Plácido Vieira Valentim, of Portuguese origin, both died and enterred in Portugal) and finally, the last son of Jean-Claude and Marie Anne Elizabeth, Carlos Maria (married firstly with Maria Curty Marchon, daughter of André Cyprien, his brother, and Marie Françoise Curty, and after his dead with Euphrasia Clarita de Oliveira, of Portuguese origin).

In June, 6, 1857 Jean-Claude is dead and was sepulted in the Cemetery of his farm, followed by Marie Anne Elizabeth, in April, 7, 1880, in the same grave, an original and nice sepulcher – today this cemetery is the Cemetery of Pedra Riscada, donated to the community by the Marchons, who until today are the proprietors of the nucleous of the large farm.

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