Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2020 January 4

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January 4

Full names of French colonial or naval officers (1888)

Need help identifying the full names of these French colonial or naval officers. Mainly interested in knowing the full names of De Nays-Candau, Reux, Aublet, and Tournois. Other names that would be cool to know but less important: Cadousteau, Marin, Paquis, Philip, Clot, and Lefebre, Andrieu, Le Touze, Dusault, Charpentier de Cossigny, Martel. I already know Alfred Charles Marie La Guerre, Étienne Théodore Mondésir Lacascade and Louis Dénot. Source: pages 152–156. Also who was the captain of the l'Aorai in 1888 mentioned in this document? KAVEBEAR (talk) 00:10, 4 January 2020 (UTC)

Reux and the final question: this source page 809 says that in 1887, l’Aorai was a two-gun goélette (schooner) stationed at Taïti and her captain had been L.M. Reux, a lieutenant de vaisseau, since 18 June 1886. This fits with the text you linked, which actually does describe Reux as the commander of the l’Aorai: "le Lieutenant de Vaisseau Reux, commandant la goelette l’Aorai". And all this would match with him being this Louis Marie Reux. 70.67.193.176 (talk) 01:12, 5 January 2020 (UTC)

Aublet: Édouard-Edmond Aublet, described in your source as Capitaine d’infanterie de marine (captain of the marines). He has a biographical line (last line on page) on page 310 of this book. Born 10 May 1854, belonged to the second regiment, joined the French Army 2 Nov 1873, promoted to sublieutenant 1 Oct 1880, promoted to lieutenant 25 May 1883, promoted to captain of marines 20 August 1886 while at Taïti. His signature is shown here, and per that source, he also went on to write a book: La Guerre au Dahomey 1888-1893; per his name on the title page, he was also an Officier D’ordonnance du Ministre de la Marine (ordnance officer for the Minister of the Navy). 70.67.193.176 (talk) 01:28, 5 January 2020 (UTC)

de Naÿs Candau: Pierre-Louis-Auguste-Fernand de Naÿs Candau. Your source calls him le Chef d’Escadron d’Artillerie de Marine (major of marine artillery). Going back to that book again, he’s got a biographical line on page 184 (last line on page) where he is described as born 29 June 1850, promoted to captain 18 March 1879, and currently serving as brevet d'état-major, chef de service (chief staff officer) at Tahiti. On page 218 it says be was made staff officer in 1877. Here’s his page on that naval officer fan site – there’s a picture as well as lots of other details. 70.67.193.176 (talk) 01:41, 5 January 2020 (UTC)

And finally Tournois: Odon-Georges-Pierre Tournois, who your source describes as le Lieutenant Tournois, détaché auprès du Gouverneur (I can’t translate this myself, but google translate claims it means “seconded to the Governor”) shows up on page 324, sixth from last entry. He’s a lieutenant of marines, born 22 April 1859, and his regiment is described as H.c. (don’t know what that stands for). Joined the service 19 June 1877, promoted to sublieutenant 13 March 1882, promoted to lieutenant 2 May 1884, while at Tahiti. The fansite doesn’t have a page for him but mentions a few more details for him here. 70.67.193.176 (talk) 01:51, 5 January 2020 (UTC)

For the others, NB that if you scroll down to page 156 of your source, you get some more helpful details:

Andrieu is a Lieutenant de Vaisseau, commanding the Scorpion

Martel is an Enseigne de Vaisseau on the Scorpion

Charpentier de Cossigny is an Enseigne de Vaisseau on the Scorpion

Dusault is a Médecin de Deuxième Classe, Médecin-Major on the Scorpion

Le Touze is an Officier d’Administration on the Scorpion

Philip is a Médecin de Première Classe, Médecin-Major on the Decrès

Paquis is an Enseigne de Vaisseau on the Decrès

Marin is an Officier d’Administration on the Decrès

Per the Annuaire de la Marine et des Colonies 1887 source, we get Albert-Jules-Guillaume Charpentier de Cossigny, Marie-Émile-Paul-Émery Dusault, Louis-Antoine-Justin Philip, Georges-Gustave Paquis, with similar biographical details on birthdates and promotions as above. There are two Andrieus and seven Martels and five Marins, so I don’t know which would be yours. Le Touze doesn’t appear. 70.67.193.176 (talk) 02:07, 5 January 2020 (UTC)

Thank you so much! Any idea what the Scorpion was and why did its officials only signed the document for Bora Bora. KAVEBEAR (talk) 02:14, 5 January 2020 (UTC)

You’re very welcome! It was fun. The Scorpion was a four-gun gunboat per the Annuaire page 809. I don't know re the whys - the sources I have been looking at here don't have prose accounts. Eric? Alanspodge? 70.67.193.176 (talk) 02:26, 5 January 2020 (UTC)

And your final three names:

Clot: The Annuaire gives Marc-Albert Clot on page 96. Fan site page.

It lists no Lefebre (if it’s a misspelling for Lefebvre, there are six of them). The context of your source, however, seems to indicate that Clot and Lefebre might be the commanders of the schooners Orohena and Taravao so that might be another research angle to pursue.

Cadousteau, Interprète Principal du Gouvernement (chief government interpreter) gets an initial, J, when he signs a document on 29 Dec 1887 here, and if you search “J Cadousteau” he’s all over the record, but I can’t find what the J stands for! 70.67.193.176 (talk) 02:22, 5 January 2020 (UTC)