The Papins in the French Antilles
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| Pierre BELAIN |
He accompanied the privateer and first governor of the island of Martinique, Pierre BELAIN, Chevalier of d'Esnambuc (1585-1636). He established a colony in Saint-Pierre, Martinique (Source 2). Jean PAPIN du PONT-CALLEC is referred to in the September 15, 1635 Act of Foundation of the Colony of Saint Pierre (Martinique) as "Jean DUPONT" (Source 2). He was the second governor of Martinique.
As Pierre Belain indicated:
"Nous etc aujourd’hui 15 de septembre 1635 je suis arrivé a l' ile de la Martinique par la grâce de Dieu accompagné d honorable homme Dupont lieutenant de la Compagnie colonelle en ladite île Saint Christophe etc" (Source 12).
[We.. today September 15, 1635 arrived to the island of Martinique, by the Grace of God, with the honorable Dupont, lieutenant in the militia of Saint Christophe]
The Family Name in Martinique
It is important to mention that in the New World, the family name changed from PAPIN du PONT - CALLEC to PAPIN du PONT. It is also sometimes spelled PAPIN DUPONT.
A direct connection between the PAPIN du PONT CALLEC and Jean Claude PAPIN L'ÉPINE has yet to be proven. There are many genealogies, including that of the family of NICOLAZO de BARMON which repeat the story that Jean Claude PAPIN L'ÉPINE was the son of Jean PAPIN du PONT CALLEC (DUPONT) and that he came to Martinique join his father.
Moreover, in the published genealogy of the PAPIN by the NICOLAZO de BARMON family it is mentioned that several PAPINs were present in the French colonies of the New World. Below is a list:
1) Elie PAPIN accompanied Sieur Poyer to Saint Christophe (known today as Saint Kitts)
2) Gabriel PAPIN was part of the group of Sieur Lafont
3) Etienne PAPIN de Nates lived in Saint Pierre (Martinique) married Catherine Mausset (Mansel)
This may indicated that the Papin family in Martinique is one of several branches in the Caribbean.
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Sources Consulted:
1) Entry "PAPIN de L'ÉPINE" in gw.geneanet.org.
2) "Descendants des Pepins" by Nicolazo de Barmon (1873). Online version located at the National Library of France (BNF). For the purpose of this blog entry we consulted pages 35-63.
