Skeleton in my French closet

My maternal great, great  French grandfather was a scoundrel who was briefly infamous throughout nineteeth century New Zealand. A book on him was published just a few months ago and it's a fascinating read. Here's what the publishers have to say, followed by my own comments.

The book summary from the publisher

A soldier and a bigamist, a family man and a fraudster, Etienne Jean Brocher led an extraordinary life in 19-century France, North Africa and New Zealand. Along the way he collected aliases, prison sentences, and enemies as he slipped from town to town, escaping debts and family duties. Ultimately, though, he faced the gallows in a double-murder trial that rocked New Zealand’s ‘dream society’.

Now his astonishing story – untold in book form – is revealed. Drawing on French military archives, family records, and newspaper reports from across colonial New Zealand, as well as Brocher’s own handwritten account, this absorbing biography untangles the complex trails Brocher left behind him in colonial towns and in the public imagination.

While he explores the complexities of Brocher’s character – including his shortcomings – Brian Stoddart lays bare the class prejudice and xenophobia that Brocher faced as an immigrant of ‘the wrong sort’ and raises serious questions over whether he received a fair trial. Dynamic and often surprising in its humour, this stunning biography makes a vital contribution to our understanding of how colonial New Zealand shaped its ideal society and what could happen when ‘outsiders’ didn’t fit the mould.

Available from Nile Publishing https://www.thenile.co.nz/books/brian-stoddart/outcast

I couldn’t resist buying a copy of this very detailed book on the life and times of my great-great grandparents. Once I got started it was hard to put down. It is extremely detailed about the double-murder investigations and trial in Wellington; going into the lives and careers of all relevant witnesses, suspects and each policeman involved. What particularly interested me though, was chapter two which goes into the life of Etienne Jean Brocher from his birth, dishonest dealings, growing infamy, travels around the world, service in the foreign legion, exploits in Akaroa, Timaru and Petone. There’s even a wee link to George Lucas’s Star Wars (I chuckled). Yes, he was a bad egg but at times I felt sorry for him. It’s possible he did not murder the old couple but simply took the blame in the end. Maybe he had just run out of steam trying to survive in a world that didn’t fit him. He was also his own worst enemy.

I often wonder where I get my 'adventurous spirit' and feeling of not fitting in to NZ culture. Could it be coming , in part, from this great, great grandfather? One of his brothers married a political activist in France.

The book does not paint colonial New Zealand in a good light from a social perspective. Narrow-minded, prejudiced, class-driven. Seeds of Tall Poppy and other unsavoury aspects of New Zealand were already flourishing in the 1880s. This was really interesting to me. Colonists came to NZ to escape the class system but brought it here with them into an enclosed environment where it spread everywhere and still operates today.

There are a couple of small errors in the book but I’ve already made these known to Brian who is a history professor living in Australia.

We knew he was a bad sort but Ancestry.com suggests (very recently, based on my DNA and other info) that Etienne fathered both of my great grandmothers, on my mother's side, via half sisters Julia (from Magdelaine) and Josephine (via Mary Ann). He certainly would have had access to Julia at Rue Grehan, Akaroa when he worked there as, although she was two years older than her half-sister Josephine she was rather ‘simple-minded’ and unable to look after herself. Proof? No, not yet but author Brian Stoddard is not surprised. Nor am I. I seem to have even more French DNA in my family than expected. It’s counter-productive to be bothered by skeletons in the closet, I just want the truth. Emily Libeau may have been Emily [Brocher]. And who fathered short-lived John? Etienne again?

Below are photos of his first wife Josephine with their first daughter Emma as a child in Akaroa. There are no photos of older half-sister Julie/Julia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is Emma as an adult. She went on to marry Edward McNabb in Akaroa, NZ 

 

 

 

 

 

This final photo is of Louisa Victoire, Etienne and Josephine's second daughter who later went on to marry Mr Kingston (pictured with him) and later Mr Bunny. 

Ah those skeletons. DNA testing can be very useful as can very large genealogy databases such as Ancestry when trying to get to the bottom of things. I'm not currently a paid-up member so Etienne's proposed double involvement appears fuzzy but clear enough to make out.

Etienne abandoned my great, great grandmothers, had unsavoury adventures as detailed in the book and then created a new family in Wellington before being criminally convicted and hanged.

 

 

European Parliament in France

 

The world is in a mess. Europe is being threatened by Putin and Trump. It is hard to see how things can get sorted when Europe is just a lumbering thing so I thought I'd write a little about the European Parliament. Keep in mind that there are many entities associated with Europe, the EU, NATO, EU Commission etc. It's complicated.

 

The European Parliament's headquarters are officially in Strasbourg, France, and has its administrative offices in Luxembourg City. It is open to visitors six days a week throughout the year. Visits are always free of charge. The building is impressive both inside and out though the air conditioning in summer is less than adequate so be prepared to swelter in parts of the building. It was on summer recess when I visited and it was impossible to buy a bottle of water there.

During the visit, you can see the European parliamentary chamber – the Hemicycle, a display on Parliamentarian Simone Veil and several other exhibitions. Audioguides and headphones are provided but I found them clunky to use. A 360 degree slide show had interesting information but I found it difficult to follow, being circular, and trying to swivel my neck. The main theme seemed to be about cultural diversity. And yay! go women. Sometimes technology is just a hindrance to good communication.

Going up to the viewing platform gives you a wonderful view over Strasbourg and the canals and churches. 

In Strasbourg, Members of the European Parliament meet twelve times a year during plenary sessions to debate and vote on European legislation. As a visitor, you can attend the session to see and listen to representatives speak from the visitor gallery.

Security and safety are priorities for the European Parliament. For that reason, a number of security measures are in place in and around the buildings. Compliance is mandatory so if you are an international visitor please read the following...

• A valid identity physical document (national ID card or passport) is required to access European Parliament buildings. If you registered in advance and you provided your ID document details, you must bring this same document to the Parliament on the day of your visit.
• Photocopies of IDs, ID cards downloaded to mobile phones and driving licenses are not accepted.
• Minors under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.
• All visitors and bags are subject to airport-style security checks before entry. Firearms, explosive or inflammable substances, pepper sprays, sharp items and other objects that could be considered weapons are prohibited. In accordance with national legislation, certain prohibited items may be handed over to the police.
• No trolleys, suitcases, or other large luggage are allowed into the buildings.
• Animals are allowed in the buildings only as trained
  
  
  guides for visually impaired persons or to assist persons with reduced mobility.
• If an access pass has been issued, visitors must visibly wear it whilst in the Parliament buildings.
• Photography and filming are permitted inside the visitor area, but are prohibited in the security area and in the Hemicycle gallery during plenary sessions as well as in restaurants and bars.
• If the fire alarm goes off, leave the building immediately without running and follow the instructions given by the security staff and evacuation volunteers.
• For any safety emergency, call 33112 from any internal phone.
• Some areas are subject to video surveillance.

   Believe me. they really enforce all this. 

Since 1979, the Parliament has been directly elected every five years by the citizens of the European Union through universal suffrage. 

Speakers in the European Parliament are entitled to speak in any of the 24 official languages of the European Union,  ranging from French and German to Maltese and Irish. Simultaneous interpreting is offered in all plenary sessions, and all final texts of legislation are translated. With twenty-four languages, the European Parliament is the most multilingual parliament in the world and the biggest employer of interpreters in the world (employing 350 full-time and 400 freelancers when there is higher demand). Citizens may also address the Parliament in Basque, Catalan/Valencian and Galican.  

The Strasbourg seat is considered a symbol of reconciliation between France and Germany, two countries that previously fought over the region. However, the cost and inconvenience of having two seats is questioned. While Strasbourg is the official seat, and sits alongside the Council of Europe, Brussels is home to nearly all other major EU institutions,with the majority of Parliament's work being carried out there. 

 

Critics have described the two-seat arrangement as a "travelling circus",  and there is a strong movement to establish Brussels as the sole seat. This is because the other political institutions (the Commission, Council and European Council) are located there, and hence Brussels is treated as the 'capital' of the EU.

 

It is not a politically comfortable place since it has had a whiff of financial scandal in the past, and over-blown rules and regulations tend to stifle progress as the requirement to have all decisions has to be unanimous, despite very tiny countries having the same voting rights as big ones like France and Germany. Committee after committee. A costly organisation so the EU moves very slowly as seen in the Ukraine/Russia conflict. At least there is no ridiculous veto system like with the United Nations but is it any better?