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The family of Mignon is originally of English origin and
deduced its paternal descent from Sir William de la More, the ancestral chief
of the ancient house of that name, who possessed More Hall and Bank Hall, both
in the county of Palatine of Lancaster for a long series of generations.
Sir William accompanied King Edward III to France, fought at
the Battle of Crecy in the year 1346 and was advanced to the highest military
order in the days of chivalry, that of a Knight Banneret on the field of Poitiers,
fought on the 19th September 1356 where Edward defeated the French
King John and his son Philip and imprisoned them in his court. About a Century
after this period when Louis XI, King of France, was opposed by Charles,
Duke of Burgundy, who blockaded Paris and placed that monarch on the brink of destruction, the
successors of this William de la
More raised a corps of archers and
hastened to the relief of the King. On their presentation at.court, His
Majesty, observing their handsome and martial appearance, exclaimed "Ce ne
sont pas la des Mores, mais des Mignons": from that time the surname of
Mignon remained to them.
In the history of the house of Valois by Baranbe, a peer of
France, Mignon is particularly mentioned as a warrior of great renown, who, at
the head of a considerable body of archers and Swiss, came from Normandy
to defend Paris. Comines, an eminent French historian and statesman, in his
chronicles of Louis of Valois, says, "Mignon arrived at Paris on Thursday,
the 14th of August. 1465, at the head of two hundred archers all horse and well
mounted." For this a Viscountcy and Earldom were conferred upon him,
In the sixteenth century during
the reign of Charles IX, when civil -wars broke out between the Catholic said
Protestant Parties, Mignons lineal descendant adopted the latter faith, and
served in the campaigns of Louis_I, Prince of Conde. His important service was one of the most distinguished chiefs of
the Huguenots, fought at the famous battle of Jarnac in 1569, and during the
following year commanded a corps in the province of Poison and was present at
the taking of several posts, by which La Rochelle was held in a state of
blockade including Noraille, Morans, and the Castle of Charon.
In the memorable
month of August 1572 he escaped the atrocious massacre of St. Bartholomew by
accompanying into Germany the Prince of Conde who (according to D'Aubigne) had
appointed him his aide-de-camp. In 1574
he assisted in taking the towns of Lusignan, Mille and Fontenay in Poison and
Pons Tournai charant, Royans, Talmont, St. Jean and Angeli and Boutteville in the Provinces of Angoumais and
Sainlouge, the La Vendee of the present age. Between the years 1580 - 1586 when
the King of Navarres afterwards Henry_IV, publicly professed the
reformed faith, civil wars were renewed between the Catholics and Protestants,
one of which was called the 'Holy League’ and headed by Henry, Duke of
Guide. Mignon accompanied by the
celebrated Duke of Sully joined the Duke of Irunoville before Talmo which, with
many other places, were taken from the Catholics, and the most brilliant
victories obtained over them. In the battle of Coubras in Guiderne which the
Catholics lost, Mignon was chief Commandant of Artillery, and to his exertions
was the King of Navarre principally indebted for that brilliant victory. In consideration, for this service Henry IV sent
him the Baton of a Marshal of France, the highest military honour which could
be paid to a Protestant nobleman. This
dignity he was not long permitted to enjoy for he gloriously fell at the siege
of Monancourt, where an arrow transfixed his heart. Sully, in recording his death thus speaks: "Mignon was
renouned for his skill and valour in War and was a most excellent
officer." His son and successor
became the page to Henry IV, on that Monarch's accession to the throne and was,
(as his father had also been) the confidential friend of the Duke of Sully, who
in. his memoirs, when describing the prominent part which Mignon. took in an
engagements says, “I was overthrown twice, my halberde broken, my
arms destroyed or taken from me.
Mignon, whom I had obtained, permission of the King to take
with me, raised, me, adjusted, my aims, and gave me his halberde." In 1596 the King presented Mignon with the
Chateau of la Fere, and having promulgated the Edict of Nantes which granted,
to the Protestants of his Kingdom the free exercise of their religion and the
enjoyment of their estates, this family continued in undisturbed possession of
the property until the close of the year 1685, when the Chancellor Pellier,
having officially executed the Edict of Revocation by command of Louis XIV, the
estates belonging to the Protestants, Peers of France were confiscated to the
Crown, and the representative of this ancient and noble family was compelled to
quit the Kingdom, and having resigned his ancestral rank, arrived at Plymouth
and established himself there as a merchant. One of the chief ancestors of the
different branches of the family of Mignon which flourished in France in the
reign of Philip of Valois acquired the lands of Mignonville near Nantes.
William
de Landes, Lord of Mignonville, was upwards of a hundred years old when he
died. His last request was that his
heart should be buried at the foot of his mother's tomb in the church of S.
Luc. His son allied himself with the
noble and ancient house of De la Chaussee of Poilon which held the goat of
Poietiers in 1635. His family also
intermarried with the illustrious house of Briconnet of Tours. Francis Breconnet. the second of his naae,
Lord of Leneville was father of William Briconnet by his wife Anne de Landes,
Countess of Mignonville. He was
president of the Council and died in 1764. By his marriage with Margaret,
daughter of John Ameht and Catherine de Oreil, he had several children of whom
only one survived. John, Lord of
Mignonville, who died December 25th, 1698, leaving an only son, John, Count de
la Chamssee, who came into Devonshire as already stated and had issue.
1. John, a
merchant, who died at Plymouth in February 1754.
2. Mary,
married to Peter Pare, Esq., the lineal descendant of the celebrated. Ambroise
Pare, who was surgeon to Francis I and Henry IV, Kings of France.
3. Elizabeth, wedded Captain Pitman of
the Royal Navy and was grandmother to
Sir
Richard John Strachan, Baronet and a Knight Grand Cross of the Bath, who
attained the highest rank and renown during the late war.
4. Stephen, who
married, the granddaughter of the 5th Sir John Davies, Baronet, from whom the
Mignons since their final settlement in England. maternally descend, and of
whom hereafter. ‘This family is
originally from Normandy and of high antiquity in the county of Devons
having been settled at or near Exeter since the Conquest. The first of the
family, William de la Wey or Davie, had coat armour which has always been borne
by his descendants. The lineal descendant of this William thrice filled the
Civic chair of Exeter, and was celebrated for his hospitality. In the year 1584 the King of Portugal,
having been driven from his Kingdom by Philip of Spain, landed, at Plymouth and
removing to Exeter was received with his whole suite and sumptuously
entertained for a considerable time at Davies sole expense. He was succeeded by an only son, John of
Crudy, who on the 9th September 1641 was created a Baronet of England by
Charles I. He married the daughter of William Strode and had Humphrey
who married and had John the 5th Baronet, who in the year 1662 emigrated to
America and there wedded Mrs. Elizabeth Richards of New England. He had issue, among others, three daughters
1. Mary who married
the Revd. Thomas, Bishop of Barnstaple of whom presently.
2. Sarah, married to Christopher Savory Esq. of Tilson
Devon.
3. Elizabeth, married to Ebenezer Russell Esq. of London.
Mary Davie, who became the wife of the Revd. Thomas
Bishop of Barnstaple as above mentioned, had two daughters, the eldest of whom
married Stephen Mignon Esq. of Plymouth. The other married Philip Arundel Esq. of Exeter. By the marriage of the former which took
place at Levery Doll Church, near Exeter on the 11th March 1746 sprang two
daughters and. three sons
1. Mary, married to John Limes Esq., brother of Sir
James Innes, Baronet: in whose favour the House of Lords decided the long
contested claim to the Dukedom of Roxburgh, which fell into abeyance in the
year 1804. He accordingly succeeded to
the title in 1812 as 5th Duke.
2. Elizabeth Russell
married Joseph May, Esq. of Plymouth and had issue.
1. Joseph Mignon a Major in the Royal Marines.
2. William, a Commander in the Royal Navy.
3. Elizabeth, married to Major General Richard Cooke of the
Bombay Army.
4. William Davie who died young
5. George William, a Colonel in the Bombay Army
married Margaret, daughter of Robert Taylor Esq. He distinguished himself in 20
actions and was the only field officer of the Bombay Army present in the Mysore
Campaigns under Lord Cornwallis, and Harris.
At the assault of Seringapatam he led the whole of the flank companies
of the Bombay Army which formed the storming party on that memorable
occasion. He died November 19th 1819,
and left issue
1. Eliza, married Captain
Richards of the Bombay Army and left issue, one daughter, Elizabeth Mignon.
2. George, died
in Infancy .
3. George, "
" "
4. Robert, his successor of whom hereafter.
5. Strachan,
died in infancy.
6. Margaret, married the Revd.
Basil Wood, son of the famous preacher of the same name. Left issue 4 children.
7. George, died in infancy.
8.
Richard. " " “
9.
Charlotte
10.
James
11 Edward. died in Infancy.
12.
Henry
Colonel
George (William) Mignon was first in the Royal Navy which he entered in 1771
and transferred in India to the Bombay Army, his commission bears date ensign
5th March 1776. Lieutenant.
Captain 21st January 1784
Major 6th May 1796.
Lieut. Col. 6th September 1797.
First
employed with the field forces in 1776 or 1777 under Colonel Lay during his operations
against the coolies. Appointed to
command a party of light infantry of the 6th Battalion and detached from the
main force against a body of the enemy, for which service he was highly
complimented by Col. Lay who presented the Jemedar of the party (by name Sheikh
Dowd) with a sword. Present at Iolagrum under Brig. Gen. Egerton in 1778 with
the Field Force which joined Brig. General Goddard and the Bengal Army
at Surat in March in 1779 and at the taking of Dhubyon, 2nd January 1780. At the Siege of Ahm Edahad. At the Assault
of Bassein and Arnauld in February 1780.
Present at the defeat of Sindhia on the 3rd of April 1780. At the attack of the Mahratta army and at
raising the siege of Callian on 22nd of May 1780. Served throughout Major Forbes' Campaign in Guzerat in 1781. At the capture of Badnose, Ananpon,
Mangalore and under General Matthews in 1782.
Led the storming party at the Siege of Onore in January 1783. Present at the capitulation of Hyderungue on 30th June 1783.
Present in defence of Mangalore under Col. Campbell of H.M. Service and on
which occasion he was severely wounded at the battle of Iawanamghary. At the surrender of Furruckabad to Major
General Hartley of H.M. 75th Regt. in 1790.
Present with Major Gen. Hartley's detachment in the defence of Paroor
and Cranganosl. At Bipun, Coclsin,
Bulghatchiny and Coinchatore.
Present in the retreat of
General Ambercrombie from Penapatam during the first campaign towards
Seringapatam on the 21st September 1791. At the attack upon Tippos Gullans
lives on the night of the 6th February 1792 under Lord Cornwallis
Served
throughout the second campaign towards Seringapatam under Lord Cornwallis. At the taking of Cannanore "by Lieut.
Gen. Stuart, Commander in Chief" of the Bombay Army. At the battle on Sedaseer
Hill on the 6th 'March 1799 under General Stuart. Joined the Madras Army at
Seringapatam on 14th April. At the
battle of Seringapatam on 4th May 1799 when he led the storm at the head of the
flank companies of the Bombay Army. Appointed by the Governor General Lord,
Mornington to the Military Command of the provinces of Malabar and Canara on
the recommendation of the Duke of Wellington.
Retired
from the service in November 1801, having been employed for thirty years
without interruption,
Nominated to the
Civil branch of the Bombay Service from the year 1811 until his appointment by
the Marquis of Hastings to the Command of the Army of his Highness the Nizam of
Hyderabad in 1819. Robert Mignon a Colonel in the Bombay Army, married on the
14th May 1822 Mary Margaret second daughter of the late Joshua Jepson Addy Esq.
of Rasinghall and Darnhalls both in the County of Cork and had
issue;
1. Robert
James, born October 14 1823
2. Anne,
died in infancy
3. Mary
Margaret, born 26th April 1827
4. Franklin
Philips, born 31st July 1829.
5. Edward
Adolphus Seymour born 20th July 1831.
6. George
Strachan born 2nd March 1833.
7. Charlotte
Sleigh Innes, born 7th February 1836.
8. May_Jepson_James,
born May 13, 1839.
Colonel
Robert Mignon (Grandpa Baily's uncle) entered the Bombay Army in 1819, His
commissions bear date ensign, Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Lieut. Colonel.
Services. Expedition to Arabia in 1821.
Repulse of the night attack at Gore, 21st February 1821 and action at
Bari-boon ali on the 2nd March 1821.
Operations against Kittoor in December 1824. On the staff of the Army Command. Dept. at the Residency of
Bombay from 1842 to 1847. Commanded his
Regiment, the Bombay Fusiliers (1st European Regt.) in the attack on the
heights and suburbs of Mooltan on December 27th 1848.
Commanded the Bombay Fusiliers
at the storm and capture of the City of Nevoltan on January 2nd,
1849. Appointed to lead the advanced column of assault on the Citadel January
22nd 1849. Commanded Bombay fusiliers
at the –Battle of Gujerat February 21st, 1849. The passage of the Jhelum
surrender of the Sikh Army expulsion of the Afghans beyond the Khyber
Pass. Occupation of the Peshawur -
Conquest of the Punjab. Received the
special thanks of Brig. General Dundas.
Mentioned in all dispatches.
Obtained the Brevet rank of Lieut. Colonel with a medal and 2 clasps for
Mooltan Goojerat in the Punjab.
Commanded his Regiment eleven hundred
British Bayonets over the entire length and breadth of the campaign, from the
sea to Khyber from the frontier of Afghanistan to the garrisons of the
Deccan. He was drowned in a mountain
torrent near Poonah, East India, on 2nd June 1852.
Arms.
The
original armorial bearings of this family as they stand in the Registers of
France are 2 bends raire, between two fleurs-de-lis argent. Crest a gauntlet holding a baton all
proper. Motto "Tien ta foy"