Michel Charles Bouvier (1792 - 1874)

Born 2 Mar 1792 in Pont-Saint-Esprit, Gard, France

Husband of Louise Clifford (Vernou) Bouvier — married 29 May 1828 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Descendants

Died 9 Jun 1874 at age 82 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

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Biography

Michel Bouvier arrived from France about 1815 in Philadelphia where he established a successful business as a cabinetmaker (one of his clients being Napoleon's brother, Joseph Bonaparte) and importer of marble and mahogany. He made a solid fortune that his son, Michel Charles Bouvier, vastly increased by successful operations on the stock exchange. The Bouviers were descended from the second French family through Michel's second wife, Louise Vernou, daughter of John Vernou, whose family, according to Jackie's grandfather, "is one of the most illustrious and ancient of the Province of Poitou." However, there is no proof of any connection between the aristocratic Poitevin family and the John Vernou who arrived in Philadelphia, possibly from the French West Indies, in the last decade of the eighteenth century. His signature on his application for citizenship on October 25, 1808, is barely literate, certainly not that of an educated aristocrat.^[1]

He fled from France to America as a young soldier after Waterloo. French artisans saw Philadelphia as a place to make a mark. Bouvier took up cabinet-making, and soon had a thriving business. He made furnishings for Stephen Girard and Joseph Bonaparte , King of Sicily and Spain, who lived at 206 South 9th Street after his brother's fall from power and before moving to New Jersey.

While Bouvier did make money at cabinetry, he made his fortune in land speculation. He married Louise C. Vernou in 1828. One of his daughters, Emma would become the stepmother of Katharine Drexel (later Saint Katharine Drexel, SBS Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was another famous descendent.^[2]

Burial

Date:

Cemetery: ST. MARY'S GRAVEYARD,

Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ^[3][4]

On Gravestone:

Michael Bouvier, a native of France, born March 19, 1792, died June 9, 1874.

Louisa G. Vernou, wife of Michael Bouvier, born March 29, 1811, died October 5, 1872.

Children of Michael and Louisa Bouvier

Elizabeth Bouvier Dixon, born October 9, 1829, died May 7, 1884.

Eustache Bouvier, born June 4, 1824, died December 2, 1886.

Josephine M., died April 22, 184 7; age, 2 years.

Joseph A., died February 12, 1856; age, 4 years.

Also, Mrs. Eliza Vernou, died November 6, 1862; age, 83 years.
John Vernou, native of France, died March in 1837; age, 66
years;
John W. Vernou, died October 30, 1819 ; age, 12 years.
Peter J. Vernou, died April 2, 1826 ; age, 27 years.
Alexander D. Vernou, died at Peru, IlI., November 12, 1837;age, 24 years.
Charles M. Vernou, died January 29, 1842 ; age, 36 years.
Eliza Vernou Patterson, died August 2, 1842 ; age, 25 years.
Joseph Vernou, died August 4, 1849 ; age, 28 years.
William G. Vernou, born December 25, 1820 ; died November 29, 1871.

Baptême

Michel Bouvier, fils légitime d'Eustache Bouvier et de Thérèse Mercier, est né le 2 mars 1792 et a été baptisé le 4 mars suivant à Pont-Saint-Esprit^[5].

Sources

1. ↑ New York Times: America's Queen: Jacqueline Bouvier
2. ↑ Rootsweb: Jacqueline Kennedy
3. ↑ Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia? - Page 293 by American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia - 1891
4. ↑ FindAGrave: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10700799 Michael Bouvier: Memorial ID: 10700799]
5. ↑ Acte de baptême: BMS 1792 Pont-Saint-Esprit, Archives du Gard cote 5 E 200 3 vue 453 Lien vers l'image

• "Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q285-JDVD : 22 July 2021), Michael Bouvier and Louisa, 29 May 1828; citing Marriage, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, multiple County Clerks, Pennsylvania.

See also:

• Pennsylvania, Federal Naturalization Records, 1795-1931, Ancestry.com. Name: Michel Bouvier. Declaration Age: 31. Record Type: Declaration. Birth Date: 9 Mar 1794. Birth Place: France. Arrival Date: 1815. Arrival Place: New York. Declaration Date: 25 Nov 1825. Declaration Place: Pennsylvania, USA.

• U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925, Ancestry.com. Name: Michel Bouvier. Passport Issue Date: 15 Jun 1853. Three images.

• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4C5-RZH : 12 April 2016), Michael Bovier, Unincorporated Northern Liberties, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; citing family 312, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXT9-NB9 : 3 October 2017), Michael Bouven, 1860.

• "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZ5R-H2R : 12 April 2016), Michael Bouvier, Pennsylvania, United States; citing p. 159, family 1065, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 552,905. First Enumeration: 13 Jul 1870.

• "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZRG-DMS : 12 April 2016), Michael Bouvier, Pennsylvania, United States; citing p. 70, family , NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 552,934. Second Enumeration: 19 Nov 1870.

• Pennsylvania, Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993, Ancestry.com. Name: Michael Bouvier. Includes his Will naming children and his signature. Twenty images.