France
Neuchâtel emigrants to France
Huguenin Huguenin (-Vuillemin) (b. Les Ponts-de-Martel, 01 March 1771) and his wife, Marie-Anne Sandoz travelled a short distance over the French border to Besançon where their children were born. Their descendants are now spread throughout France. Huguenin’s parents were Jean Frédéric Huguenin-Vuillemin and Marianne Matthey-Guenet; this line goes back to Abram Huguenin-Vuillemin, who died before 1728.
Abram Mellier (bapt. Bevaix, 20 October 1765) travelled to Lyon, which like Neuchâtel was a centre of the calico-printing industry. He married Marie Catherine Salet of Auvernier there in 1790, and at least 2 of their sons worked in the calico trade. Abram’s parents were David Mellier and Elisabeth Marguerite Ribaux; his line has been traced back to Jehannod Mellier, the founder of the family, who lived in the early 15th century.
François-Louis Roulet (b. Neuchâtel, 22 October 1782) was a trader in Marseille and became Swiss consul there. He married a French woman, Marguerite-Louise-Julie Blanchenay, in 1818 and most of their descendants remained in France. François-Louis' grandson, Théophile-François (b. 1860) was Swiss consul in Alger and a number of the family spent some time in Algeria prior to the conflict with France. Théophile-François adopted the surname de Roulet, but this branch is not directly linked to the main de Roulet line.
Louis-Albert Huguenin (b. La Chaux-de-Fonds, 18 December 1850) also made the cross-border trip to Besançon where he married Hortense Céline Buchle in 1876. One of their sons, Charles-Eugène, emigrated to the US, but the rest of the family remained in France. Louis Albert’s parents were Henri Alexandre Huguenin and Rosette Lesqueureux and his Huguenin ancestors have been traced back to Abraham Huguenin of La Chaux-de-Fonds in the second half of the 17th century.
Charles-Auguste Huguenin (-Vuillemenet) (b. Neuchâtel, 9 September 1879) married Frenchwoman Henriette Annette Tzollé in Vailly-sur-Aisne in 1906, establishing another French branch of the family. Charles’ parents were Henri-Edouard Huguenin-Vuillemenet and Julie Jaquet; his Huguenin-Vuillemenet line has been traced back to David Huguenin-dit-Vuillemenet of La Brévine, who died before 1743. Charles’ brother Emile-Alphonse emigrated to the US in 1885.
Eugène-Ariste Huguenin (-Virchaux) (b. Le Locle, 09 January 1889) married Frenchwoman, Marie Louise Antoinette Fontanille, in Saint-Paulet de Caisson in 1916. Eugène’s parents were Frédéric Guillaume Huguenin-Virchaux and Adèle Pauline Sunier; this Huguenin-Virchaux line can be traced back to the early 1400’s and the first known Huguenin.
A Hugonin family also exists in France, but it is not known whether there is any link with the Swiss Huguenins.
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