USA
Neuchâtel emigrants to the US
In 1732 David Huguenin (b. Le Locle, 1672) emigrated from Switzerland to America with his second wife, Susanne Jacot, and their 4 children: Daniel, David, Jeanne-Marguerite and Abram. They formed part of a large party of Swiss settlers brought to South Carolina between 1732 and 1735 by Jean-Pierre Pury of Neuchâtel to found the now-defunct town of Purrysburgh on the Savannah River. Unfortunately, the site proved both unhealthy and inaccessible, so like many other colonists, David's children moved away from Purrysburgh fairly quickly to more hospitable locations. His son David and daughter Jeanne Marguerite remained in South Carolina and neighbouring Georgia, while Daniel and Abram moved north to New York. The southern branch of the family preserved the original spelling of the name, but descendants of the northern branches adopted various forms, including Hugunin, Hugunine, Huganir, Hugenar, Hughner and Hogan. David’s father was Moyse Huguenin and his mother Marie Huguenin-Virchaux; both lines go back to the earliest known Huguenin.
A legal document dated 30 May 1732 records that Josué Robert (bapt. Le Locle, 5 February 1665) was "determined to leave this land, to seek his chance wherever divine providence might guide him". Together with 2 of his children, Marie Magdelaine and Josué, he joined the founders of Purrysburgh, arriving in Charleston in December 1732. Josué’s earliest known ancestor is Nicod Robert, who was born before 1379 and died between 1410 and 1419.
Auguste Perret (b. La Sagne, 7 Nov 1785), a jeweller, obtained a passport for the US on 13 February 1807 and took up residence in New York. His wife was Louise-Charlotte Jeanneret-Grosjean and two of their daughters were christened in Le Locle in 1831 during a visit to Switzerland. Auguste’s parents were Abram Perret and Marianne Descoeudres; his Perret line goes back to David Perret, whose son Jean was christened in La Sagne in 1685.
Henri-Louis Huguenin, a resident of La Chaux-de-Fonds, received a passport for the US on 30 August 1817. We are uncertain at present of his exact link to the main Huguenin tree. He may be the same person as Henri-Louis Huguenin-Virchaux, whose passport for the US was dated 1 April 1811.
Jules Huguenin (-Vuillemin) (b. Le Locle 9 October 1807) returned to Switzerland from New York to take his first communion at Christmas 1825. His brother, Louis (b. Le Locle 6 November 1802) was living in New York when he married in 1827. Their parents were David-Louis Huguenin-Vuillemin and Emélie Dubois. Jules became a military officer and member of the court of justice of Le Locle, where several of his children were baptised between 1836 and 1845. One of his sons, Jules-David, received a passport for America on 22 August 1873, when his domicile was given as New York.
Jean-Jaques-Henri Landry (b. Les Verrières, 24 June 1789) learned the trade of a wheelwright in Switzerland before travelling to Amsterdam, where he received a passport for Philadelphia in 1817. He married Susanne-Célestine Sandoz (b. Dombresson, 30 December 1803), who emigrated to America in 1829 with her parents and brothers, and the couple settled in Louisiana. Jean Jaques Henri’s parents were Jean-Jaques Landry and Susanne-Catherine Frasse and his Landry line has been traced back to Jean-Pierre Landry, who was born about 1700.
Michael Schlunegger (b. La Chaux-de-Fonds, 2 July 1792) was one of the first Mennonites to emigrate from Neuchâtel to the US, travelling to Ohio in 1822 with his wife, Barbe Conrad and their 3 oldest children: Anna, Johannes and Barbara. A fourth child, Michael, was born during the journey. The Schlunegger family were leading members of the Ohio Mennonite community and the name developed several variations over the years, including Schloneger, Sloneker, Schlonaker and Slonaker.
Michael's brother Jean married Verena Liechti (also known as Fanny), but he died young, as did her second husband, Hans Ramseyer. Verena therefore travelled to Ohio to join her brother-in-law in 1824 accompanied by her seven children: Barbara, Peter, Maria, Johannes, Christian and Jacob Schlunegger, and Verena (Fanny) Ramseyer.
Michael's sister Anna Schlunegger (b. La Chaux-de-Fonds, 24 June 1796) married Andreas Jaggi and after his death followed her brother to Ohio in 1834 along with her seven children: Barbeli, Catherine, Jean, Anna, Marie, Marguerite and Fanny. Jean and Anna Jaggi married their cousins, Anna and Johannes Schlunegger in Ohio.
Abram-Louis Matthey (-Junod) (b. Le Locle, 18 November 1790) was a resident of New York in 1826 when the bans were published in Le Locle for his marriage to Sophie Grosjean. Abram-Louis was the son of Abram-Louis Matthey-Junod and Susanne-Marie Clerc; he was a descendant of Moïse Matthey-Junod, a parish counsellor who lived in Le Locle in the second half of the 17th century.
Jean-Henri Sandoz (b. Dombresson, 24 October 1779) received a passport for America on 9 April 1829. He travelled to Louisiana with his wife, Susanne Amez-Droz (b. Dombresson, 21 September 1778) and their five children: Susanne-Célestine, Frédéric-Guillaume, Joël-Henri, Ami-Henri and Fritz-Louis. Susanne-Célestine married another Neuchâtel emigrant, Jean-Jaques-Henri Landry, in Louisiana. Jean-Henri was the son of Jean-Jaques Sandoz and Sara-Marguerite Diacon, while Susanne was the daughter of Abram-Henri Amez-Droz and Susanne-Marguerite Maumary.
Emile-Ulysse Huguenin (-Jean) emigrated to the US in about 1830 and married Suzanne Fern, an emigrant from Germany. Emile-Ulysse was born in Le Locle on 18 June 1810 and was the son of Pierre-Frédéric Huguenin-Jean and Augustine Sandoz-Otheneret.
Aimé-Amant Vuille (b. La Sagne, 10 November 1797) emigrated to the US with his wife Mélanie Perrenoud (b. Les Ponts-de-Martel, 31 March 1796) and their daughters Eugénie and Augustine in 1837. They settled in St Francois, Missouri, where both daughters married other Neuchâtel emigrants. Aimé and Mélanie have numerous known ancestors in the canton of Neuchâtel dating back to the end of the 14th century. Augustine married Emile Perrenoud (b. Switzerland, abt 1813), who may have been distantly related to her mother: descendants of this line adopted the spelling Pernoud.
Ami-Louis Huguenin (b. Le Locle, 22 August 1811) received a passport for the US on 16 February 1844. His wife, Albertine Veuve, apparently joined him there at a later date, because she received a passport for New York in her own name on 12 May 1846. Ami-Louis subsequently married Johannette M Gross in Illinois in 1864. Ami-Louis’ earliest known ancestor was Abram Huguenin, who died before 1698.
Louis Huguenin (-Virchaux) (b. La Chaux-du-Milieu, 18 October 1816) emigrated from Switzerland to America with his second wife, Henriette-Aimée Pellaton (b. Travers, 26 May 1820), and their infant son, Georges-Alfred. They received a passport “for France and elsewhere” on 10 May 1848, together with Louis-Adolphe, Louis’ son by his first marriage with Marie Hartman. It is unclear whether Louis-Adolphe accompanied the rest of the family to the US or whether perhaps he died on the voyage because he is not mentioned in the record of their arrival in Pennsylvania in 1849. Louis’ parents were Félix Huguenin-Virchaux and Rose-Marianne Simon. This Huguenin-Virchaux line can be traced back to the earliest known Huguenin in the early 1400s, and some of Henriette Pellaton’s ancestors are also known.
Emile Huguenin (-Virchaux) (b. Le Locle, 5 March 1826) was a watchmaker, who initially received a passport ”for France and elsewhere” on 14 March 1848. A second passport was issued on 29 October 1850 and this time the destination was given as New York, where he arrived on 31 December 1850 on board the “New York’. Emile’s sister, Françoise (b. Le Locle, 16 March 1828), also received a passport for New York on 23 August 1849. Their parents were Abram-Louis Huguenin-Virchaux and Augustine Vuille; not only can their Huguenin-Virchaux line be traced back to the origins of the family, but many of their ancestors belonging to the Vuille and Matile families are also known.
Henri-Guillaume Calame (b. La Chaux-de-Fonds, 21 September 1829) and his brother Edouard (b. La Chaux-de-Fonds, 11 November 1831) arrived in New Orleans from Switzerland on 23 December 1848. They settled in Illinois, where they were joined the following year by their widowed mother, Emélie Brandt, as well as their younger siblings Eugène, Julie, Emélie and Jules. Their father was Frédéric-Guilaume Calame.
Eugène Humbert-Droz (b. Lignières, 27 June 1828) and his brother Emile (b. Lignières, 9 May 1830) received passports for the US on 8 March 1849. During the immigration process, the young brothers' surname was shortened - voluntarily or otherwise! - to Droz. Although they were described as shoemakers on their passports, both brothers farmed in the US: Eugène in Indiana and Missouri, and Emile in Ohio. Eugene married Louise Bonjour, and had five children, then after her death in the 1860s he married Mary Ann Harl and had two more daughters. Emile married Adelaide Brown and raised a family of nine children. Their parents were Théophile Humbert-Droz and Rose-Marianne Junod; they were the descendants of Daniel Humbert-Droz, a miller at Lignières born in the second half of the 17th century. A younger brother, Théophile-Alphonse Humbert-Droz (b. Lignières, 10 July 1840) emigrated to the US at a later date and lived in Oklahoma.
Georges-Auguste Matile (b. La Chaux-de-Fonds, 30 May 1807) emigrated to the US in 1849 with his wife, Marie-Eugénie Schaffter and their 7 children: Henriette-Pauline, Charlotte-Hélène, Rose, Georges-Félix, Gustave-Eugène, Laure-Emilie, Sophie-Augustine and Léon-Albert. After the early death of Marie-Eugénie, Georges-Auguste married Marie-Louise Fivaz, and six children were born to the couple in New York. Georges-Auguste was the son of Joël Matile and Augustine Sandoz, and his Matile line goes back to Petit Blaise Matile of La Sagne in the 15th century.
Ulysse-Bélissaire Huguenin (-Dumittan) (b. Le Locle, 16 July 1820) emigrated to the US with his wife, Lise Peytieu, and their 4 children: Lise, Louise-Emma, Bélissaire and Marie-Julie. Their passport for New York was dated 25 January 1851, and they crossed the Atlantic with a 2 month-old baby. Ulysse-Bélissaire was the son of Aimé-Huguenin Huguenin-Dumittan and Marie-Elisabeth Beerstecher and his earliest known paternal ancestor is Jacob Huguenin du Mittan, who was born in the late 1600s. Ulysse’s brother Jules-Aimé received a passport for Africa in 1848. Another of Ulysse’s brothers, Numa-Bolivar ( b. Le Locle, 5 September 1821), a watchmaker, received a passport “for France and elsewhere” on 6 June 1848. We have no information concerning his descendants, but France was the usual starting-point for emigration to the US.
Louis-Albert Huguenin (-Virchaux) (b. La Brévine, 7 January 1827) received a passport for New York on 5 March 1850. His parents were Charles-Philippe Huguenin-Virchaux and Charlotte Courvoisier-Piot and his Huguenin-Virchaux line goes back to the earliest known Huguenin in the early 1400’s.
Lucien Huguenin (-Elie) (b. La Brévine, 10 October 1828) received a passport for New York on 29 March 1852. His parents were Philippe Henri Huguenin-Elie and Catherine Anderegg and his line goes back via Elie Huguenin (founder of the Huguenin-Elie branch) to the earliest-known Huguenin, Vuillemin, who lived in the early 1400s.
Alfred Roulet (b.Peseux, 4 September 1818) emigrated to the US in 1851 with his wife, Julie Matile (b. La Sagne, 12 July 1819) and their young sons, Félix and Paul. Alfred’s parents were Daniel Henri Roulet and Toinette Paris; his Roulet line in Switzerland goes back to Bastian Jehan Rollet of Peseux in the 15th century. Julie’s parents were Abram-Louis Matile and Uranie Jeanrichard-dit-Bressel, and her Matile line has also been traced back to the 15th century, to Petit-Blaise Matile of La Sagne. One of Paul's sons, Alfred, started using the surname De Roulet in the early 1900s, and his descendants are now known as DeRoulet, although this family is not directly connected to the de Roulet line in Switzerland.
Franz Tüller (b. Biglen c1710) and his wife Anna Tschantz (b. Nieder Wichtrach, June 1713) were members of the Mennonite church who left the canton of Bern in about 1743 with their young son Franz, probably as a result of religious persecution. They initially found refuge in the more tolerant canton of Neuchâtel, where five more children were born: Elisabeth, Abram, Madelaine, Pierre and Samuel. Franz received a passport from his adoptive town of La Chaux-de-Fonds on 10 April 1754, where his name is given as François Louis Esaïe Tueller. The family settled in Pennsylvania, where Franz’s name was anglicised to Francis Diller.
Tell-Henri Huguenin was another resident of Le Locle who chose to cross the Atlantic. His passport was dated 12 August 1855, but his link to the main Huguenin tree is unknown at present.
Frédéric-Alexis Huguenin (-Dumittan) (b. St-Blaise, 14 April 1839), brother of Australian emigrant Samuel-Louis, received a passport for California on 12 March 1858. His parents were Samuel-Henri Huguenin and Susanne Madelaine Petitpierre, and his Huguenin-Dumittan line can be traced back to the earliest known Huguenin in the early 1400s. His second cousin, Sophie-Lina Huguenin (-Dumittan) (b. Le Locle, 28 October 1828), also received a passport for America on 24 April 1861. Her parents were Justin Huguenin-Dumittan and Julie Zélima Droz-dit-Busset.
Auguste Jeanneret (-Grosjean) (b. Le Locle, 15 April 1812) and his Polish-born wife Amalie-Marianne Walther emigrated to the US in 1859 with their children Edouard-Auguste, Fanny-Charlotte, Paul-Alfred, Louise-Rose, Albert-Emile and Marie. The family settled in New Jersey. Auguste was the son of Félix Jeanneret-Grosjean and Lydie Perret, with numerous known ancestors on his father's side dating back to the late 14th century.
Pierre Schlunegger (b. La Chaux-de-Fonds, 11 December 1836) arrived in the US on the ship "William Tell" on 8 December 1860 and settled in Indiana where he married a Swiss woman named Eliza. They farmed in Fayette County, and raised a family of six children. Pierre's brother Jean Schlunegger (b. La Chaux-de-Fonds, 30 April 1839) joined them shortly afterwards, but he never married.
A third brother, Daniel Schlunegger (b. La Chaux-de-Fonds, 11 December 1847) emigrated to the US in 1868 and settled initially in Indiana, marrying another Swiss emigrant, Louise Maurer. They had four children in Indiana, then two in Illinois and three more in Minnesota. The Schlunegger brothers belonged to the Mennonite church, and their descendants spell their surname Sloneker.
Frédéric-Auguste Jacot (b. La Chaux-du-Milieu, 5 February 1812) travelled to the US on the "Mercury", arriving on 29 July 1861 with his wife Rose-Adèle Graa and their six children: Georges-Edouard, Henri-Albert, Lucie, Auguste, César and Numa. The family settled in Eau Claire, Wisconsin where most of the children married and raised families of their own. Frédéric-Auguste's parents were Pierre-Frédéric Jacot and Lydie Robert; he was a descendant of Abraham and Elisabeth Jacot who married in 1731.
James Robert (-Nicoud) (b. La Chaux-de-Fonds, 27 March 1823) emigrated to the US in 1862 with his wife Marie Zbinden and their four young daughters: Marie-Clara, Carola Elise, Frédérique and Léa. They settled as farmers in Illinois, where six more children were born. James was the son of Henri Robert-Nicoud and Rosette Borle; he was a descendant of Josué Robert-Nicoud who was born in La Chaux-de-Fonds in the late 1600s.
Charles-Albert Grandjean (-Perrenoud-Comtesse) (b. Neuchâtel, 19 April 1852) crossed the Atlantic in 1863 with his widowed mother, sister Marie-Berthe (b. Neuchâtel, 29 November 1853) and brother Vital-Ernest (b. Neuchâtel, 22 February 1857). He married Marie-Louise Champagne in New York on 1 May 1874. Charles’ parents were Charles Grandjean-Perrenoud-Comtesse and Sylvia Faigaux, and his paternal line goes back to Jehan Perrenodz (also known as Jean Perrenod alias Comtesse), founder of the family, who lived in La Sagne in the early 1400s.
Lucien Roulet (b. Tramelan, 8 February 1824) emigrated to the US with his wife Julie Dormay and their three children, Louis-Constant, Eugénie and Charles, arriving on the "Saxonia" on 27 March 1863. The family settled in Minnesota where both sons became farmers and founded families of their own. Lucien was the son of Aimé Roulet and Henriette Ruedolf; his branch of the Roulet family had spent some years in the region of Tramelan and Courtelary (canton of Bern) before returning to the canton of Neuchâtel.
Hélène Ramseyer (b. 24 April 1804), widow of Christian Stähli (b. Travers, 9 March 1799) was one of many Mennonites who emigrated from Neuchâtel to the US. Accompanied by her 10 children: Lydie, Christian, Rose-Marie, Rosine, Hélène, Joseph, Etienne, Susette, Jean and Elise Stähli, she made the journey in 1864 and all the family settled in Illinois. Rose-Marie (b. Travers, 31 July 1833) had married her father’s cousin Jean Stähli (b. 27 April 1827) in Switzerland, and they travelled with their children Martin, Elise, Marie-Hélène, Jean and Emma, all born in Les Ponts-de-Martel. Seven more children were born in Illinois.
Hélène’s daughter Hélène Stähli (b. Travers, 28 November 1837) married Albert-Auguste Barbezat (b. Les Verrières, 9 September 1845) in Illinois in 1868, while her brother Jean (b. Travers, 16 May 1846) married his second cousin Marie Stähli in Illinois in 1872. Joseph (b. Travers, 29 September 1840) married Anna Ducommun (b. Noiraigue, 2 March 1843) in 1866, and their children were all born in Illinois. After his first wife died, Albert-Auguste married Marie Stähli, who was now a widow. Hélène Ramseyer’s niece, Henriette Huguenin-Vuillemin, followed her aunt and cousins to Illinois in the late 1870’s.
Helène was a great-granddaughter of Abram Ramseyer (b. La Sagne, 15 May 1745), one of the first generation of Ramseyers born in the canton of Neuchâtel, and a founder of the first organised Mennonite community there. Her husband Christian was a grandson of Jacob Stähli (b. 16 March 1738), the first member of his family to settle in the canton, and husband of Abram Ramseyer’s sister Christina.
Jean Stähli’s brother, Isaac Stähli (b. Les Ponts-de-Martel, 16 June 1829) and his wife Anna Dällenbach (b. Les Ponts-de-Martel, 16 March 1831) travelled to the US with their children Lina, Marie, Alexandre, Isaac, Herman, Joseph, Rose and Lilliane in about 1868. They also made their home in Illinois, where three more children were born. Their daughter Marie (b. Les Ponts-de-Martel, 18 August 1853) married her second cousin Jean Stähli, while Rose (b. 31 March 1865) married another emigrant from Neuchâtel, Louis-Henri Ducommun.
Jules-César Huguenin (-Virchaux) (b. Le Locle, 20 December 1840) received a passport for America on 17 May 1864 and arrived at Ellis Island on 3 October 1864 on the ship "Bellona" from the port of Gibralta. He married Pauline Montandon in San Francisco in 1877, and is listed as a jeweller in the San Francisco City Directory for 1889/90. His parents were Daniel-Henri Huguenin-Virchaux and Emilie Racine and his Huguenin-Virchaux line can be traced back to the early 1400’s and the first known Huguenin.
Jules-César’s brother, Bernadotte-Iwan Huguenin (-Virchaux) (b. Le Locle, 26 January 1843), a watchmaker, received a passport for the US on 06 May 1872, together with his sister, Louise-Amélie (b. Le Locle, 8 September 1839). They travelled via Le Havre and London on the ship "The Queen", arriving at Ellis Island on 6 June 1872.
Adolphe-Aloïse-Reding Huguenin (-Virchaux) (b. Le Locle, 30 May 1845), another of Jules-César’s brothers, received an initial passport for America via France on 2 July 1866 and 7 years later, on 7 April 1873, he received a second passport for himself and his (unnamed) wife for Pennsylvania.
Ulysse Jeanneret (b. La Brévine, 2 April 1840) left his pregnant wife Louise-Emma Robert in Corcelles when he crossed the Atlantic in 1865: their son Ulysse-Zélim was born on 1 May 1866 and according to the baptismal register, the father had been absent in America for about seven months. It is unclear whether Louise ever joined her husband across the Atlantic, but Ulysse married his second wife Annie in about 1883, and had two more children with her in Maryland.
Philibert Huguenin of La Chaux-de-Fonds received a passport for America on 4 May 1866. His exact link to the main Huguenin tree is unknown at present.
Jules-Aimé Jacot (b. La Chaux-de-Fonds, 21 March 1841) probably travelled to the US in the early part of 1866. His wife, Sophie Reichenbach, came to join him a few months later, arriving on the ship "Cella" on 6 August 1866 with their four young children: Fanny, Fritz-Aimé, Jean-Louis and baby Marie-Alice, who was just 2 months old. They settled as farmers in Wayne County, Ohio and had 16 children in all, although four died young. After Sophie's death in 1899 Jules returned to Switzerland, but his children all remained in the US. Jules was the son of Louis-Aimé Jacot and Fanny Vuille and was a descendant of David Jacot, born in the late 1600s.
Jules-César Huguenin (-Virchaux) (b. Les Ponts-de-Martel, 16 April 1846) received a passport for the US on 16 January 1867 and arrived at Ellis Island on board the “Cella” on 6 March 1867. He subsequently married Eugénie Niefrecker from Alsace. Jules’ parents were Gustave Huguenin-Virchaux and Ilody-Evelina Perrenoud; his Huguenin-Virchaux line can be traced back to the early 1400s and the first known Huguenin, while his maternal Perrenoud line goes back to Jehan Perrenodz, who swore fealty for his land in 1525.
Philippe Roulet (b. La Chaux-de-Fonds, 16 April 1828) emigrated to the US in 1867 with his wife Marianne Schindler (b. 13 April 1828) and their first five children: Marie, Elise, Anna, Fritz and Louis. They settled initially in Ohio before moving to Iowa in about 1869 and had three more children before Marianne's early death in 1870. Philippe's father had converted to his wife's Mennonite faith, and Philippe was pastor of the Pulaski Mennonite church for many years. He married his second wife, Fanny Honderich in 1872 and had nine children with her. Philippe's parents were Auguste Roulet and Marie Stähli; his Roulet ancestors can be traced back to Blaise Roulet, who died before 1615.
Albert Pellaton (b. Les Ponts-de-Martel, 8 January 1847) emigrated to the US in 1867, where he married Henriette Morel in New York. He worked as a bookkeeper in New Jersey and later as a steward in Missouri. Albert's parents were Frédéric-Aldin Pellaton and Eusébie Perrenoud; his ancestors in the canton of Neuchâtel can be traced back to the 16th century.
Théophile-Emile Ducommun (-dit-Boudry) (b. La Chaux-de-Fonds, 4 September 1822) arrived in New York on the "Arago" on 24 July 1867 with his wife Augusta Planitz and their six children: Paul-Emile, Gottlieb-Edouard, Charles, Emma-Louise, Alexandre-Albert and Gustave-Adolphe. They settled in Illinois where they farmed and some of the family worked as watchmakers. Théophile was the son of Julien Ducommun-dit-Boudry and Elisabeth Meyrat; his great-grandfather Jacob lived in La Chaux-de-Fonds in the early 1700s.
Robert L Huguenin (b. Ireland, July 1836) emigrated to the US with his wife Annie in 1869. We know nothing about this Huguenin line at present.
Emile-François Perret (-Gentil) (b. La Chaux-de-Fonds, 19 July 1854) emigrated to the US as a teenager in 1869. On the 1880 census he is recorded in Portland, Oregon but by the end of that year he had moved to California and married Gertrude, founding a family in Los Angeles, where he worked as a sign painter. Emile was the son of Louis Perret-Gentil and Catharina-Emma Müller; his paternal ancestors in the canton of Neuchâtel go back to to the early 1700s.
Ulysse Calame (b. Le Locle, 17 November 1831) emigrated to the US in the late 1860s with his wife Eugénie Châtelain and at least seven children: Armand-Julien, Marie, Bertha, Caroline, Tell-Auguste, Olga and Marcel. They settled as farmers in Illinois, where their youngest daughter Lea was born and after Eugénie's death in 1889, Ulysse married another Neuchâtel emigrant, Louise-Marie Vuagneux. Ulysse was the son of Abram-Frédéric Calame and Zélie Farel; he was a descendant of David Calame, who lived in the canton of Neuchâtel in the late 1600s.
Emile-Augustin Montandon (b. La Brévine, 29 December 1845) left Neuchâtel for the US in 1870 and settled in Oregon where he married Maria Stoller from the canton of Bern in 1882. Emile's parents were Louis-Frédéric Montandon and Henriette-Fanny Borel; his Montandon line goes back to Jean-Jaques Montandon in the late 17th century.
Elie Ummel (b. La Sagne, 25 April 1854) left the canton of Neuchâtel at the beginning of the second wave of Mennonite emigration, arriving in New York on the "City of Manchester" on 19 April 1870. He settled initially in Illinois where he married Caroline Baker before moving to Nebraska where most of his children were born. Elie (known also as Eli) was the son of Christian Ummel and Rosine Schindler; his aunt Marianne Schindler emigrated with her husband Philippe Roulet in 1867.
Eli's brother Abraham Ummel (b. December 1859) joined him in Illinois in 1881, and married another Mennonite emigrant, Anna Ramseyer, in 1887. Anna was the daughter of Christian Ramseyer and Marianne Ummel, and came to the US as a small child in 1870.
A third brother, Christian Ummel (b. Le Locle, 25 October 1851) emigrated to the US in 1889 with his wife Marie Aeschlimann (b. Les Brenets, 14 October 1855) and their six children: Marie Rose, Lina, David, Sophia, Martha and baby Ernest, who was just six weeks old. They arrived in New York on the ship "La Gasgogne" on 18 November 1889 and settled in Illinois, where five more children were born. Marie was the daughter of Christian Peter Aeschlimann and Julie Roulet (sister of Philippe Roulet).
Christian Schlunegger (b. La Chaux-de-Fonds, 19 December 1811) and his wife Marianne Roulet (b. Les Ponts-de-Martel, 28 November 1814) emigrated to the US in 1874 with their 4 children, Anna, Christian, Frédéric and Louis, as well as Anna’s husband Jacob Amstutz and 2 grandchildren. The family were Mennonites, and their emigration was arranged by a man named Schindler, who also arranged for others of their faith to travel to the US. The Schlunegger family settled in Iowa, where Marianne's brother Philippe Roulet had had moved a few years earlier
The younger Christian and his brother Louis subsequently married sisters Verena and Marie Ummel, who emigrated from La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1881. After Verena’s early death, Christian married his cousin Marie Aeschlimann (b. 26 September 1867), daughter of Marianne’s sister Julie Roulet and her husband Christian Peter Aeschlimann. Marianne’s parents were Auguste Roulet and Marie Stähli; her Roulet line goes back to Blaise Roulet of Noiraigue, who died before 1615. In the US, the name Schlunegger was anglicised to Slonaker or Slonecker.
Jean Ramseyer (b. La Sagne, 26 June 1838), his wife Annette Ummel (b. St-Imier, 21 January 1869) and their six oldest children, Michel Louis, Anna, Susanne, Johannes, Rosina and Maria Léa were another Mennonite family who left the canton of Neuchâtel, arriving in the US on the "Ernst Moritz Arndt" on 18 April 1874. They settled initially in Ohio where two more children were born, but by 1880 they had joined several other Neuchâtel families who shared their faith in McLean county, Illinois where their youngest son was born. Jean (also known as Johann or John) was the son of Christian Ramseyer and Susanne Ummel; his wife Annette was the daughter of Johannes Ummel and Marianne Schlatter.
Charles Grandjean (-Perrenoud-Comtesse) left Switzerland for the US in 1875. His brother Pierre and sisters Sophie and Cécile also crossed the Atlantic either with him or separately. Their parents were Charles-Auguste Grandjean-Perrenoud-Contesse and Marie Horn, and their paternal line has been traced back to Jehan Perrenodz (also known as Jean Perrenod alias Comtesse), founder of the family, who lived in La Sagne in the early 1400s.
Charles’ cousin Henri Grandjean (-Perrenoud-Comtesse) (b. La Chaux-de-Fonds, 3 January 1857) also left Switzerland for San Francisco in 1875. He married Marie-Eugénie Amstutz in Oakland, California in 1878. Several of his brothers and sisters joined him in Oakland: Elise (b. 12 June 1848) came out in 1883 before returning to Europe to work in Belgium. Georges-Henri (b. 12 January 1849) was in Oakland by 1879 when he married Francine Josephine Fremaux there. Pauline-Mélina (b. 22 August 1855), an artist, came to Oakland in 1882 and married Hermann Hofer there. Louis (b. 12 June 1860), a pharmacist, joined them in 1883, but died of consumption just four years later. Finally their father, Henri (b. Le Locle, 28 April 1821) joined his children in Oakland in 1884, and died there in 1887. It is unclear whether their mother Reine-Mélina Perrenoud was ever in America, but at the time of her death in 1896 she was living with daughter Elise in Belgium.
Arthur Jeanneret (b. La Chaux-de-Fonds, 9 June 1852) emigrated to the US in 1876 and after a short time in Kansa, moved to Dallas, Texas for his health. His childhood sweetheart, Adrienne Lisa Sterkey, made the long journey to join him and they were married there. The couple returned to Kansas, farming in the settlement of Neuchatel in Nemaha County, where their five children were born. Arthur was the son of Jules-François Jeanneret and Julie-Henriette Thiébaud, with ancestors in the canton of Neuchâtel going back to the 16th century.
Arthur's brother Paul Jeanneret (b. La Chaux-de-Fonds, 11 March 1850) emigrated to Kansas in 1878 with his wife Rosalie Jacot and daughter Martha. A second daughter, Flora, was born in Kansas. Martha married another Neuchâtel expatriate, Jules Oscar Jacot, in Kansas in 1896.
A third brother, Georges Jeanneret (b. La Chaux-de-Fonds, 22 December 1853) joined them in Kansas in 1891 and also founded a family there.
Alcide-Louis Stähli (b. Le Locle, 13 July 1856) arrived in the US on the ship "La France" on 7 December 1876. He worked for a while repairing watches in New York before joining the Swiss community in Danvers, Illinois, where he became a farm hand. His employer was Mennonite minister Jean Stähli and Alcide married Jean's daughter Elise Stähli (his second cousin) in 1877. Alcide's widowed father Jacob Stähli joined him in Illinois in 1883; his mother, Augustine-Adolphine Jeanneret, had died when he was still a child.
Louis C Huguenin (b. December 1849) emigrated to the US in 1877 with his wife Marie and their first 2 children, Louise and Louis. They lived first in Iowa and then in Nebraska, and had four more children. Louis’ link to the main Huguenin tree is not known at present.
Philémon Huguenin (-Vuillemin) (b. Les Ponts-de-Martel, 4 November 1849) received a passport for America on 7 April 1879. His parents were Gustave-Adolphe Huguenin-Vuillemin and Henriette-Aspasie Petitpierre; his Huguenin-Vuillemin line goes back to Abram Huguenin-Vuillemin who died before 1728.
Henri-Ulysse Huguenin (-Dumittan) (b. La Brévine, 13 February 1844) arrived in the United States on board the “Labrador” on 28 February 1878, together with his wife, Louise-Eugénie Perret (b. La Brévine, 30 June 1848) and their first 4 children, Paul, Robert, Elise and Emma, as well as their niece Julie-Elise Landry (b. 1876), daughter of Henri-Ulysse’s sister Louise-Eugénie Huguenin-Dumittan and her husband Albert Landry. Although Henri-Ulysse returned to pass the final years of his life in Switzerland, his family remained in America.
Henri-Ulysse’s brother, Louis-Frédéric (b. La Brévine, 24 Auguste 1845) and sister Marie (b. 12 February 1857) travelled on the same ship, and like their brother, settled in Kansas. Their Huguenin-Dumittan ancestors can be traced back to the early 1400’s and the first known Huguenin, while Louise Eugénie’s Perret ancestors include Daniel Perret, a local magistrate in the village of La Sagne in 1712. Julie-Elise’s Landry line goes back to Moise Landry of Les Verrières, who was born in the mid-1600s.
Another sister, Alvina Huguenin-Dumittan (b. 22 March 1859) also emigrated: she married Henry Adolf, and raised a family in Nebraska before moving to California.
Paul-Edouard Humbert (-Droz) (b. Le Locle, 23 April 1851), emigrated to the US in 1878 and his wife Léa Vincent joined him the following year with their young children Emma-Louise, Paul and Edouard. They settled in Pennsylvania, where two more children were born, but later moved to New York, where Paul worked as a watch case engraver. Paul's parents were Jules-Henri Humbert-Droz and Adèle Brandt; he was a descendant of Moyse Humbert-Droz, born in the early 1700s.
Paul-Emile Vuille (-dit-Bille) (b. Le Locle, 3 July 1842) emigrated to the US in the late 1870s with his wife, Louise-Emma Othenin-Girard, and their four children, Louise-Emma, Paul-Emile, Amélie-Rose and Charles-Auguste. The family settled in New Jersey, but Louise died in 1881, and Paul-Emile married another Neuchâtel exile, Lise Perret-Gentil, in 1883. Paul-Emile’s parents were Onésime Vuille-dit-Bille and Louise Emma Rosine Perrenoud: he was a descendant of Claude Vuille dit la Bille, who lived at La Sagne in the 16th century, while his Perrenoud ancestors go back to the mid 1400s.
Paul's sister Elise-Françoise Vuille-dit-Bille (b. Le Locle, 5 November 1847) followed him to the US in 1888 with her husband Auguste-Herman Vuille-dit-Bille (b. Le Locle, 22 May 1844) and their four children: Herman, Marie-Elise, Fritz-Albert and Laure-Alice. Auguste-Herman was Elise's cousin, son of Célestin Vuille-dit-Bille and Adélaïde Brandt.
Ulysse-Henri Châtelain (b. Tramelan, 9 June 1830) and his wife Henriette Huguenin-Vuillemin (b. Les Ponts-de-Martel, 20 March 1831) emigrated to the US in the late 1870s with their 6 children: Esther, Jules-César, Tell-Albert, Ali-Numa, Marie-Marguerite and Henri-Edouard. Several members of the related Châtelain, Stähli, Barbezat and Ramseyer families all crossed the Atlantic around this time in the second wave of Mennonite emigration from the canton of Neuchâtel and many of them settled in Illinois. We do not have much information at present on Ulysse-Henri’s ancestors, but his wife’s parents were Louis-Auguste Huguenin-Vuillemin and Marie Ramseyer; her Huguenin-Vuillemin line goes back to Abram Huguenin-Vuillemin, who died before 1728.
Alexis Ducommun (b. Les Ponts-de-Martel, 19 February 1845) emigrated around this time and married Ulysse-Henri Châtelain's daughter Esther (b. La Chaux-du-Milieu, 24 July 1858) in Illinois in 1880. Alexis was the son of Henri-Frédéric Ducommun and Rosine-Eugénie Stauffer, with Ducommon and other ancestors from Neuchâtel dating back to the 15th century. Alexis apparently died young, and in 1887 Esther married his nephew, Frédéric-Henri Ducommun (b. La Chaux-du-Milieu, 21 September 1863), who had emigrated to the US in 1880. They later moved to Canada with their children.
Frédéric-Henri's brother Louis-Henri Ducommun (b. Travers, 8 April 1861) also emigrated in 1880, and married Rose Stähli in Illinois in 1890.
Their sister Marie-Adèle Ducommun (b. Travers, 22 March 1856) emigrated to the US in 1887 with her husband Louis-Alfred Montandon.
Two more brothers travelled to Iowa before the end of the century: Henri-Emile Ducommun (b. Neuchâtel, 12 December 1873) and Henri-Albert Ducommun (b. Brot-Dessus, 2 February 1876). They were joined there by their parents, Henri-Ernest Ducommun (b. Brot-Dessus, 28 December 1832) and Marie Bähler (b. Boveresse, 31 August 1834), who emigrated in 1886.
Frédéric-Louis Ramseyer (b. Les Maix-Rochat, 3 February 1847) belonged to the Mennonite community in the canton of Neuchâtel and arrived in the US on the "Saint Germain" on 13 April 1882 with his wife Rosalie Ummel (b. Les Eplatures, 9 July 1856) and their two oldest children, Lina Rosalie and Marie Léa. They settled in Ohio where six more children were born. Frédéric-Louis was the son of Jean Ramseyer and Barbara Amstutz, while Rosalie was the daughter of Christian Ummel and Rosine Schindler. Three of her brothers, Elie, Christian and Abraham also emigrated to the US.
Louis-Arthur Roulet (b. Noiraigue, 28 March 1864) travelled to the US as a young man of 19 in 1883 and worked as a farm hand in Illinois for three years. He then rented land of his own and in 1886 married another Neuchâtel expatriate, Adèle Jeanneret (b. Travers, 15 October 1857). They later moved to Iowa, and bought a farm there. Adèle and Louis (whose name was anglicised to Rowlet) had seven children, three of whom died in infancy. Louis was the son of Frédéric-Auguste Roulet and Julie Henriod; he was a descendant of Blaise Roulet, who died before 1615. Adèle was the daughter of Julien Jeanneret and his second wife Marie Baer; her Jeanneret acestors go back to Claude Jeanneret, "lieutenant de justice" at Travers in 1611.
Louis-Ulysse Huguenin (b. Besançon, France) came to the US in 1883, and married Lucie Lefebvre in Providence, Rhode Island in 1887. Louis’ parents were Fritz Huguenin and Louise, but his link to the main Huguenin tree is not known at present.
Constant Vuille (b. Les Planchettes, 21 May 1842) emigrated to the US in 1883 with his second wife Zélie Esther Mayandon, a Frenchwoman, and their three young children, Blanche Rose, Henri and Jennie, who were all born in France. They settled in Illinois, where Constant became superintendent for the Federal Watch Company in Chicago, but moved to Florida in the early 1900s. Constant was the son of Frédéric-Henri Vuille and Elisabeth Augsburger; this branch of the Vuille family previously lived in the Tramelan area (canton of Bern).
David-Louis Jacot (-Descombes) and his wife Marie-Elisabeth Schutz emigrated to the US with their six young children: Bertha, Louis-Gustave, Louise, Bernard-Albert, Lucie and Charles. They arrived on the ship "La Normandie" on 8 April 1884 and settled in Indiana where they farmed in Tippecanoe County. David-Louis was the son of David-Louis Jacot-Descombes and Lucie Huguenin-Virchaux, with ancestors in the canton of Neuchâtel who can be traced back to the early 1400’s.
David-Louis' sister, Fanny-Anaïse Jacot-Descombes (b. Le Locle, 04 May 1863) and her husband Louis-Auguste Hentzi (b. Renan, 09 April 1858) arrived at New York on board the “EMS” on 23 April 1885 with their two oldest children, Auguste and Bertha-Lucie. Three more children were born after they settled in Illinois: Martha, Jeanne and Edward.
Another sister, Elise-Emma Jacot-Descombes, (b. Le Locle, 7 December 1847) also emigrated at about the same time together with her husband, Christian Müller (b. 14 March 1848), their children Jenny, Laura, Christian, Lucie and Louise, as well as Elise’s son from a previous marriage, Arthur Jacot (b. 11 January 1868). Like the Hentzi family, they also settled initially in Illinois, but later moved on to Washington.
Charles-Fritz Montandon (b. Les Ponts-de-Martel, 30 March 1843) emigrated to the US in 1884 with his wife Sophie Meystre and their six oldest children, James, Elie-Ulysse, Charles-Armand, Clara-Marie, Emile-Frédéric and Elsie. Like several other Neuchâtel families they settled in the St Maries area of Idaho where two more children were born. Charles made at least two trips back to Switzerland, although the rest of the family remained in Idaho. Charles was the son of Alexandre-Eugène Montandon and Marie-Elise Jornod, with Montandon and Perrenoud ancestors on his father's side going back to the 15th century.
Reynold-Louis Ducommun (b. Les Ponts-de-Martel, 10 December 1864) arrived in New York on the "Hammonia" on 7 August 1885 with his wife Marie von Gunten and their young son Henri-Reynold. They settled in Wisconsin, raising a family of twelve children. Reynold's parents were Louis-Renold Ducommun and Eugénie Duvanel; he was a descendant of Moyse Ducommun-dit-Lienhard who lived in Les Ponts-de-Martel in the second half of the 17th century.
Emile-Alphonse Huguenin (-Vuillemenet) (b. Neuchâtel, 13 April 1869), a farmer, emigrated to the US via New York in 1885. He married Lucinda Maude Wald there, settling first in Indiana and later in Ohio. Although most of his siblings remained in Switzerland, some of his brother Charles-Auguste's descendants can be found in France. The Huguenin-Vuillemenet branch seems to have originated at La Brévine, and their earliest known ancestor at present is David Huguenin-Vuillemenet, who died before 1745.
Emile’s cousin, Charles Matthey (-Jaquet) (b. 2 Feb 1868), son of Henri-Albert Matthey-Jaquet and Julie-Victorine Huguenin-Vuillemenet also emigrated to the US. He made an initial visit to his future homeland with Emile in 1885-86 before moving there permanently in about 1892. He met his future wife Berthe Nicolet and her brothers on the boat travelling out, and went into partnership with her brothers farming in Illinois.
Fritz-Emile Perrenoud ( b. La Chaux-du-Milieu, 2 September 1857) and his wife, Laure-Adèle Huguenin, (b. Les Verrières, 6 March 1861) emigrated to the US with their four children, Charles, Arthur, Adalbert and Herbert in about 1885. They settled first in Utah and later in Idaho, and had another nine children. Fritz’s parents were Verther Perrenoud and Emilie Félicie Reuge: his Perrenoud line has been traced back to Jehan Pernodz, who lived in La Sagne in the early 1400s and many of his other ancestors are also known, including Benoit, Huguenin and Matile lines which go back to the 1600’s or earlier. Laure Adèle was the daughter of Delphin-Adolphe Huguenin and Louise Henriette Landry. Her father’s line goes back to Benjamin Huguenin, ancestor of the Huguenin-Benjamin family, born around 1650, while the Landry line can be traced back to Moise Landry, born about the same time.
Fritz-Emile’s aunt, Adélaïde-Eliza Perrenoud (b. Les Ponts-de-Martel, 8 June 1815) also emigrated to the US with her French husband, Joseph Aimé Auguste Bunot (b. Musinens, 4 February 1828) and their daughter, Sidonie.
Louis-Auguste Perret (b. La Sagne, 10 April 1830), a watchmaker, died in Hazel Run, Missouri in 1897. His date of emigration is not known, and it is unclear whether his wife Fanny Maire accompanied him to the US. His son, Louis-Paul, and other members of the family are buried in the same cemetery. Louis-Auguste’s parents were Charles-Aimé Perret and Julie Vuille; his Perret line goes back to Jaques Perret of La Sagne who was born around 1700, while the Vuille line descends from Jean-Frédéric Vuille of La Sagne, also born around 1700. In addition, Louis-Auguste has Roulet ancestors going back to the 1400s.
Emile Ducommun (b. Les Ponts-de-Martel, 18 December 1853) and his wife Rachel Humbert emigrated to the US in 1886 with their two oldest sons, Etienne and Henri. They settled in Idaho where three more sons were born. Emile was the son of Félix Ducommun and Eugénie Thiébaud, with ancestors in the canton of Neuchâtel going back to the 14th century.
Louis-Alfred Montandon (b. Travers, 8 September 1855) and his wife Marie-Adèle Ducommun (b. Travers, 22 March 1856) emigrated to the US in 1887 with their five oldest children: Louis-Henri, Charles-Henri, Paul-Emile, Leon and Marie-Ida, and settled in Illinois where another three children were born. Louis-Alfred's parents were Charles Montandon and Julie-Emélie Ducommun; both sides of his family can be traced back to the early 1600s, while his wife Marie-Adèle was a very distant cousin.
Tell-Ami Grandjean (-Perrenoud-Contesse) (b. Le Locle, 28 September 1851) left Le Locle for the US in late 1887, and his wife, Marie-Emma Dubois, and their six children, Louise-Alice, Tell-Ami, Charles, Fritz-Alfred, Paul-William and Eva, followed six months later in April 1888. The family settled in New Jersey. Tell-Ami’s parents were Henri-Louis Grandjean-Perrenoud-Contesse and Catherine Hostettler; his Grandjean-Perrenoud-Contesse line goes back to Jehan Perrenodz (also known as Jean Perrenod alias Comtesse), founder of the family, who lived in La Sagne in the early 1400s.
Fritz-Ali Jacot (b. Les Ponts-de-Martel, 1 November 1842) arrived in the US on "La Champagne" on 19 February 1889 with his wife Anna-Héloïse Robert-Charrue (b. Brot-Plamboz, 9 May 1840) and three of their their children: Jules-Alfred, Léa and Lucille. Fritz-Ali was the son of Frédéric Jacot and Elise Huguenin-Virchaux, whose ancestors go back to the early 15th century, while Anna-Héloïse was the daughter of Louis-François Robert-Charrue and Zéline Perrin, whose families can also be traced back for many generations.
Jules returned to Switzerland to marry Marie-Lina Ducommun in 1891, before returning permanently to the US with his bride on 16 March 1891. Marie-Lina was born in Brot-Dessus on 1 July 1868, and was the daughter of Alexandre Ducommun and Marie-Marguerite Stauffer.
Another of Fritz and Anna's sons, Paul (b. Les Ponts-de-Martel, November 1868) emigrated in 1888, and married another Neuchâtel emigrant, Louise-Elise Sandoz (b. La Chaux-du-Milieu, 25 April 1864), daughter of Charles-Paul Sandoz and Augustine Jacot.
The extended family all settled in Idaho, in the same region as other intermarried Neuchâtel families.
Auguste Perrenoud (b. Travers, 2 March 1830) emigrated to the US in 1889 with his wife Jennie and their four children: Anna, Henri-Nicolas, Hélène and Clémentine. They arrived in New York on the ship "La Bretagne" on 25 November 1889 and settled in California. Auguste's brother Louis-Onésime travelled with them, but later returned to Switzerland. Auguste was the son of Charles-Frédéric Perrenoud and Clémentine Corlet; he was a descendant of David Perrenoud who lived in La Sagne in the middle of the 17th century.
Two of Louis-Onésime's daughters emigrated to the US: Lina-Emilie (b. Les Ponts-de-Martel, 28 March 1869) married John Jacob Moeri in Maryland in 1890 and raised a family of six children in New Jersey. Her older sister Lucie (b. Les Ponts-de-Martel, 1861) crossed the Atlantic a few years later with her husband Léopold Stähli and their six young children: Rose, Marguerite, Marie, Ruth, Jean and Georges, arriving in New York on the ship "La Touraine" on 11 May 1896.
Alcide Perrenoud (b. Les Ponts-de-Martel, 10 August 1861, his brother Charles (b. Les Ponts-de-Martel, 2 February 1859) and their sister, Mélina (b. 13 February 1863) emigrated to the US in about 1890 and settled in Michigan. Their parents were Louis-Théophile Perrenod and Charlotte Virginie Aellen; their father’s line goes back to Guillaume Perrenoud who lived in the 14th century.
Tell-Raould Huguenin (b. Neuchâtel, 9 January 1857) and his wife, Elise Jeanneret (b. Neuchâtel, 4 March 1857) emigrated to the US in about 1890 together with their first seven children: Thérèse, Herman, Edith, Alice, Edouard, Emma and Alfred. They settled in Idaho, and had four more children: François (or Francis), William, Mark and Martha. Tell-Raould’s parents were Sylvain Huguenin du Mittan and Sophie-Hortense Barbezat; his Huguenin-Dumittan line goes back to the earliest known Huguenin, but in addition he has Huguenin-Vuillemin, Huguenin des Bois and other Huguenin ancestors.
Tell-Raould's youngest brother, William-Nestor (b. 22 March 1866), also emigrated to the US.
Elise’s brother, Numa Jeanneret (b. 31 July 1856), travelled to the US in 1890, along with his wife, Emma Stähli (b. 4 February 1860), and their 3 oldest children: Neva, Marie-Madelaine and Herman. They settled in Washington, and had two more children: Philip Augustus and Reuben. Emma’s brother Ulysse Stähli (b. Les Verrières, 26 December 1853) later joined them in the US with his wife and family. Emma’s parents were François Jeanneret and Félicie Aellen.
Charles Henri Paul Gaston de Roulet (b. Haut-Vully, Vaud, 23 October 1871) arrived in the US on the ship "La Bretagne" on 1 May 1893. He married Marie-Louise Pélissier in Los Angeles in 1899 and descendants of this couple use the surname DeRoulet. Charles was the son of Henri François Maurice de Roulet and Eugénie Barbey; his great-grandfather François Roulet was ennobled by Friedrich-Wilhelm III of Prussia.
Frédéric-Louis Huguenin (b. Cornaux, 28 May 1843), a farmer and watchmaker, emigrated to the US in 1892 with his wife, Marie Mattenberger, their daughter, Cécile, and Marie’s daughters by a previous marriage: Clémence (also known as Clementine), who used the name Huguenin, and Emma Chaumard. They travelled via Le Havre on the ship ”La Champagne”, arriving at Ellis Island on 18 July 1892. Frédéric-Louis’ line goes back to Jean Huguenin, born around 1730.
Paul-César Huguenin (b. 3 November 1860) emigrated to the US with his 11 year-old son George-Victor on board the ”Berlin”, arriving at Ellis Island on 3 July 1893. Rosine Huguenin, a married woman who travelled on the same ship, was probably his wife. Paul-César settled in New York, and subsequently married Myrtle Burdick in 1904: he had four children with his second wife. Paul’s link to the main Huguenin tree is unknown at present.
Paul-Alfred (Jean-) Mairet (b. La Chaux-du-Milieu, 14 March 1876) and his brother Louis (b. 18 July 1869) emigrated to the US some time before 1899, when Paul returned to Switzerland to marry Rose-Emma Maret. Paul and Emma travelled back to the US, arriving at Ellis Island on 16 October 1899 on the ship ”La Gascogne” with Rose’s sister Lina Maret. Lina subsequently married Louis, and both couples settled in Iowa, where they were joined in 1920 by their nephew, Charles-Alfred Mairet (b. Les Ponts-de-Martel, 15 September 1899). Paul and Louis’ parents were Louis Constant Jean-Mairet and Marie Eugénie Maire and their Jean-Mairet ancestors have been traced back to David Jean-Mairet who lived in La Sagne at the end of the 17th century.
Rose and Lina’s sister Elise Maret arrived in the US on 11 September 1893, having also travelled on the ship ”La Gascogne”. She married Numa Sandoz (-Othenin) (b. La Brévine, 20 April 1876) on 30 September 1893 in Idaho. Numa’s parents were Louis Ulysse Sandoz-Othenin and Julie Henriette Vaucher.
Arthur Huguenin (b. 18 September 1869) and his wife Bertha Anna Senften (b. 4 May 1871) emigrated to the US prior to 1900 and settled in Torrington, Connecticut, where their three children were born. His link to the main Huguenin tree is not known at present.
Jean-Henri Richard (b. February 1874) and his wife Jeanne Huguenin-Dumittan (b. Le Locle, 18 October 1873) emigrated at about the same time as Arthur and also settled in Torrington where they had three children: they were probably friends of Arthur's, rather than close relations.
Jeanne's parents Louis-Williams Huguenin-Dumittan (b. La Chaux-de-Fonds, 24 May 1845) and Lucie Salzman (b. Les Brenets, 17 January 1845) arrived in the US on the ship "La Savoie" in November 1901 to join their daughter and son in Torrington. With them were several of Jeanne's brothers and sisters: Charlotte, Martha, Charles-Frédéric, Nellie, Marguerite-Emma and Jean-Théodore, who all later married and had families of their own in Torrington.
Another of Jeanne's brothers, George-Frédéric Huguenin-Dumittan (b. La Chaux-de-Fonds, 12 June 1882) travelled to the US in 1904, stating that he was going to his friend Arthur Huguenin in Torrington. However, he did not remain there for long, because he married Aline E Pécaut from Sonvillier (canton of Bern) in Manhattan in 1905 and they raised a family of three children in New York.
The last of the family to arrive in Torrington was Jeanne's oldest brother, Paul-William Huguenin-Dumittan (b. La Chaux-de-Fonds 21 December 1870), who emigrated with his wife Marie and their three sons, André, René and Georges, in 1919.
Louis-Albert Huguenin (b. La Chaux-de-Fonds, 18 December 1850) travelled over the French border to Besançon where he married a local girl, Hortense Céline Buchle in 1876. Their son Charles-Eugène Huguenin (b. Besançon, 26 February 1882) emigrated to the US in late 1903, settling in Washington, where in 1906 he married a Swiss woman, Laure-Adèle Stähli (b. Le Locle, 26 October 1883), who had emigrated with her parents and sisters in 1904. Louis-Albert’s parents were Henri-Alexandre Huguenin and Rosette Lesqueyreux; his ancestors can be traced back to Abram Huguenin, born about 1650.
Ulysse Stähli (b. Les Verrières, 26 December 1853) emigrated to the US with his wife Zélie-Adèle Piaget (b. Le Grand Bayard, 10 September 1847) and their daughters, Laure-Adèle, Nadine and Eva. The family arrived at Ellis Island on 19 March 1904 on the ship ”La Savoie”. Laure-Adèle subsequently married Charles-Eugène Huguenin in Washington. Ulysse’s sister, Emma Stähli, had already settled in the US with her husband Numa Jeanneret and family.
George-Hermann Huguenin (-Elie) (b. Le Locle, 28 August 1883) travelled from Switzerland to America on the ship ”La Savoie” from Le Havre. He arrived at Ellis Island on 29 October 1904. George married a French woman from Besançon, Marie-France Berard, who had emigrated with her parents in 1882. He was a descendant of Elie Huguenin, who gave this branch of the family its name. Elie himself was a great-great-great-grandson of Vuillemin, the earliest known Huguenin.
Marie-Cécile Droz-dit-Busset (b. La Chaux-de-Fonds, 25 December 1881) emigrated to the US with her husband Oscar Louis Cavin and their three young children, Marcel, Edith and Madeleine, arriving at Ellis Island on the ship "La Touraine" on 25 July 1908. They went to Missouri to join Oscar's widowed mother Hortense, who had emigrated two years earlier. Another child was born in Missouri, but sadly both baby Madelaine and her father Oscar died before the family had been in the US for a year. Marie-Cécile then married another Swiss emigrant, Gustave Isaac Bonzon, and had three more children in Missouri. She was the daughter of Charles-Alcide Droz-dit-Busset and Marie Prollius; her earliest-known ancestor was Abraham Droz-dit-Busset of Le Locle, who was born around 1650.
Emile Huguenin (-Virchaux) (b. Le Locle, 1 December 1873) and his three older children, Emile, Edouard and Charlotte arrived at Ellis Island on the ship ”La Touraine” on 1 August 1910. Three younger children, Marguerite, Albert and André remained in Switzerland with their mother, Louise-Elvina Dessoulavy. Emile’s parents were Albert Huguenin-Virchaux and Adèle Schild; his Huguenin-Virchaux line has been traced back to the origin of the family in the early 15th century.
Marthe Mojon (b. 1897) and her younger sister Berthe (b. Boudevilliers, 10 April 1892) emigrated to the US shortly after Berthe’s marriage to Edouard Marti (b. La Sagne, 17 Jan 1887). They arrived at Ellis Island on board the ”Inkula” on 5 November 1911. Marthe and Berthe’s parents were Michel Arnold Mojon and Anna von Allmen.
George-Emile-Albin Huguenin (b. Le Locle, 19 May 1896) was another who arrived in the US through Ellis Island, landing there on 2 March 1915 on the ship ”Chicago”. He married Martha Jaenicke, a woman born in America, and settled in Nebraska. His parents were George-Emile-Albin Huguenin and Léa-Bertha Dubois; his ancestors can be traced back to Jacob Huguenin, a counsellor and lieutenant of militia, who died before 1724. The early members of this branch of the Huguenin family lived in La Brévine, and some were also known as Huguenin-Dezot.
Bern emigrants to the US
Johnannes von Allmen (b. circa 1821) emigrated to the US some time prior to 1869. In 1874, his first wife, a widow named Charlotte Peter, died in Pennsylvania. He then married another widow, Anna Martha Landgreb, and had a daughter Rosia (b. 15 January 1879). Johannes was also known as John in the US, and his exact link to his Swiss roots is not known at present.
Jakob von Allmen (b. Unterseen, 1810) emigrated to the US and settled in Illinois, along with his family, including son Johannes von Allmen (b. Unterseen, 1840 - also known as John). His ancestors are not known at present.
Johannes von Allmen (b. Iseltwald 29 November 1878) emigrated to the US with his wife Louisa Feutz (b. Stechelberg, 24 May 1883) and their two oldest children, Louisa and Johanna in about 1914, settling in Ohio, where two more children were born. Johannes parents were Ulrich von Allmen and Elizabeth Abeggen. His direct line goes back to another Johannes von Allmen (baptised Lauterbrunnen, 30 Jan 1735), but he has several von Allmen lines in his ancestry, and his ancestors include Hans von Allmen, who married Magdalena Kammer at Lauterbrunnen in 1656. Johnannes’ brother Albert (b. Sandbach, 17 April 1899) also emigrated to the US, and was married in Wisconsin.
Hans von Allmen (b. Lauterbrunnen 3 September 1901) emigrated to the US in about 1919. He married an Austrian woman, Cecilia Jung, and settled in Oregon. This von Allmen line goes back to Johannes von Allmen of Schlambalm in the mid-18th century. Hans’ brother Adolf von Allmen (b. Lauterbrunnen, 13 June 1896) also emigrated and settled in Oregon.
Werner von Allmen (b. Beatenberg, 23 May 1905) emigrated to the US and settled in Michigan. His parents were Johannes von Allmen and Elisabeth Raaflaub, and his direct line goes back to Christian von Allmen of Mürren, who was born about 1750.
Karl August von Allmen (b. Aussersihl, 2 August 1878) emigrated to the US in about 1895 and settled in Connecticut with his wife, Caroline Barbara Schweitzer. He had the same name as his father and grandfather, but we have not yet connected him to the rest of his Swiss roots.
Alfred Gertsch (b. Lauterbrunnen, 13 January 1876) and his sister Klara (b. Lauterbrunnen, 18 January 1873) emigrated to the US in the late 1890’s. Their parents were Peter Gertsch and Margaretha von Allmen. Their direct line goes back to Peter and Barbara Gertsch, who were married in Lauterbrunnen in 1681.
Magdalena von Allmen (b. Lauterbrunnen, 17 September 1858) and her husband Christian Hirschi converted to the Mormon faith in the 1880s and emigrated to the state of Idaho. Magdalena’s parents were Heinrich von Allmen and Magdalena Fuhrer, but we have no further information about her ancestors at present.
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