A Family Affair: Jean Baptiste Colin and Charles Jean-Baptiste Collin-Mézin
Heading from JB: Dr John Basford records the genealogy of the Collin-Mezin and Colin families revealing a common ancestor. The article also shows the many leading Mirecourt figures who were in their circle of friends.
The real Jean Baptiste Colin (hereafter JBC) has somehow escaped the violin making dictionaries. The name appears in Henley’s Universal Dictionary of Violin and Bow Makers with the description, ‘Usual order of the low priced factory instrument. Some models are a kind of replica of the Collin-Mézin, but not so excellently finished.’ Other derivative dictionaries follow a similar path. These refer to the instruments produced under Laberte-Humbert’s trademark of August 2, 1889, registered almost three years after the real JBC had died.
Collin-Mézin III wrote in his 1936 catalogue, ‘Méfiez-vous des contrefaçons!’ [Beware of counterfeits] possibly with reference to these Laberte-Humbert instruments. A warning against fakes was a well-known marketing strategy; a similar statement was used by his grandfather in his 1912 catalogue. Henley suggests that it is not these instruments which are being sold as Collin-Mézins but the lower grade instruments bought from Collin-Mézin himself. ‘Popularity of these violins [Collin-Mézins] gave rise to many counterfeits in the nature of violins labelled Collin, being foisted on the credulous public by unscrupulous vendors in the trade instruments made by Collin-Mézin.’ Note the spelling of ‘Collin’ with two ‘l’s, the Laberte-Humbert violins have one ‘l’. What Henley seems to be suggesting is that vendors were relabelling the lower grade instruments offered by Collin-Mézin – though in fact they were not made, only set up, by the Collin-Mézin workshop. Student violins, in the 1912 catalogue, started at 17 francs, compared with the top quality, ‘Modèle d’Exposition’, entirely handmade in the Collin-Mézin workshop, at 450 francs; the benefit to the unscrupulous vendor is obvious.
However the real JBC came from a long line of Mirecourt instrument/bow makers and was, in fact, related to Jean-Baptiste Charles Collin, known as Charles Jean-Baptiste Collin-Mézin (hereafter CM). CM’s use of hyphens seems to have been flexible, within his own catalogue of 1912 he has Ch.- J.B. Collin-Mézin, Ch-J.-B. Collin-Mézin, and Ch. J.-B. Collin-Mézin. The same catalogue, claims the house to be almost a century old and passed down, master luthier father to son, for three generations, ‘Notre maison vieille de presque un siècle, et Maître Luthier de père en fils depuis trois générations.’
One of the difficulties in tracing the violin and bow making Colins/Collins is the propensity of registrars and family members to vary the spelling between two and one ‘l’ (Collin-Colin), though JBC signed himself with one ‘l’ on his marriage document. Another is the number of alternative Jean Baptiste Collins – including one working as an appariteur /agent de police and witnessing the birth and the wedding of both JBC and CM – this particular Jean Baptiste Collin, was CM’s grandfather.
By working back from JBC and CM we arrive at a common ancestor, Jean Collin; JBC’s great-great grandfather and also CM’s great-great-great grandfather. The witnesses to various family weddings and births show some interesting connections to famous names of the violin and bow making world of Mirecourt.
Glossary
appariteur, magistrate’s assistant
boucher, butcher
boulanger, baker
cordonnier, shoemaker
fabricant d’Archets, bowmaker/bow manufacturer
facteur d’Archets, bowmaker
luthier, violin maker/bowmaker
pâtissier, confectioner/pastry cook
perruquier, wigmaker
During this period, luthier, seemed to encompass the profession of bowmaker as well, though occasionally the more specific, archetier, is used. The notary at his wedding describes JBC as a fabricant d’Archets and then states that Augustin [JBC’s father] was also a facteur d’Archets, suggesting there is no significant difference between the two titles. However some French dictionaries of the period (see, Le Dictionnaire de l’Académie française, Sixième Édition, T.1, 1835, and, Dictionnaire de la langue française, 1873, Littré) suggest, fabricant, can carry the implication not only of one who makes, but also one who has things made.
For the individuals in bold I have employed their own spelling, where known.
Some dates are given more than once to clarify which person is intended.
Interesting violin/bow makers are given in blue.
***
Jean Baptiste Colin 8 March 1820- 13 Oct 1886
Fabricant d’Archets on his marriage document, though in the Mirecourt 1886 Census [under Jean Baptiste Collin] he described himself as luthier.
Father: Augustin Colin
Mother: Marie Anne Deroux [28 Apr 1773- 2 Oct 1849]
Wife: Married 8 July 1844 to Anne Catherine Noël [1821-1892]
Witness to birth: Jean Baptiste Collin [30 Dec 1795-10 Nov 1865], appariteur
Witness to birth: Joseph Collin [c.1765-?] appariteur
Witness to marriage: Jean Baptiste Collin [30 Dec 1795-10 Nov 1865], agent de police
Witness to marriage: Nicolas Maire [29 Dec 1800-1878], facteur d’Archets
Witness to marriage; Jean-Joseph Grandjon [30 Nov 1795-2 Jan 1866], luthier
Witness to marriage: Joseph Philippe Grandjon [6 Jun 1820-30 Aug 1869, son of the above], luthier.
The registrar gives the groom with two ‘l’s, though the groom himself signs with one ‘l’.
Augustin Colin 28 Dec 1774-24 July 1834
Luthier on JBC’s birth registration, facteur d’Archets on JBC’s marriage document, and perruquier at the time of his own marriage.
Father: Louis Collin, facteur d’Archet,
Mother: Marie Barbe Trevillot [1751- 8 Sept 1813]
Wife: Married 16 Nov 1795 to Marie Anne Deroux
Witness to marriage: Cristof Renaudin, boucher
Witness to marriage: Francois Pailliot, luthier
In both the marriage document and Jean Baptiste’s birth registration, Augustin uses one ‘l’ in Colin, the registrar two.
Vannes and Jacquot have the luthier, Christophe Renaudin, in Mirecourt in 1779, possibly the same person as above. Paul Francois Pailliot (also Palliot, Paillot etc.) was born in Mattaincourt, 4 October 1751 and died in Mirecourt, 16 July 1821. He married Anne Christine Pacherel [1737-1782], the sister of Michel Pacherel [1741-1803] the grandfather of the luthier Pierre Pacherel, on 29 January 1770. The record of his death in the Archive departementales des Vosges suggests he was born in Mirecourt, but the earlier, 1792, record of the death of his son, Gregoire, gives him as, ‘natif de Mattincourt’.
Louis Collin 14 Sept 1745- before 1795
Facteur d’Archets stated on Augustin’s marriage document.
Father: Jean Colin
Mother: Anne Catherine Villermin [Caterine Vierman 18 Nov 1718-2 Aug 1760]
Wife: Married 29 June 1768 to Marie Barbe Trevillot
Witness to marriage: Joseph Gaulard
Witness to marriage: Claude Bernardel
In the marriage document, in spite of the registrar’s spelling using one ‘l’ in Colin, Louis and Jean sign their name with two ‘l’s. Anne Vierman (her own spelling) is, similarly, changed to Villermin.
Joseph Gaulard [11 Oct 1715-19 Mar 1779], was the brother of Marie Jeanne Gaulard (25 Apr 1719-22 Mar 1791) who was married to Joseph Trevillot [12 Dec 1715-11 Oct 1782]; Marie Barbe Trevillot was their daughter. Joseph Gaulard’s grandson (by his son Louis, 23 Mar 1753- after 1814) the bowmaker, Francois Jude Gaulard [28 Oct 1787-4 Feb 1857?], was Nicolas Fetique’s son-in-law. (Jean) Claude Bernardel [11 Feb 1732-1 May 1800] was married to Louis’s sister, Anne Catherine Collin [1739-1814]. Their son, also Jean Claude [14 Dec 1764-13 Dec 1826], was the father of Sébastien Claude Bernardel [24 Jan 1798-10 Mar 1870] who married Marie France Chanot [1796-1873] daughter of the luthier, Joseph Chanot [10 Sept 1760- 24 Aug 1832]. (Auguste) Sébastien Philippe Bernardel’s dates [10 Jan 1802-6 Aug 1870] are sometimes confused with those of his cousin, Sébastien Claude.
Jean Collin 30 April 1715 – 6 October 1782
Boulanger–pâtissier
Father: Jean Charles Colin
Mother: Anne Pacherel [Poicherel, Poichere, Pocherel 18 Jan 1693-31 March 1759]
Wife: Married 29 April 1738 to Anne Caterine Vierman [Catherine Villermin]
Witnesses to wedding: Dominique Francois and François Breton
Married 15 September 1761, Mirecourt, Vosges, to Marie Anne Bernardel [1729-1765], the elder Jean Claude Bernardel’s sister.
Married 17 February 1773, Gelvécourt-et-Adompt, Vosges, to Helene Barthement [1717-1773]
Brother to Louis Colin [23 Feb 1729- after 1803].
Jean Charles Colin c.1677 in Saint Firmin, Meurthe et Moselle – 8 Sept 1755 in Mirecourt
Maître boulanger
Father: Claude Collin [before1660- after 1707]
Mother: Jeanne Barbe Mesgnier [Munier before 1660- after 1707]
Wife: Married 11 Jan 1707 to Anne Poichere [Pocherel etc]
Witness: Philippe Barbier, Nicola Du Muyi (Dumeuil etc)
***
Following the same process with CM going back through the generations we arrive back at the common ancestor, Jean Charles Colin.
Charles Jean-Baptiste Collin 12 Nov 1841 – 1923
Luthier given on his marriage document and the register of his father’s death.
Father: (Claude) Nicolas Collin
Mother: Odile Mézin [31 Dec 1818- 23 May 1901]
Wife: Rose Félicité Aubert [16 Sept 1842-11 April 1875] married 25 Jan 1864, Mirecourt
Wife: Marie Therese Jeanne Nicier [10 May 1853-?] married 7 Aug 1879
Witness to birth: his paternal grandfather Jean Baptiste Collin [30 Dec 1795-10 Nov 1865]
Witness to birth: his maternal grandfather Joseph Mézin aged 54
Odile’s aunt Anne, married the luthier François Bertrand [9 Feb 1809-9 Feb 1875], and her aunt, Marie Odile, married the instrument seller Dominique Bastien [13 Sept 1784-c.1846?]
(Claude) Nicolas Collin 24 Dec.1817-27 July 1864
Luthier given on the register of his death and on CM’s birth document.
Father: Jean Baptiste Collin, appariteur, [30 Dec 1795-10 Nov 1865]
Mother: Claudine Callard [1 Aug 1791-25 June 1823]
Wife: Odile Mézin, married 25 Jan 1841
According to The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians – which gives an incorrect date of birth for Miremont of 1827, his birth registration shows it to be 13 Feb 1825 – Claude Nicolas Collin employed Claude Augustin Miremont prior to c.1844.
Jean Baptiste Collin 30 Dec 1795-10 Nov 1865
Cordonnier at the time of his wedding, later appariteur [possibly also luthier].
Father: Pierre Colin [8 November 1753-16 December 1801]
Mother: Anne Catherine Cluny [19 January 1753-10 July 1831]
Wife: Married 29 Oct 1817 to Claudine Callard
Wife: Married 11 November 1823 to Marie Elisabeth Cholet [Cholé 1795-1871]
Pierre Colin 8 November 1753-16 December 1801
Cordonnier
Father: Louis Colin
Mother: Catherine Poirot
Wife: Married 20 February 1776 to Anne Catherine Cluny
Pierre and Anne’s daughter, Marguerite Catherine, married the luthier Joseph Fourrier Couturieux, [13 Aug 1776-1 Apr 1812] on 26 July 1798. Joseph’s sister, Anne Catherine [1766-1837] married the luthier Joseph François Breton [1763- 4 July 1837], on 7 Feb 1785, another sister, Marie Anne [1768-1840] married luthier, Jean Claude Chevry [1757?-27 May 1800?], on 20 Jan 1793, yet another sister, Catherine Therese, [13 Oct 1779-1 May 1861], married luthier, Nicolas Francois Lecavelle [1774- before 1818] on 10 Dec 1797.
Louis Colin 23 Feb 1729-after 1803
Maître boulanger
Father: Jean Charles Colin
Mother: Anne Pacherel
Wife: Married 18 Jan 1746 to Catherine Poirot [21 Aug-after 1803]
Brother to Jean Colin [30 April 1715-6 October 1782]
We arrive back at:
Jean Charles Colin c.1677 in Saint Firmin, Meurthe et Moselle – 8 Sept 1755 in Mirecourt
©John Basford 2024