| AdminHistory | François Duroure (1660-1722), after spending some time in Holland and Germany, reached England in 1689 and was naturalized in 1699. He was commissioned in the British army and saw service in Ireland and Flanders. Retiring, partly because of a wound, he died at Southampton after living for some years in Ireland. His two sons, Scipio (1689-1745) and Alexandre (1692-1765) both served with distinction in the British army, and are jointly commemorated on a memorial in Westminster Abbey. Scipio, in his 41 years' service, fought in Marlborough's battles at Ramillies, Oudenarde and Malplaquet, and in various sieges, and became Colonel of the 12th Foot. After service in Scotland and at Gibraltar, he became adjutant general of the British troops on the continent, fought at Dettingen in 1743 and at Fontenoy in 1745 he received a wound from which he died. His last letter has been preserved. Alexandre saw rather less active service but spent 57 years, first in the navy and then in the army, rising to the rank of Lieutenant General.
Scipio's son, Francis Duroure, FRS (1715-1808), a London solicitor, was a Director of the French Hospital from 1742, Secretary 1765-1785, and Deputy Governor for 12 years. His son, Colonel John Duroure, also FRS, was a also Director.
The link between the Duroure and De or Des Vignoles family is the marriage in 1713 of Scipio Duroure to Marguerite, daughter of Captain Charles de Vignoles. Some papers relate to the latter's legal practice. A few documents concerning the family of Gignoux relate to John Gignoux, a cousin and partner of Francis Duroure's younger brother Charles. All these records were probably at one time part of, or closely related to, those in possession of Mrs Guy Carleton (ne Louisa Vignoles) about 1870. Henry Wagner described them in 'The Duroure family records', Proceedings of the Huguenot Society (London,1914), vol 10, pp 388-408, which includes a pedigree. |
| CustodialHistory | The documents probably came into Sir Michael Thomas' family through the second marriage of the Reverend Sir John Godfrey Thomas, Bart. (1784-1831) to Elizabeth Anne, daughter of the Reverend John Vignoles. They relate mainly to the family of Duroure, Huguenot refugees from Nîmes. |