SISTERS

One of the family romances of revolutionary Angoulême began on 6 pluviôse year 2, when two sisters, both called Françoise Coupeau, the daughters of a laborer -- one of the sisters was aged 23, and the other 25 -- married two brothers called Marc and François Andraud, the sons of a farmer in the village of Torsac.

A little less than seven years later, on 13 frimaire 9, the older Françoise Coupeau appeared in the mairie of Angoulême, following the declaration of five citizens of the town that "they had a particular knowledge of Marc Andraud as being the husband of the said Françoise, and that he has been absent from the town for around eight years, and that since this time he has not appeared, and that they have no knowledge that he has provided any news of himself." The declaration was accepted, and deposited in the archives of the mairie. Françoise asked, "in a clear voice," that her marriage be dissolved and it was. The younger Françoise Coupeau then appeared, also with a declaration by five citizens of the town that they knew François Andraud, that he had been absent from the town for around eight years, and that he had not provided any news of himself. She too asked that her marriage be dissolved; and so it was.

A few days later, on 18 nivôse 9, the younger Françoise Coupeau was married to a stone-cutter in Angoulême, Jean Clochard. Another few months passed. On 8 prairial of the same year, the older Françoise Coupeau was married to the older brother of her brother-in-law, a farmer in Angoulême; his name, too, was Jean Clochard. A year later, on 2 fructidor 10, the older Françoise and the older Jean (this is how they were identified in the register) had a daughter, Marguerite. The following year, on 19 ventôse 11, the younger Françoise and the younger Jean also had a daughter. Her name was Louise. Let us hope that they all lived happily ever after.

 

1E2/72,73; 1E23/17-18,19,25-26,60-61; 1E25/138; 1E32/83.