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Research in Other Countries => Europe => Topic started by: goldie61 on Monday 09 February 26 03:47 GMT (UK)
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This is from a book "Les merveilles des Indes orientales et occidentales’, by Robert de Berquen in 1619.
I would be grateful if someone could check my attempt, (with the help of Google!), for errors or better turns of phrase.
I have translated 'Madril' in the text as Madrid. Anyone know of any different?
One could say that the Pearl which the King of Spain had on his hat was not comparable, on the contrary it was highly estimeed, it should be more highly valued, for it is unique and without parallel. It was brought to Madrid in Spain in 1620 & presented to the then King Philippe IIII, by Francois Gogibus native of the town of Calais who was captured by a Spanish Captain defending a breach in the Citadel of Calais in 1596, and seeing all his possessions and fortune lost, went to Spain, and from there to the Indes with the said Captain; And as his uncle Francois de Berquen was a goldsmith in Calais, and that having frequented there, had some knowledge of gems and pearls, he went to the Indes to trade in emeraldes and pearls, and he was so impressed that he presented the pearl to the king, who rewarded him with a position as Coucillor in the city of Madrid to the Indies, for his son to exercise.
I haven't been able to find who the 'son' was, or who the parents of Francois were.
I can tie him in to the de Berquen family in Calais though - Francois de Berquen married Philippote Gougibus.
According to this from Robert de Berquen's book, Francois Gogibus must have been the son of a brother of Philippote.
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Hi goldie61,
I suggest a few corrections :
le trafic des émeraudes et des perles et il y a tellement réussi qu'il a fait présent de ladite perle au roi= and he was so successful with it that he gave the said pearl to the king...
Une charge de conseiller dans la vile de Madrid aux Indes : a charge of councillor ( advisor) to the Council of India in Madrid for his son
see here :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_the_Indies
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I would change the first line (the Pearl was not comparable), because It doesn't capture enough what was meant in French.
better: the pearl has no equal; the pearl is unmatched; the pearl is unique; the pearl is a one-of-a-kind
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Thanks joger and Zefiro for your suggestions. :)
Proabably some more to come from this book ...........
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https://www.geneanet.org/registres/view/309959
Rodiere's transcripts
This marriage contract gives those infos :
François Berquen , goldsmith , had an elder brother Antoine. They were the sons of Guilbert Berquen.
François married Philippotte de Gogibus or Gougibus in 1554.
Philippotte De Gogibus had a brother Martin junior. They were the children of Martin Gogibus senior and Antoinette de Hommelaire , who had had a brother Jean.
Antoine Berquen married Antoinette de Hommelaire after Martin Gogibus senior's death.
François Gogibus ( nephew of Fançois Berquen the goldsmith) could be Martin Gogibus junior's son .
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Thanks for this joger.
I've had this for some time, but you have summed it very neatly!
Monsieur Rodiere must have had quite a problem trying to transcribe it with all his crossings out and people in the wrong place!
Yes. I thought perhaps the father of Francois Gougibus was Martin junior. either him or another son of Martin senior. You can just about get the dates to fit. I haven't found any mention of any other children to Martin senior.
These notary records for Montreuil sur Mer are a goldmine as they predate parish registers, but once you get to other places, it's not so easy.
Perhaps one day notary records from other places like Calais and Boulogne sur Mer will be put online.
Considering how much information there is on line about the Gougibus Pearl, nobidy seems to have found any dates for him, or his parents' names.
At least his grandparents must have been the same as Philippote's - Martin senior and Antoinette de Hommelaire.
Interestingly in this clip from Robert de Berquen's book, he says the pearl was given to Phiippe the IIII of Spain in 1620.
I've looked this up, and the king of Spain in 1620 was still Philippe III.
Philippe IIII came to the throne in 1621!
So either it's the wrong king, or the wrong date for the gift of the pearl.
Robert de Berquen was writing this 40 years later, so I suppose we can forgive him for things being little hazy by then. ;)
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Yes , you're right, I found that too yesterday.
The book from which comes the snippet was published in 1669 , no 1619 , it was the second edition, the 1rst one being 1661. So when the author says " le roi d'aprésent" , he means the king who reigned in 1661 ( Philippe IV) and in 1620 it was Philippe III.
The story of the "sans pareil" pearl may be true , but it also may be a faulse family story .
There was a pearl with no equal in the royal family of Spain : the Perigrina, but it was bought by Philipp II some decades before 1620.
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Yes, sorry joger. My mistype of 1619 instead of 1669.
I see some of what Robert de Berquen wrote about his supposed ancestor Louis de Berquen as inventor of a new way of cutting diamonds is also up for debate by some 'experts'.
Great statue of him in Antwerp's diamond district though!