This is a story about the flight of a French immigrant to America in the late 18th century and how it fits into the larger history of French ancestral origin stories in America. This story not only holds great significance to me as a descendant of Louis Chachere (1760-1827), but is one of countless immigration stories that make up the United States.
While taking place over two-hundred years ago, the story of Louis Chachere is, at its core, no different than that of people seeking a new life in the United States free from religious and political persecution. His story provides a personal case study that can act as a gateway to tell the larger story of French roots in America, and specifically Southern Louisiana.
It is my hope that, in learning about my own ancestry, people will be inspired to do the same with theirs.
It is important to note that Louis Chachere’s story, or rather the story of how he became Louis Chachere, has largely been documented through oral history in addition to a select few tangible records. Much of his journey to Louisiana, as well as his background in France, is hard to identify with complete certainty because he was covering his tracks while fleeing from Revolutionary France. Because of this, it is important to pair everything that is known about his story with the broader history of people leaving France for North America during this time. By doing this, it is possible to fill in the gaps and explain how people who undertook this journey layed down roots in Southern Louisiana.
Louis's original surname was not Chachere, but most likely de Charette. Chachere is a made up name that he would later create in North America, which will be detailed later on in this story. Because of the implication that he was a noble, as well as his original surname being de Charette, Louis is speculated to be a part of the noble de Charette family. The de Charette family had close familial ties to the Bourbon line of French royalty, incuding King Louis XVI himself. Many of its members held leadership roles in attempting to defend the monarchy during the French Revolution.
Not much can be accurately confirmed about his life in France, but as a likely member of French nobility rumored to have familial relations to the upper echelons of French society, it leaves little to the imagination as to why Louis would want to flee from France at the onset of a revolution. Below are some notable suspected relations.
Louis was reported by various people to have been [A] a brother of Louis XVI and heir to the French throne [B] a Comte (a count) [C] a Baron. Whatever his origin, he certainly founded a dynasty of the new name that he adopted, for the Chacheres are now legion.
Excerpt from the Opelousas Daily World, “St. Landry History from the 1690’s”, July 29, 1982
Gerald Chachere, a descendent of Louis Chachere, shares insight on how the Chacheres joked about speculations of royal heritage in regards to Louis Chachere.
Louis Chachere is widely speculated to have been a member of the de Charette family during his life in France, so it is worth while to dive into some of the interesting relations that people have claimed over the years. Below are a few relations and information on the de Charette family.
Thought to be a cousin to Louis Chachere, Francois de Charette was a notable French General who served in the American Revolutionary War as well as was active as a counter revolutionary military leader. He assisted in defending Louis XVI during many attempts to kill or capture the royal family in 1792.He was later given charge of forces to overthrow the French Republic and reinstitute a monarchy, a feat which was unsuccessful and led to his capture and execution in 1796.
1845 William Greatbach illustration of de Charette courtesy of the National Galleries Scotland
Louis XVI was the last King of France from 1774 until 1792, when the monarchy was abolished during the French Revolution, and executed a year later. Louis XVI has been speculated by Chachere family members to be a cousin or even a half brother of Louis Chachere.
Illustration of Louis XVI courtesy of the National Galleries Scotland
The coat of arms of the de Charette family dates back to the 14th century in Brittany and includes “A shield divided in 4 parts, gules with five golden bars, languin and crown of gules accompanied with three canners of sable,” and “a silver ramping lion, accompanied by three birds with a long beak.”
Illustration by unknown artist, and description from "Generation of Brittany (France): 1650-1912 Volume I," by Viscount Henry Frotier, 1912
Paula Chachere, a member of the extended Chachere family, explains how priorities of working class people throughout the years have led to much of Louis Chachere's story remaining a mystery.
