Claude Charlois (1748-1817)

Son of Louis Charlois and Reine Blondelet, Claude, fifth generation, was born in Chaulgnes on 12 March 1748 during the reign of Louis XV. During this period, the life of the commune was still largely dominated by viticulture. As a matter of fact, more than 55% of the acts of civil status registered in 1748 concern wine producers. Those winemaking activities mean significant needs in supply of splitting wood for stavewoods, wood hoops for barrels and stakes for vine plants.

Claude Charlois married on 1769 Jeanne Chavance, daughter of a blacksmith and born in Chaulgnes on 1749. Birth certificates of their children (Louis, Louis-Grégoire, Jean, Louise et Eugénie), born between 1770 and 1787, indicate that Claude is roofer. Two of his cousins are registered as stave splitters on 1749: Claude Charlois, husband of Eugénie Mathieu, and Louis Charlois, husband of Françoise Michée. It is interesting to point out that Claude Charlois, husband of Eugénie Mathieu, is registered as roofer on 1748. One more proof that crafts of roofer and stave splitters are linked. Finally, descendants of the Légaré family, Charlois’ cousins, are still registered as hoop makers as indicated in the birth certificate of Louis Légaré (28 September 1749) mentioning that his father, Guillaume, is hoop maker.

Claude Charlois died on 9 August 1817 in Chaulgnes, thirty years after his wife who died on 1787 while giving birth to Eugénie. One of their son, roofer, will give birth a few years later, on 1807, to Jean Charlois who will take over again the family tradition of wood splitter.

Guillaume Tozer.

Picture: Marriage certificate of Claude Charlois and Jeanne Chavance (17 janvier 1769) © Archives départementales de la Nièvre