lunes, julio 09, 2007

Our forebear Joseph Antoine Poucel

The Mexican Poucel branch and (most of the American one) descend from Joseph Antoine Poucel. He was born in Marseilles on 10 October 1793. Six days later, Queen Marie Antoinette's priest who was hiding in his house from the revolutionaries, baptized him Antoine in honor of the Queen. The same day, Marie Antoinette was being guillotine in Paris. His father, Joseph Antoine Poucel was a Merchant Marine, who died when his ship sank. Little is known of his mother, Maria Ycard. After his father died, an Aunt took him in, but she treated him so poorly, that he soon joined the army, where he became an officer and a fencing instructor.

At about 1820, he was commissioned to train the Spanish troops stationed in Cuba. He decided to come to Mexico with his friend Toussaint. Given his reputation as a sword and fence master, he quickly became established as a private instructor to the upper class and officers of the Mexican Army. Soon, he was not only acknowledged as one of the finest swordsman in Mexico but also abroad.

He married Maria Guadalupe Gonzalez in 1827, having Fernando in May 1828, Miguel in 1830 and Maria Josefa in September 1832. Both his sons became fine swordsmen and played a relevant role during the defense of their Military School in the Castle of Chapultepec.

At 44 (December 1837), Antoine Poucel was hired by the Mexican Army to teach fencing and etiquette at the Military School, then at the Castle of Chapultepec. He was an officer and a gentleman.

In 1840 he founded the first military fencing school, probably located in the Betlemitas ex convent. He was responsible for the training of the officers and cadets that defended Mexico City against the American Invasion of 1847. His son Fernando, while a cadet, participated in the defense of the Chapultepec Castle against the American Army in 1947. Although his role in the defense of the castle has not been properly documented, our family elders would tell how he faced the best swordsman of the American regiment on a one to one duel and defeated him. Fernando later became brigadier general, and Miguel Colonel of Engineers.
After the death of his first wife, Antoine Poucel remarried in 1840 to Estefanía Santa Cruz Zamora, with whom she had eleven children: Isabel, José Antonio, Maria de Jesus Macaria, Eugenia Victoria, Romulo Eugenio Agustín, Manuel Henrique, Maria Concepcion Rosa, Juan Nepomuceno Alberto, Jose Gerardo Francisco, Felix Antonio Joaquin, Mauro Adolfo, and Jose Maria Emiliano Poucel, where this side of the family stems from. All his sons joined the army.

In 1858, Antoine traveled to Durham England to give some fencing exhibitions. Estefanía accompanied him, and took the opportunity to re-christen their daughter Maria Concepción Adela Poucel Santa Cruz. Estefanía's brother, who was also there, baptized his daughter Apolinaria Santa Cruz Lensina.

He continued to teach until the age of 67, retiring from the Mexican Army on 11 October 1860.

Almost blind and close to dying, with the imminent news of the disembarkation of the French Army in Veracruz, his children asked him: "Father, whom should we fight for, France or Mexico?" He responded: "Who feeds you", thus it exhorted them to fulfill with honor their commitment to Mexico. All his children thus defended Mexico against the French Intervention. His son Agustin Poucel, a lieutenant at the time, was one of the inmaculados who accompanied Juarez in his withdrawal to Paso del Norte during the French Intervention. And Fernando Poucel became Benito Juarez’ right hand in Chihuahua, Juarez ordered on 12 October 1864 General Fernando Poucel to establish a canon foundry and a weapons factory under his direction. Later, as the French Army was closing on the city, on 5 August 1865, Fernando Poucel commanded the trains, artillery and printing galleys out of the city.