180 years ago, Jean Taragnat, Marist brother and former missionary, arrived in New Caledonia. To mark this date, Saturday morning, at Hagen Castle, 220 of his descendants gathered for a cousinade. The opportunity to delve into the genealogy of a family that has marked the history of the country.
This little blonde head in the photo, Justine Coursin recognizes her. It’s her, in 1994, during a family day like the one organized this Saturday morning at Hagen Castle.
Justine is one of the descendants of Jean Taragnat, this Marist brother, former missionary, who settled in New Caledonia in 1863. Once relieved of his vows, he married Jeanne Gouge, with whom he had two daughters .
I met lots of friends from high school and I didn’t know we had family ties.
The Taragnat name has disappeared, but the descendants are there. This is demonstrated by the 220 people gathered this Saturday. Cousins are an opportunity for them to take a closer look at their genealogy. Until making surprising discoveries. “I meet lots of friends from high school and I didn’t know we had family ties”, smiles Julie Debien.
Nearly 800 descendants of Jean Taragnat have been listed, many are still here in Caledonia, others are in France, New Zealand, Australia and the United States. A dispersion which does not facilitate the transmission of their common history.
“Our generation was lucky enough to live with our grandparents who told us stories. Over time, we realized that the history of the family risks being lost if we do not perpetuate it”, remarks Françoise Laubreaux. This cousinship allows us to catch up a little.
2023-11-19 00:00:58
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