Message to Isabelle Rossinot (Phillipe Coulliard dit Laroque / Dr. Lewis DeRochbrune)

Question

You contacted me some time ago about Jehan Bernard Philllipe Coulliard dit Laroque (Roquebrune) who married Marie De Palmas deMercilly and lived in Auch, Gers, Midi-Pyrenees? .  My Dr. Lewis DeRochbrune (Derochbrune/Derochburne) is said to be descended from him.  The book regarding Dr. Lewis DeRochbrune (Derochbrune/Derochburne) states Lewis was born in France, immigrated to Canada by way of Barbados and eventually ended up in Kent Island, Maryland USA and had a physician practice on Kent Island.  I have extensive family information for his children and down the line.  What book is Phillipe named in? There is a ships list that seems to name him as a passenger to Quebec (cannot find origin of the trip -  name on manifest "Jehan LaRoche"), and went to Canada? Or do we have info of him being born in Canada? It's not a hard proof of the connection, but, it would explain why my Dr. Lewis DeRochbune ended up in Canada prior to Kent Island, Maryland, USA.     

https://openlibrary.org/works/OL6915548W/The_descendants_of_Dr._Lewis_Derochbrune_of_Queen_Anne%27s_County_Maryland

Best,  Betsy Horstead Ansel

Answer 1

Hi Betsy - nice to hear from you.

I confess I had never heard of Lewis DeRochbrune before you mentioned him.

I was however aware (too well) of a Philibert Couillaud de Rochebrune, who emigrated to Canada in 1665. Parents unknow and he was from the diocese of Nevers. But there was a story running about him that he was the son of Jean-Bernard-Philibert de Laroque, or Roquebrune, from Larroque-Ordan near Auch, in Gers, and Marie de Marcilly, sometimes also called Marie Damas (or Dalmas) de Marcilly. Marie de Marcilly in turn was said to be the daughter of Charlotte Couillaud de Hauteclaire. So there is a striking similarity with your report of Lewis's genealogy.

Philibert Couillaud's "ancestry" has been shown to be an invention of Robert de Roquebrune, one of his descendants in Quebec. There was a Bernard de Laroque, but he was too young to be Philibert's father. Marie "Damas" de Marcilly apparently did not exist. Her alleged mother, Charlotte Couillaud de Hauteclaire, most certainly did not exist (the full list of her alleged parents' children is known and includes no Charlotte and no daughter married to a Damas, Dalmas or Marcilly).

I understand that your ancestor was listed as Jehan Laroche. It is a good name and often found in France. I cannot tell why his name was changed from Laroche to Rochebrune, and this would be more a question for Quebecois specialists.

Jehan Laroche aka Rochebrune was certainly not related to Philibert Couillaud by the way, since Laroche was obviously educated, as a physician, and Philibert Couillaud was illiterate.

Here are some elements and references on this disproven genealogy.

I hope this helps - sorry if this is a bit unglamorous, though.

Comments

Thanks, Isabelle.  Dr. Lewis DeRochbrune was my 8th Great Grandfather. I was born and raised very close to where he lived after he came to the United States.  I also understand he spent some time in Haiti (I think on the same trip where he was in Barbados for a while.)

As for the LaRoche name and DeRochbrune, I suspect it's a similar story to my maternal grandfather's family who came to the US from Germany with their NEUMANN name involuntarily changed to NEWMAN (making it difficult to find other German Newmans because the Newman line comes from England.)  They kept the new NEWMAN name. It sounds as if the LaRoque DeRoquebrune/DeRochbrune family would have none of that.

Thank you. I'll check your information. :)

---

Can anyone read this and tell me what it says? I can't translate it, Google and other translation apps "can't" translate it. Hmmm! -  https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochebrune_(Dr%C3%B4me)

Apparently there are several places in France named Roquebrune or Rochebrune.  There's even what appears to be a chateau which was purchased by Pierre S. DuPont (interestingly, I hail from DuPont land in Delaware): https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Chateau-de-Rochebrune2.jpg/1200px-Chateau-de-Rochebrune2.jpg

Interestingly, the name got around quite a bit.

---

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochebrune,_Dr%C3%B4me  

your page is in German for some reason.  Above is what comes up in English.  Here is a listing of what references Wikipedia contains on the name:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochebrune

The name Rochebrune or Rocbrun and variations thereof only means brown rock.  Laroche or Larocque etc skips the colour.  ;)  Rochebrune I have only seen on one family on this side of the big pond, stemming from the same man, although I haven't done a search for it.

---

Danielle, what name have you seen? I'm curious. Various spellings on my Dr. Lewis DeRochbrune's family have come up as "Derocheburn" and "Deroachbroom" as well as "Derochbrune" The family settled around the eastern shore of Maryland after Dr. Lewis left Kent Island.  Mostly around Caroline/Queen Anne's County.

Thank you for your translation.

---

actually, it was Philibert Couillaud de Rochebrune if my memory serves me.  Same guy Isabelle refers to above.  Went down some of his descendants at one point lately.