Eugène François Sutherland Esq. OL II (1914 - 1984)

Born 3 Apr 1914 in Ixelles, Brabant, Belgium

Ancestors

Husband of Bertha Brouillard — married 24 Apr 1937 in Eglise Saint Martin, Basècles, Hainaut, Belgique

Descendants

Died 20 Jul 1984 at age 70 in Tournai, Hainaut, Belgium

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Maurice Sutherland Esq. OL II has Scottish Ancestors.

Maurice Sutherland Esq. OL II is a member of Clan Sutherland.

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Contents

Military & Decorations

Biography

Sources

Military Ranks & Decorations

Military Ranks

- Sub-Officer "Marshall of Logis in the cavalry" (military service)

- Temporary Customs Officer (1935)

- Customs Officer (1936)

- Sub-Brigadier (1947)

- Brigadier (1963)

- Senior Customs Officer (1971 to 1974)

Decorations

- Civic Medal 2nd class (1960)

- Civic Cross 2nd class (1970)

- Knight of the Order of Leopold II (1975)

Biography

Eugène François Sutherland was born on 3 April 1914 in rue Malibran, Ixelles ans was the natural son of Miss Janet Henderson Sutherland, Governess at the Château Petit in Péruwelz, and Adj. Eugène Hainaut (originally from Péruwelz, then Maréchal des Logis Chef).

On the death of his uncle, Corp. Francis James Sutherland of Grove Villa in 1967, he and his descendants became heirs to the male line of the Sutherland family of Thurston.

His mother, Janet Henderson Sutherland, had arrived in Belgium in 1911from Abergavenny in Wales where she worked as a Governess at Château Petit in Péruwelz, Province of Hainaut. She was 25 years old when she met a Belgian Army Officier, Eugène Louis Hainaut, in Péruwelz. They began a love affair from which a child, Eugène François Sutherland, was born.

When the pregnancy became known, Janet Henderson Sutherland had to move to Ixelles where she moved to number 7 Keyenveld Street. On 3 April 1914 she gave birth a few blocks away in a maternity hospital in the rue Malibran. It is known that his father, Eugène Louis Hainaut, married Marie Virginie Verheylesonne, from Audenarde, the daughter of a farming family, 3 months after the birth of his son. (The Church of Scotland's, St Andrews church, was located in the same neighbourhood than where Janet lived).

Born Eugène François Sutherland (Eugène to his biological father and François to his maternal grandfather, Francis Sutherland), he decided later in life to call himself Maurice Sutherland.

After his birth, his mother was forced to return to the UK without her son (at the time because of the circumstances of his birth and the fact that his father was engaged).

Eugène François Sutherland was then raised by his paternal grandparents (his biological father never recognised his son).

On the documents in possession of the family, it's knew that his mother sent him money (given by the maternal grandfather, Francis Sutherland) and was forbidden to see him by the paternal family.

Then he did his military service and obtained the rank of Maréchal des Logis in the military cavalry.

On 24 April 1937 he married Bertha Brouillard (daughter of Romain Justin Valentin Brouillard and Maria Delcourt, daughter of a cousin of his paternal aunt, also named Maria Delcourt, the wife o his paternal uncle, Aimé Marcel Hainaut) They had 3 children.

After his marriage, Maurice Sutherland became Brigadier Chief of Customs at la Glanerie on the French border.

At the end of his career and for his work during WWII, he received the different civid decorations and a knighthood by the king of the Belgians, Baudouin of Belgium, in the order of Leopold II.

Passionate about History and Archaeology, Eugène François Sutherland made a major contribution to the discovery of Gallo-Roman sites and artefacts in the Tournai region. He opened an archaeological museum in Rumes and did research in the area where he even discovered a Roman Tumulus.

Proud of his Scottish heritage, he liked to say that "we Scots are descended from a noble and proud race".

He died in 1984 after a long illness.

On his death, the museum was closed by his children and the various pieces of the museum (Roman pieces, objects dating from antiquity...) became a private family collection.

To learn more about him, please click on the profile of his mother, Janet Henderson Sutherland Janet (Henderson Sutherland) Henderson Wilshaw (1888-1957) .

Sources

Personal recollection of events witnessed by François Sutherland as remembered 19 Mar 2021.

Military and family papers in posession of François P. Sutherland