My great-grandmother was Rose Louise Cadart 1859-1952 b. in Battle Creek, Michigan. Her father was a French farm boy, who served 1842-1848 in the 24th Regiment of the French Army, and came to the USA in 1856 shortly after marrying a Englishwoman, Louise Drummond, from London, Louise was the eldest of 14 children of John Drummond (of Glascow) and Louise Constance. Louise Drummond's brother John came to Michigan at the at the same time, and settled successfully in Chicago. A Cedar family, possibly traveling companions or even relatives of the Cadarts also settled in Chicago.
Louise and Alexander married in Dover. They had been domestics to wealthy English families. Alexander listed his father as Jean Baptiste Cadart, and his birthplace as Bologne sur Mer.
The RLDS search site lists such a John Baptiste Cadart in the Pas de Calais area, with sons Henri Joseph and Francois Joseph Cadart, but no mention of Alexander.
Rose had a brother, John 1862-1934 who never married. There was also an older adopted brother, Louis A. Cadart, who d. 1916 in Michigan. Louis is a bit of a mystery to me. I know of no children to John, and wife Nettie Hyland.
Alexander was a colorful and well documented SW Michigan character, in the Barry & Calhoun county areas! He returned alone to France in 1906, and died in 1909 at the Hotel des Invalides in Paris.
I have letters, documents, clippings and photos of some these families.
I'm interested in hearing from anyone who can add to or disprove the RLDS information, or who connects to this family in France, England, Scotland or the USA.
Ron Stanton, in Michigan