Hello Richard,
Some news from Pierre hector Napoléon Ecuyer :
I would like to draw your attention to this book:
Bulletin de la société historique des deux-sèvres, Quatrième série, n°5 – 2011, see:
http://www.deux-sevres.com/shsds/publications%20bulletins.ht...In this book, there is a 200 pages article "Le demi-siècle coulongeois de Sylvestre Ecuyer" by Michel Montoux which relates fragments of the life of Sylvestre Ecuyer and use it to tell many details, small history within the big history of the small town of Coulonges sur l'Autize, Deux-Sèvres France.
(Jean Charles) Sylvestre Ecuyer is the elder brother of Pierre H N Ecuyer. He took over the tannery business in Coulonges sur l'Autize from their father Jean Ecuyer.
The article has half a page on Pierre H N : he had set a bookbinder/bookseller shop in Niort, then left for New Orleans with wife and three sons in 1951.
The article also has the genealogy of Pierre H N and J C Sylvestre up to their great grand parents.
The reason I write this message, is that the article ends with a mystery : Sylvestre Ecuyer, after his wife passed away and not having any children, sold all his properties in Coulonges in 1862 (being 52), and then just disappeared : no death certificate nor any other trace of him could be found in the area.
So I asked myself : maybe he has joined his brother Pierre H N in New Orleans ?
I could not find any trace of him on the web, and now I see your message, where you mention Pierre H N landing in Galveston, Texas (which I have not seen mentioned anywhere else).
Do you have this information from family tradition, or family papers ?
Do you have, by extraordinary chance, any information on what has happened to Sylvestre Ecuyer ? (same question to anyone related to Pierre H N reading this message, I see he has had a large ascent).
I hope you'll see this message. I'm not related at all to the Ecuyer, but I was born in Niort and I was simply captivated by the story.
Best wishes
David Rousseau
PS If you wish to contact me privately my email : davidrousseau ...at... laposte.net