My name is Sue Esquilant and I am the middle daughter of my deceased parents Sheila and Geoffrey from Dunedin, New Zealand. My father's ancestors are directly related to Les Esquilant in Sydney, Australia - both grandfathers or further back being brothers - one son decided to stay and live and farm in Australia while the rest of the family settled in New Zealand. My father related the story that as a child he saw either French or Spanish pistols in his grandparents house and that we are connected to the French aristocracy, I do not know anything more or can substantiate this.
When working for the newspaper in Dunedin I sighted a map of the French settlement of New Caledonia or Noumea as it is now known with a bay named Esquilland Bay over 30 years ago, again I have not been able to substantiate it.
Towards the summer, I will be travelling to Rome in Italy for a relaxing few days - I am learning Italian which I simply love especially their food and have read up on their culture. My great-aunt Mabel was trained in Italy for opera singing in New Zealand and I have a love of the opera stars of long ago through my father's family - there is a hill called the Esquiline Hill and Esquilino Plaza, can anyone help whether it is part of our family name and what were we called originally?
I have had a psychic reading done some time ago and she told me I was once a Roman gladiator and that my intuitive senses are very strong, I feel a pull to Italy to visit, perhaps u can help me in some way?
Thanking you.
Sue Esquilant