Moilliet de Genève GE

[pojames]

My mother's ancestor, Jean Louis Moilliet,(1770-1845) came from Geneva and settled in Birmingham (UK) in 1790. His father was Daniel Moilliet (1721-1803) who was a well-known maker of watches. Looking at the 'world tempus' list of watchmakers, (https://fr.worldtempus.com/article/indu ... 15634.html), there were many Moilliets involved with the watch industry, but I have always understood that Jean-Louis (whose name was anglicized immediately to John Lewis!) was the first Moilliet to move over here.

However, I recently found a watch clearly signed 'Moilliet, London', and made around 1750. According to the 1735 register of baptisms at St John Horselydown, Bermondsey, London, John James (Moilliet), the son of John Francis and Mary Moilliet was baptised there, and the father John Francis is described as a watchmaker. The dates would make the father, John Francis, a possible maker of my 'Moilliet London' watch. I see that there was a Jean Francois Moilliet/Moilliez 1695-1772; according to the Societe Genevoise de Genealogie website, he was a watchmaker, and married twice, first to Francoise Pichard, who died 'avant 1733', and then to Anne Poinlou, who was born in London but died in Geneva. Anne's father Louis had been given denizenship of the UK on April 15th 1693, 5 years before Anne was born.

Is John Francis Moilliet the same Jean Francois, who moved to London, made watches in London, and married in Istanbul, according to the Genealogy website? And if they are the same person why is his wife 'Mary' in London and 'Anne' in Geneva? Could she have been baptised 'Marianne'? Looking up the name 'Marianne', it was a fairly new name at that time - and the registers of immigrants with 'foreign names' usually change the names to the nearest English equivalent, which would have been Mary in England - but was it shortened to Anne in Geneva?

And what is the connection with Istanbul? Many early watches were made with Ottoman numerals; and I have read that the Ottomans were very happy to welcome Huguenots after the persecutions in France. Was there in fact a watchmaking industry in Istanbul, started by the Genevans??

Many apologies for the length of this post, which raises a lot of questions, but if anyone has the patience to read it and comment on any part of it I should be very grateful!

[Peter.D]

Hi James,

Why don't you ask at the Geneva State Archives whether there are any documents on emigration from the period in question? If legal emigration took place, a permit from the council often had to be obtained and a tax usually had to be paid on the assets withdrawn.
These documents are often still preserved in other Swiss state archives, but of course do not allow complete control.
However, the Geneva State Archives may have another tip on how to proceed, such as through local historical associations.

Peter

[pojames]

Thank you so much, Peter. I know nothing about the state archive: I'll see what they can produce in the way of emigration permits. Thanks for your help!