Dr Pedro Luis de Montbrun (my Great Grandfather) M.R.C.S.E., L.R.C.P. (London) was the eldest son of Dr Domingo de Montbrun KNT (our shared Great Great Grandfather). Possessed of a generous and kindly disposition, of polished manners and ready address, the young doctor made friends wherever he went. He enjoyed the confidence and esteem of his official chief, Dr. S.L. Crane C.M.G., Surgeon General of the Colony of Trinidad at that time. Despite his relatively young age, he acted as District Medical Officer for the Districts of Arima, Chaguanas, Erin, Diego Martin and St. Joseph, in all of which he had been eminently successful and highly popular. In addition he also served as a Surgeon for the Trinidad Volunteer Force. The young doctor married 19 year old, Miss Maria Angela Dalton, sixth daughter of the late former United States ambassador to Venezuela, Mr John Dalton, on November 14, 1889 in a glamorous affair at a crowded Roman Catholic Cathedral in Port of Spain. Performing the duties of best man was his brother, Dr Domingo Antonio de Montbrun (my Great Uncle). The bride’s brother, Mr George Dalton performed the duties of father giver.

ATTACHED PICTURE OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL VIRTUALLY UNCHANGED FROM THE WAY IT LOOKED IN THE 1800'S

On May 18th, 1890, the young doctor fell ill with a sharp attack of fever that was not considered more than a severe type of ordinary fever. He was attended by both his father, Dr Domingo de Montbrun KNT, and his brother, Dr Domingo Antonio de Montbrun, who soon realized that it was more serious than they had initially diagnosed. Soon both de Montbrun doctors were attending to the ailing Pedro Luis night and day, with no end to the fever. Several doctors were called in to consult on his worsening condition without success. Despite the very best in medical attention Dr Pedro Luis de Montbrun died at 30 years of age just after midnight on Saturday June 14th, 1890. The official cause of death was an abscess of the liver. At 30, he had already been in the service of the Government of the Colony of Trinidad for six (6) years as a Medical Doctor. Dr. S.L. Crane C.M.G., Surgeon General of the Colony of Trinidad in his ‘Report of the Surgeon-General of the Medical Service and Medical Institutions of the Colony for the year 1890’ stated on the death of his young doctor –“Dr Pedro de Montbrun died on the 15th of June from liver abscess following a severe attack of malarial fever. He joined the Medical Service in 1884 as a Supernumerary Surgeon, and subsequently filled many acting appointments most creditably. When acting in the Erin District in 1888 he contracted malarial fever, to attacks of which he was afterwards subject on any exposure. He had given notice of an application for leave of absence to undertake a European tour for the benefit of his health, and it is greatly to be regretted that this step, which might have averted his serious illness and untimely death, was not taken.”

ATTACHED IMAGE OF THE DE MONTBRUN FAMILY VAULT IN LAPEYROUSE CEMETERY, TRINIDAD

The funeral took place on Monday June 16th, 1890, with the service conducted at the St. Patrick’s Church in Newtown, Port of Spain. There was no hope of the small, picturesque church accommodating the vast assemblage of mourners, most of whom were obliged to remain outside on the church’s grounds while the service was conducted. Dr. Pedro Luis de Montbrun, despite not being a ‘Trinidadian’ by birth was afforded full military honors upon his untimely demise by his adopted country. The lead coffin was carried on a gun carriage belonging to the Voluntary Artillery and accompanied by a 143 man Guard of Honor from the Voluntary Rifles commanded by Captain Marshall and Lieutenant Connell with a firing party under the command of Captain Rooks. The procession continued on to the Lapeyrouse Cemetery where Dr Pedro Luis de Montbrun was finally laid to rest in the Mortuary Chapel of the de Montbrun family vault. He left to mourn a father, mother, his elder sister, a younger brother and a pregnant wife. He would never meet his daughter.

My grandfather, Fitzpedro de Montbrun was born out of wedlock, a son of Pedro Luis de Montbrun and an unnamed English nurse who was employed at the Colonial hospital in Port of Spain, the same year that Pedro Luis married Maria Dalton. It was a source of much shame for my grandfather who almost never spoke of his parents even to his own children. At this time we do not possess a birth certificate {destroyed in the Red House, (the storage area for these records at the time) fire in the early 1900’s} and as such there is no official proof of who his parents were up to this day.

ATTACHED PICTURE OF MY GRANDFATHER FITZPEDRO DE MONTBRUN

During the few times he spoke of them, he did say that his father was a doctor and in addition he mentioned that both his parents died when he was an infant. When asked about his relatives he spoke of Landy and Jose de Montbrun as cousins. Another major clue was in his name, Fitzpedro, ‘Fitz’meaning ‘son of’ in old English terminology. Using those clues we managed to create a genealogical map to his father. We are also suspicious that there were other siblings, an older brother for one, Andrew de Montbrun, which I am now actively pursuing.

Pedro Luis’s daughter (with his wife Maria), Iris, was born on July 26, 1890 in Port of Spain, Trinidad, only 42days after her father died. Both Iris and her mother left Trinidad via the good ship ‘Callao’ en route to France via New York in 1893. Iris de Montbrun died at 94years old in France on March 6th, 1985.

ATTACHED PICTURE OF TOMB OF IRIS DE MONTBRUN IN FRANCE

Mrs Pedro de Montbrun (nee Maria Angela Dalton) remarried on Monday 31st October 1898 at the ‘Church of La Madelaine’, in Paris, France to Mr. A. Chardon, who had been employed for some time with the Colonial Bank in Trinidad before returning to France.

Alan de Montbrun

ademontbrun@gmail.com