Jose Leandro de Montbrun (Gervais' great grandfather) was the youngest remaining child of Dr Domingo de Montbrun, KNT. He went on to qualify as a barrister of the Middle Temple of the colony of Trinidad.

He was also well known as an enthusiastic horse racing man. For several years he was the Secretary and Treasurer of the Queen's Park Gymkhana Club, the arm of the popular Queen's Park men's sporting club of Trinidad that focused on equestrian pursuits. Unlike many of the other Trinidad equestrian clubs of the day, the Queen's Park Gymkhana Club focused on racing locally bred horses; no thoroughbred horses were allowed to enter. The Gymkhana race days were immensely popular as it made the 'Sport of Kings' more accessible to those who 'were not necessarily of Royal pockets.' It was not unusual for example, to have a 'mule race' on a Gymkhana race meeting. Jose Leandro's stable included such locally-bred horses as 'Evergreen', 'Xanthos' and 'Vigilant'. See attachment below of an advertisement for the Queen's Park Gymkhana Club's Second Meeting which was scheduled to take place on November 26th, 1892 and appeared in the November 3rd issue of the Port of Spain Gazette.

In 1896, Jose Leandro married Josephine Laughlin, the daughter of Irish immigrants to the colony of Trinidad, Mr & Mrs T.R.N. Laughlin. Tragedy seemed to follow the couple as thier early wedded joys were marred by the loss of thier first born child in 1897. On April 15, 1898, Jose Leandro & Josephine's first son was born, Joseph de Montbrun (Gervais' grandfather, he was more popularly called by his father's name, Jose).

Jose Leandro did not survive long to enjoy the new addition to his family and never met his second son. On February 21, 1899, at the age of 31, Jose Leandro died suddenly in Guira, Venezuela of Tubercolosis, just 10 months after the birth of Joseph. He had went to Venezuela hoping that the change of air would improve his condition, together with his wife, at great risk to herself. It turned out to be his last trip to Venezuela. On the morning of February 22, 1899, Mrs de Montbrun, the mother of the deceased Jose Leandro, his brother, Dr. Domingo Antonio de Montbrun, his sister and her family, Mr., Mrs., Miss and Master Betancourt, Josephine's parents, Mr. and Mrs. T.R.N. Laughlin, left in the boat ‘Rescue’ for Guira, Venezuela to retrieve the remains of Jose Leandro.

The funeral of Jose Leandro took place on the afternoon of February 24, 1899, from the residence of his mother in Clarence Street (now Frederick Street) to the Rosary Church in Woodbrook, Trinidad. He was buried in the de Montbrun family vault in Lapeyrouse Cemetery in Port of Spain. His brother, Dr. Domingo Antonio de Montbrun was so overpowered with grief that that he was unable to attend the funeral.

Jose Leandro never met his second son who was born soon after his death in 1899, Leandro de Montbrun, or Landy as he was popularly known as later on.

Domingo Antonio and his sister, Josefa Betancourt were now the only surviving children (of the original six children) of the much esteemed Dr Domingo de Montbrun KNT and his wife Emilia Otero de Montbrun.

Alan de Montbrun
ademontbrun@gmail.com