Anna Chavannes Journal
Anna Chavannes begins her account of her emigration from Switzerland to Wartburg, Tennessee with her family's departure from Havre on May 3, 1848. She goes on to describe their boat trip with the Gouffon, Guyaz, and Sterchi families, their landing in New York and transfer to the Southerner, and their overland trip through Chattanooga to Wartburg, Tennessee. This item is a transcription of the original and was translated from the French by Emma S. Robinson in 1930.
Dates
- 1848 May 9-July 14
Conditions Governing Access
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Conditions Governing Use
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Extent
0.1 Linear Feet (1 folder)
Abstract
Anna Chavannes begins her account of her emigration from Switzerland to Wartburg, Tennessee with her family's departure from Havre on May 3, 1848. She goes on to describe their boat trip with the Gouffon, Guyaz, and Sterchi families, their landing in New York and transfer to the Southerner, and their overland trip through Chattanooga to Wartburg, Tennessee. This item is a transcription of the original and was translated from the French by Emma S. Robinson in 1930.
Biographical/Historical Note
Anna Francoise Albertine Charlotte Francillon was born to Jacob and Marie Susanne Gabrielle (Mercier) Francillon on March 12, 1810 in Lausanne, Switzerland. She married Charles Adrian Chavannes (1809-1855) on August 14, 1833 in Lausanne, Switzerland, and the couple had nine children: Leon (1834-1862), Marc Samuel Albert (1836-1903), Louisa (1838-1838), Louisa Marie (1839-1878), Emma (Chavannes) Sanford (1841-1895), Amelie (1843-1844), Louis (1846-1846), Adele (Chavannes) Ogden (1847-1917), and Emile (1850-1905). The family identified themselves with the Open Brethren and left Switzerland with their two domestics, David Guyaz and Marianne Carrard, to escape persecution in 1848. They initially settled in Wartburg, Tennessee but moved to Knoxville two months later. Adrian Chavannes died on April 27, 1855, and Anna and her daughter, Louise, moved to Knoxville to live with Emma (Chavannes) Sanford after her marriage in 1860. Anna Chavannes died of bronchitis in Knoxville on September 25, 1891 and is buried in Old Gray Cemetery. The Knoxville Daily Journal of September 26, 1891 memorialized her as a woman whose rare sweetness and gentleness of ... character brought her the warmest love and devotion of all those who did know her.
Arrangement
This collection consists of a single folder.
Acquisition Note
Robert Clay donated this manuscript to Special Collections in 1968.
Existence and Location of Copies
This translation was published in the Knoxville News-Sentinel in installments on June 22, June 29, and July 9, 1930.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository