Contribution by Marsha Mills
Foundation Archivist – Hagley Museum and Library

One of Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours’ French country estates was ‘Le Bois des Fosses’ located in Chevannes, France, in the village of Egreville, several miles from Nemours. The estate was purchased in the name of Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours and his wife Nicolle Charlotte Marie Louise (Le Dee de Rencourt) du Pont de Nemours. They were married in 1766 and were owners of the property in 1776 when Turgot was dismissed from the ministry, and du Pont de Nemours returned to his estate “Le Bois de Fosses.” Madam du Pont died there on September 3, 1794 and is buried in the church yard near the tower at Chevannes. Du Pont de Nemours need of funds were met when he obtained a benefactor in Madam Lavoisier during 1796 or 1797, having her hold a mortgage on the property. When the du Pont family arrived in America in 1799, DPDN requests the property be rented to Nicolas Harmand.

Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours made several unsuccessful attempts to sell the property when he returns to France in 1802. On December 31, 1808 son E. I. du Pont sent his father a power of attorney transferring his share of Bois des Fosses. The proxy was written by the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania notary Peter S. DuPonceau, and legalized by the French consul Louis Auguste Felix de Beaujour. A proxy for E. I.’s brother Victor du Pont was sent on January 27, 1809. Final settlement of the sale took place on October 3, 1815 releasing du Pont de Nemours and his sons of the land and domain. This document approved the transfer made by Madam Marie Pierrette Paulze (widow by her first marriage to Antoine Laurent Lavoisier, then second marriage and Countess de Rumford) to Philippe Nicolas Harmand, Head clerk of the Treasury and Chevalier of the Legion d’Honneur for $14,200, the amount of the mortgage given to P. S. du Pont de Nemours. The transfer included the land and domain, appurtenances, household furniture and the implements for gathering the grapes and other fruit crops. This document was legalized by Louis Francois Leloup, Charge du Service du Vice Consulat de Philadelphie.

Du Pont de Nemours owned another farm approximately six miles from Le Bois des Fosses, at Hameau de la Brosse in the Commune de Chaintreaux.

[The above was taken from writing by Margaret Kane, research secretary to Pierre S. du Pont (1870-1954). Kane sites sources – du Pont family manuscripts, III “G” unpublished typescripts; Life of Eleuthere Irenee du Pont de Nemours, B.G. du Pont.]