Reference: Enoch Seeman (Follower), Portrait Of The Fan Maker Francis Chassereau Senior
From the Dorset County Chronicle, 1841.
The Late Mrs. Williams. Formerly Of Castle Hill, Dorsetshire.
We had but a short time ago to announce the departure from this life of the much regretted and beloved wife of our former member and most constant friend, Robert Williams, Esq., of Bridehead - the eminent and saintly virtues of her character we felt too sacred to touch upon in our columns. We are now called upon to announce the death of his revered mother, whose great age, being within a few weeks of 102, brings back our minds to times of eventful interest. She was born in London on the 13th of November, 1739, old style, the youngest daughter of the late Mr. Chassereau, who at the age of 14, came over to this country as a refugee, in company with the father of the late Sir Samuel Romilly, at the time of the persecution which followed upon the revocation of the edict of Nantes, of which the account given below, extracted from a letter which fell accidentally into the hands of the family, is an interesting document.
Among the incidents which she has mentioned of early years, which carry us back far beyond present times, were her visits to a friend, who lived in one of the houses which in days almost forgotten formed the parapets of old London bridge. She married our former member, the late Robert Williams Esq., in the year 1764, and lived with him, at his seat at Moor Park, in Hertfordshire, until she became a widow in 1814. They had nine children, of whom only two had survived her. One of these is our late member and friend, Mr. Williams, of whom it is remarkable to relate that he has spent (with only one exception) 74 consecutive Christmas days with her, and whose unremitting attention to his aged mother at his own very advanced period of life, is only not surprising to us, because it is in keeping with a character which all admire who are acquainted with it.
She remained at Moor Park until the sale of that place by the present Mr. Williams, in 1826, when she removed to Castle Hill, in this county, and lived there in habits of most extraordinary vigour and energy, rising at four o'clock in the morning, and never failing to take exercise soon after that hour, and taking entire charge of her household affairs, until infirmities came upon her shortly before her removal from that place to Bridehead, between two and three years ago. A most astonishing vigour of constitution carried her through several illnesses of an alarming and apparently fatal nature and remained with her to her last breath. Her extreme benevolence, which by the blessing of Providence she was enabled to exercise from an ample jointure, was unceasingly exerted both to the younger branches of her own family and the poor in the places where she successively resided.
The greater part of that jointure now reverts under the will of the late Mr. Williams to his son with certain portions to her younger children or their families. And it is not with less comfort that the surviving members of her family will bear in mind her diligent attention to all the offices of religion, or her daily and copious readings of the sacred volume, the words of which with the prayers of the Church were continually upon her lips when she was unable to read, and formed her stay and solace to her dying hour.
A very remarkable event attended her decease, for on Sunday evening last, Mary Palmer, an old woman in her 72nd year, residing in the parish of Littlebredy, who had nearly 50 years ago been laundress to an aged lady, and ever since that time to the family, after having attended both the morning and evening services of the church, set out to see the remains of her former mistress and friend, whom she had served and loved for many years. She had not gone many yards from her house, when on entering the church-yard she felt unable to proceed, and drooped upon the arm of her son who was accompanying her. By the aid of others, he conveyed her back to her house, and in a few minutes she also breathed her last, and was interred yesterday; thus preceding to the grave one whom she had herself expected to attend to her resting place.
Extract of a letter from a lady:- "The name, character, and pious conduct of the Chassereau family have been indelibly fixed on my mind from my earliest years, my beloved grandfather used to expatiate on the conduct of the Huguenots, and the blessing that was upon them. The old Mr. Chassereau (father of Mrs. Williams) came over at his own express desire, insomuch that my grandfather used to tell it with tears in his eyes, that so young a boy should be so impressed with region, that he left country, parents, friends, and begged the captain of a ship to bring him over. He knelt to him, imploring him not to betray him to those who would prevent his going - and I know that he was put in a barrel until they got clear off. They all settled in Marylebone, and were most intimate with our family. Mrs. Williams must remember my mother, Miss, married to, of Basle. There were three families, Gosset, the name of one, the third, I cannot remember. It was at the latter end of the persecutions consequent upon the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes that these families came over to England."