Chastanier, Benedict

Submitted by edpope on

Benedict Chastanier, French surgeon 62 Tottenham Court Rd in list of Theosophical Society c1783 in Wm White's Emanuel Swedenborg vol 2 p599-600, publ 1786 London (in French) Tableau Analytique, a precis of Swedenborg's works. publ 1787 London (in French) Journal Novi-Jerusalemite, signatory (printed list) to 1788 conference, signatory to 1789 conference, bapt 12.4.1789 New Jerusalem, wrote articles (in English) New Jerusalem Journal 1792, wrote letter to 1792/3 conference

Benedict Chastanier elector Grafton St Soho 1774 /  Public Ledger 22.5.1776 Duran's Bougies from Paris for all disorders of the urethrra and adjacent parts, B Chastannier AM & surgeon at the Golden Head 36 Grafton St Soho, practised under inspection of Dr Duran when he was in London in 1765 and 1766 / Morning Post 14.6.1786 Intellectual treatment of diseases by sensations hitherto called animal magnetism B Chastanier AM surgeon 62 Tott Ct Rd pupil and assistant to Dr De Mainauduc / Benedict Chastanier wid otp = 18.10.1791 St Marylebone by banns Ann Yates sp otp wits Alexander Routh, Sarah Trinder / BC man midwife of T C Rd took appr Benj W Prince 9.9.1793 for 7 yrs premium £26/5s / Ann wife of Benedict Chastanier bur 2.11.1796 Pulham, Norfolk / BC = 23.2.1797 Pulham Norfolk to Sarah Trinder

Chastanier wrote an autobiographical piece in A Word of Advice to a Benighted World 1795 and the article generally cited as a source on his life was by James Hyde in New-Church Review no. 14, April 1907. pp181-205. I haven't seen either of these, as they're not available at Bodleian. The dates generally given for him are 1739-c.1818 and according to his autobiography he first landed in England in October 1763, shortly before Peter Benedict Chastanier bach otp age 24 = 22.12.1763 St Geo Han Sq by lic  Marie Anne Chastanier sp otp age 27. Peter B C was about the same age as Benedict and could have been the same person, especially as it was French practice to have many christian names and use them variously, but the signatures in PBC's two marriages forty years apart are fairly similar and rather different from that of Benedict's marriage in 1791. There's reason to think Marie Anne Chastanier who married PBC was a widow not a spinster, as Francois Marie Chastanier had married Marie Anne Vincent at Spitalfields 1.4.1755, they baptised a daughter Marie Benedicte at La Patente Soho 11.4.1756 (born 2.4.1756) and a daughter Marie Anne 15.1.1758 there (born 5.1.1758), then Jane Elizth 1759, Benedic 1760 and Catherine 1762 were baptised children of Francis Chastanier at Richmond and Francis Chastanier was buried there in 1762. The will PCC 1798 of Jane Elizabeth Chastanier spinster (she was buried Elizabeth 4.10.1798 age 40 at Whitefield's where she requested to be buried in her will) late of Tottenham Court Rd but now of St James (dated 11.6.1796) mentioned her aunt Judith Ann wife of Henry Nelson of Spitalfields and his son George Samuel Nelson (Henry Nelson = 26.8.1770 Spitalfields Judith Ann Vincent, Geo Saml Nelson died 1846 age 66), her father in law Peter Benedict Chastanier of St Pancras and his wife Ann, and her brother Michael Benedict Chastanier. According to a later admon of the will on behalf of George Samuel Nelson on 28.9.1824 Peter Benedict Chastanier was dead and Michael Benedict Chastanier had died a bachelor. M B Chastanier was appr 27.10.1784 for 7 yrs premium 5 gns to William Spence surgeon, London (William Spence surgeon of 17 Gt Marylebone St was in list of Theosophical Society c1783 see above). Peter Benedict Chastanier wid otp = 23.7.1804 St Pancras by banns Maria Meggott otp sp and she was likely the Maria Chastanier buried 18.2.1816 age 40 at St Marylebone.   The name was not generally common in England, nor is it mentioned in Huguenot Society publications, and given the connections above Benedict was probably a brother or cousin to Francis and Peter Benedict, and Francis' death may have been part of the reason for Benedict coming to London