Mathurin Charles Leon Delaine (1818-1886)

The De Laine surname is spelt in a variety of ways in records concerning Mathurin Charles Leon De Laine. The most common spelling is Delaine, but DE Laine, DeLaine & Delane have also appeared from time to time. In a letter written by the man himself to the police department in 1869, he uses the spelling De Laine.

Mathurin Charles Leon De Laine was born in Le Harve, France in approximately 1818 and went by the name of Charles. In Australia, people who knew him also referred to himas the 'The Frenchman'. No documentary eveidence of his early life before he came to Australia has yet been located, so it is subject to many stories, none of which have been proven. Some of the stories include:- - Charles being educated in the USA and Canada - His father dying and his mother remarrying a Spaniard - Casper being the name of his mother's new partner or an old family name - His family having a shipping business in Le Harve - Charles being disinherited - Charles joining a merchant ship and deserting in Port Adelaide - Charles being a sealer who jumped ship in New Zealand and eventually made his way to Australia - Charles arriving in Australia on the same ship as his future wife, Jane Lucas (although he is not recorded on the passanger list).

It will require international research to determine exact details of Charles early life. It is possible that he did come out on the ship 'Fairfield" that his wife travelled on to Australia in 1840, but under an assumed name. Jane's sister was in love with a man called Benjamin Pitman, who came out to Australia under the assumed name of 'Joseph Lucas' to obtain passage with the family. There is reference to a 'DeNeufville Lucas' in some passenger lists for the 'Fairfield'. A person of that name did live in South Australia for a period but has been proven to be from a totally different Lucas family and is highly unlikey to have been in South Australia at that specific time (he arrived later). So is this 'DeNeufville' Lucas really Charles under an assumed name?

The Police Force
Our first official record of Charles is his marriage to Jane Lucas at Holy Trinity Church in Adelaide, South Australia on 13th March 1843. The witnesses were Janes' parents, Robert & Jane Lucas (nee Moon), with Rev. Charles Beaumont Howard officiating. Charles gave his occupation at the time as servant. Soon after the marriage, Charles took up butchering as his trade.

On the 16th April 1845, Charles joined the South Australian Police Force. His service record gave his year and palce of birth, stated his previous occupation as butcher, and listed him as 5 foot 7 inches tall, married and with no religion stated. For the next 25 years, Charles had an 'on & off' relationship with the police force, joining and resigning and re-joining again at a later date. It is beleived that resigning and rejoining was caused by the shortage of money in the Colony of South Australia to pay its Police Force. He was made a Detective Constable in 8th April 1867 and then a Police Constable on 15th April 1867, only to be retrenched on 30th November 1869. Charels was so distraught by the situation that he felt compelled to write a letter to the Cheif Secretary about his situation. It reads:-

"I ahve the honour to make application for a subordinate situation under Government, being one of the unfortunate Police Office discharged from the foot Police on account of the retrenchment. I beg most resepctfully to state that in my late capacity I served the Government well and truly as certified by my testimonal enclosed. I therefore humbly request that any situation suited to my capacity at the disposal of the Government may be given to me as I have a family of nine children dependent on me for support. I feel mine to be a hard case, meriting at least the kindly consideration of the Government. Sir I beg further to state that when I last joined the Police Force in 1867 that I was recommended by Chief Justice Hasidon and John Brown esq. And several other gentlemen with an unblemished character. I have been here 30 years and was a Police officer in the early days of this Colony. Sir being a Frenchman I hope that you will excuse some of my English in this letter, trusting to Providence and your kind consideration."



Norwood
Charles returned to the butchering trade and conducted a sausage making business from a premises in Sultram Place in Adelaide. In 1876, he moved to a cottage that is today 25 Clark Street, Norwood. He contonued the processing of smallgoods at the rear of the home, until 1883 when a butcher shop was built for the purpose on The Parade at Norwood. When Charles died on 18th June 1886 of asthma, his son Leon (Mathurin Charles Leon De Laine junior) left his trade to take over the smallgoods business. One of his brothers joined him in the partnership as he had learnt the smallgoods business, and the shop remined in family hands until 1948.

Charles left all property to his wife Jane in his will, and it was her who asked the sons to assist with the business. Charles is buried with wife Jane in the West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide.



Children

 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of Charles and Jane De Laine
 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of Charles and Jane De Laine