Charles FRENCH (aka Von Cluge?)

The story of my wife's ancestors in India begins with Charles FRENCH enlisting in the HEIC Artillery. Received on board the Port Talbot on 31 May 1785, Charles' County origin was stated as Pembroke when mustered at Gravesend in June. The Port Talbot departed Portsmouth on 16 October, via Madeira and the Cape, and arrived at Madras on 6 April 1786.

CLUGE coat of arms

Charles John believed that his grand-father's original name was Von Cluge, and constructed an elaborate family tree diagram. Von Cluge supposedly left his estate-owning family in Denmark, travelled to Ireland, marrying a daughter of a Colonel FRENCH and adopting that surname, (thence presumably to Pembroke and the HEIC). The claim included Von Cluge senior having been a friend and colleague of Ernst Schimmelman, Finance Minister of Denmark 1784-1813 and Foreign Minister 1824-1831 (The Schimmelmans came from Pomerania). Charles John ev.  (I don't think he got a reply).

I have found no evidence to substantiate these claims, only a few tantalising hints. The original Charles FRENCH was described as a German in the 1792 baptism record of his first child.

Three generations of descendants were given "Cluge" or 'Clough" as their middle name:

    Gen.3    1837    Henry Arthur's eldest son Arthur Cluge (or Clough)

    Gen.4    1864    Charles Augustus' grandson Vincent Cluge engineer

    Gen.4    1873    Thomas' grandson Samuel Herbert Clough

    Gen.5    1875    Charles Augustus' Great grandson Charles Edwin Cluge

    Gen.4    1880    Arthur Cluge's son Kible St.John Clough

    Gen.5    1912    Thomas' Great grandson Frederick G Cluge


In 1786 the British controlled an area around Madras just 100 miles in length from N. to S.

Madras Artilleryman 1786

Charles was an artillery corporal stationed at Fort St. George Madras until November 1789 when he married Elizabeth the 5 year widow of Major William JACKSON, at Trichinopoly Christ Church. Here some mystery arises, as the marriage entry describes him as a German widower, but who was his first wife? Miss FRENCH? When? & where?

By 1792 Charles was a sergeant in Captain Tanner's Company 2nd. Bn. Coast Artillery, and a family was commenced, baptised at Trichinopoly, Mount, and Fort St. George. Their children were:

  • Charles Augustus, born Trichinopoly 1792, 285 identified descendants, 
  • Carolina, born Trichinopoly 1794, married David ROSS, buried 1869 Nellore
  • Edward, born Mount 1796-1886?
  • Sophia Ann, born Fort St. George 1798-1806 of Palmers Bank.
  • George Arthur, born Fort St.George 1799, Captain in Royal Navy,  married Ann, son George 1837
  • Thomas, born 1808, buried Madras 1861 (The Times of India) 137 identified descendants,
    • married Margaret TOWICK in 1825 (son Thomas Ross 1826)
    • & married Arabella  in 1828 (14 children icluding Thomas Richardson  & Indiana)
  • Henry Arthur, born Trichinopoly 1812, 132 identified descendants, died 1866.

Grandson Charles John a hundred years later documented that his grandfather was killed in action at the 1799 battle at Seringapatam against the Mysore Tipu Sultan, but my research shows that although involved, he survived that battle. Charles appears in the Invalid Rolls from 1803 to 1807, thereafter in Supernumerary and Pensioner Rolls until his death in 1819. He died intestate, leaving £14-14-0 to wife Elizabeth, with 7-year-old Henry Arthur to raise. Tracing the fate of widow Elizabeth is an ongoing task.

516 people in 8 generations of descendants of the original Charles (Von Cluge) FRENCH, have been identified.

made on a Mac    email address updated November 2011