The Dobrée Family

The Dobrée Family is from Norman origins and was protestant. Because of the sixteenth century Catholic prosecutions, they went into exile to Guernsey where they remained for almost two centuries participating in international trade.

Pierre-Frédéric Dobrée was born in Guernsey in 1757 and came to Nantes in 1775 to learn more about commerce. There, he met and married Marie-Rose Schweighauser whose father was a trader. Soon after his wedding, he became partner with his father-in-law.

Marie-Rose died after the birth of her third child and only son, in 1781. Pierre-Frédéric started to support the American colonies and was named vice-consul of the United States of America in Nantes. He died in 1801.

Pierre-Frédéric’s son, Thomas (I) was educated by his grand-parents in Guernsey. He wedded Frédérique Möller, the daughter of one of Nantes’ greatest traders in 1808.

After the French Revolution of 1789, he gave the town a new vitality by taking up the commercial exchanges with China again. He was also the first one to arm ships to go whale hunting.

He was very much a public man who made a lot for his hometown of Nantes and was very fond of art.

His son, Thomas (II) Dobrée, the creator of the museum, was born in 1810.