Charles Guillon (1811-1873)

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Charles Guilon was a well-known collector of archaeological findings, archives, coins, books and paintings in Roermond. Important parts of his collections are gathered in the National Archive of Limburg in Maastricht and the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden. This article does not focus on his collections and historical interest, but on his acquaintances: his family, profession and offices, and his family- in-law. Since the 17th century, Guillon’s ancestors were settled in Arcy- sur-Cure near Auxerre. His father, (Charles) François Guillon, was born in Mailly-la-Ville, also in the vicinity of Auxerre. Due to the French annexation of 1795, (Charles) François Guillon moved to Limburg. He was mayor of Stramproy till 1814 and later became solicitor at the Roermond court. He married Maria Aldegonda Bongaerts, a daughter of a Roermond innkeeper, and they had several sons together, who eventually became lawyers and (junior) notaries.

One of their sons was Charles Guillon, who became a notary in 1843. He was a member of the Roermond local council and of the Provincial States and roughly since 1860 he joined the liberal councilmembers. Although his role in the revolutionary year of 1848 is disputed, there are no signs of his involvement in any political activities. Charles Guillon was very interested in primary and secondary education in his town. His marriage with Maria Elisabeth Engels brought him in the tradition of the Engels family in Helden-Panningen, who had contributed much to the change of the chapel of Panningen into a parish church. The famous prehistorical ornamental disk of Helden originated from this Engels family.