# Protestant Exiles from France/Book First - Chapter 6 - Section X

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X. Colladon.
Before 1500 the head of the family of Colladon was Judge and Governor of the town and fortress of La Chatre in the Province of Berry; the office seems to have been hereditary, and the Governor, Philippe Colladon, spent money upon the fortifications. His eldest son, Germain, succeeded him. His wife’s maiden name was Guillemette Bretonnier, or De la Bretonniere, and he had six children. Two of his younger sons embraced the Reformed faith. One of these was Germain Colladon, advocate at Bourges in his native province, in whose house the first Protestants met for public worship. The other brother was Leon Colladon, also an advocate at Bourges, and Doctor of Laws. They had grown-up families before they were called to suffer relentless persecution for the faith. At length they fled to Geneva as refugees in the year 1550, and were forthwith enrolled as Genevan inhabitants. A note-book of a member of the congregation of Bourges is still preserved, in which there is this entry, “1550, le mardi 19$^e$ jour d’anoust, partirent de ceste ville de Bourges, maistres Germain et “Léon Colladon, frères, advocats en ladite ville avec leur femmes et enffans et toute leur famille, et s’en allèrent demeurer à Genève.” On 28th August, “Léon et Germain Colladons” were formally received by the council.
Leon Colladon had married Guinemonde Bigot, daughter of Nicolas, sieur des Fontaines. His birthplace was the fortress of La Chatre; he died at Geneva on 31st August 1552, leaving two sons and five daughters. His elder son, Nicolas, had been a pasteur in France, and became a pasteur and professor in Switzerland; he died at Lausanne in May 1586, leaving (it is believed) no descendants. The younger son, Germain, also a minister of the gospel, married Christofla Trembley, and left a son, Daniel. This was the pasteur of Morgues, Daniel Colladon, who married there, in 1584, Susanne Bret, and was the father of Isaac Colladon (born 1590), pasteur of Aubon. There was at a later date a Theobald Colladon, pasteur of Aubon. There is a legal document docqueted, “Procuration dounée par Esther Colladon à Theobald Colladon ministre à Aubonne pour revendiquer les biens et effets existans dans la maison de nob. T. de Mayerne, dite Maison de S. Aspre” (quoted in the Second Edition of “Haag,” from which I have taken all my pre-refugee facts in this memoir).
We are now within sight of our hero, afterwards known in England as Sir John Colladon. The connection of the Colladons with Aubon, the barony from which Sir Theodore De Mayerne took his title, as well as the document just alluded to, seem to show some existing relationship between the Colladons and the Mayernes before Sir John’s marriage to the Baron’s niece. But we must still give him his baptismal name.
​Jean Colladon was the son of Esaie Colladon, Professor of Medicine at Geneva in 1596. (Esaie was a citizen of Geneva, of the old La Châtre stock; but more I know not.) At the renowned Temple of Charenton, near Paris, in July 1637, Jean Colladon, son of Esaie Colladon and Marie Chauve, was married to Aimée de Frotté, son of Pierre de Frotté, Sieur de Mesnil and Judith de Mayerne. But before this date he had come to England to study medicine, probably on the invitation of Sir Theodore de Mayerne, who lent him money, and he became an M.D. of Cambridge on 23rd November 1635. Before he could aspire to a commanding position in the medical profession, the Civil Wars and the Commonwealth successively came in. As he afterwards filled a prominent position with some ability, we may conjecture that Royalist principles kept him in the shade until he was nearly fifty years of age. The idea that he had not been very successful in making money is suggested by his uncle’s will (his uncle, Sir Theodore, as already said, made his will in March 1655, a week before his death), which says:
“Whereas my nephew, John Colladon, Doctor in Physic, doth owe, and stands engaged, and stands indebted unto me, in several sums of money — the principal amounting to two thousand pounds at the least, or thereabouts, besides the interest due to me for the same for divers years past — I do hereby give and bequeath all the said sums to my beloved niece Aymée Colladon, his wife, for the advancement of herselfe and children, in testimony of my affection towards them. And of the said sum or sums, and every part and parcel thereof, as well principal as interest, I do wholly and fully discharge my said nephew, in confidence of his affection, assistance, and fidelity to my wife and daughter after my decease.”
In a few years his advancement came. At the restoration of Charles II. he was made one of the King’s physicians. His name appeared in a public document on 16th December 1661, at the top of the list of the trustees of the Westminster French Church in the Savoy, as “Dr John Colladon, Physician-in-Ordinary to the King.” He was formally naturalized on 5th April 1663, along with Ayme Colladon, his wife, and four children — Theodore, Gabriel, Isabella, and Susan. He is described in Latin as armiger (equivalent to “esquire”), and in medicinis doctor. He was knighted at Somerset House, 8th August 1664, as “S$^{r.}$ John Colledon of S$^{t.}$ Martin’s-in-the-Feilds.”
In December 1664 he was elected an honorary Fellow of the College of Physicians. Sir John Colladon is sometimes mentioned in Pepys’ “Diary;” his name may be recognised under various spellings — Collaton, Colliton, &c. The clerk who wrote his uncle’s will made it Collydon. By that will Sir Theodore de Mayerne ordained, that in the event of the decease of his surviving child without issue, the half of his fortune should pass to Lady Colladon. This event actually happened in 1661 (see my De Mayerne Memoir). The De Mayerne money would help to account for Sir John Colladon’s influence and importance in his adopted country. He died on 21st December 1675, declaring as to his means, “point d’heritage; tout à ma femme.”
Sir Theodore de Mayerne had in his will made no mention of either his books or his manuscripts. These, we may conclude, became the property of Sir John Colladon, upon whose death (and not before) they were presented to the library of the Royal College of Physicians of London. It was not until after Sir John’s death that any of the manuscripts were printed. (See my Memoir of De Mayerne.)
Theodore, the eldest child of Sir John Colladon, and named after Sir Theodore de Mayerne, was created an M.D. of Oxford on 20th December 1670. [Anthony a Wood calls him Theodor. Calladonius, Esq.] The Royal College of Physicians admitted him as an Honorary Fellow on 25th June 1685, but he received from King James a charter constituting him a Fellow of the College, and he was admitted on 12th April 1687. He was Physician to the Royal Hospital of Chelsea on and before 21st February 1699, on which day he was knighted at Kensington. He, as well as his wife, was known as a benefactor of the French refugees; for Le Neve, in his Catalogue of Knights, adds, “he was a Walloon.” Sir Theodore Colladon was in attendance at the death of William III. In October 1707, when he wrote his will, he had an only child, Ann, and his sister Susan (or Susanna) was the wife of Dr John Wickart, Dean of Winchester. He mentioned (in that will) a cousin at Geneva, Germain Colladon, also, “my brother,” Isaac de Cambiague, now at Geneva; this brother-in-law was the second husband of Isabella Colladon. Isabella (who was naturalized in 1663 with the rest of the family) married, first, Louis Saladin, of Geneva; secondly, Isaac Cambiague, Seigneur de Martheray.
Sir Theodore Colladon died in 1712, and was interred in the burying ground of ​Chelsea Hospital. His will was proved on 11th November 1712 by his widow, Susanna Maria, Lady Colladon. This lady was a great benefactress of the refugees. We find the Earl of Galway and Mr De la Mothe taking counsel with her regarding the Huguenots released from the galleys in 1713; and as late as 1749, when the Earl of Lifford leaves £500 to the refugees, the chosen almoner is Lady Colladon.
Miss Colladon, Sir Theodore’s only child, was appointed sub-governess to the princesses on 28th May 1718. Her marriage settlement was dated 10th April 1725; her husband was Charles Montagu, Esq. of Papplewick, in the county of Nottingham, and of the parish of St George, Hanover Square. Her son, Right Hon. Frederick Montagu, was born on 4th January 1726, and succeeded to Papplewick in 1759; he was one of the Lords of the Treasury, became a director of the French Hospital on 4th October 1775, and died unmarried on 30th July 1800. But Dame Ann Colladon is still represented through her only daughter Anne (born 1728, died 12th September 1786) by her great-great-grandson, Andrew Fountayne Wilson, now Andrew Montagu, Esq. of Papplewick.