Vaucher à Paris
Probably Daniel Vaucher - Daniel Vaucher, born in 1716, son of François, comes from another Vaucher family, of
which the members are distinguished more particularly in administration and f inance.
His father, a church elder and administrator of justice, exercised the function of collector
for Neuchâtel families with assets in the Val-de-Travers. One of his brothers, Pierre-François,
was a notary (solicitor) and administrator of justice; whereas the other, Jean-Jacques, combined
the functions of governor, administrator of justice and elder. He, in 1748, was to have
a son, Jean-Jacques-François Vaucher, known as Vaucher-le-Riche because of the immense
fortune he made in t he printed calico trade of the Cortaillod Fabrique-neuve.
However, in circumstances which are none too clear, and involving a matter of counterfeit
banknotes, Daniel Vaucher, captain and administrator of justice, had to leave Fleurier for
Paris in 1760, leaving his wife and six c hildren behind.
In the archives of his country of origin, he is mentioned as a terrinier, that is to say a
manufacturer of earthenware stoves, but he popped up in Paris in 1767, as a master watch
maker, residing in Rue de Pré-aux-Boeuf s, where he became a highl y esteemed craftsman.
In Paris, Daniel Vaucher probably had contacts with Ferdinand Berthoud and other expatriates
from Val-de-Travers. Might it have been thanks to them that he became a watch maker?
He and his children, Jonas-Frederic, Jean-Henri-David, François, Jean-Jacques and Samuel,
who went to join him, produced some splendid watches under the Vaucher in the City name.
His elder daughter, Isabelle-Salome, was also a w atch maker.
Seven of their watches are still preserved in the Louvre, and others in several museums
around Europe.
As Daniel Vaucher worked for wealthy aristocratic customers, he was also involved in the
famous business of t he Queen’s necklace.
The date of his death is unknown, but his sons continued the family business under the
style Frères Vaucher and they had serious dif ficulties at the time of t he Revolution.
Sourced from "Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier: A 250 years long history" accessed 2/20/2019 and printed in object file M18w69
