210 A HISTORY OF THE PEKCHEKON HOESB 



The Chouanard family originally came from tlie 

 west of France, from Cholet, in the department of 

 Maine-et-Loire. The first of the name of which we 

 have record were cattle dealers and used to sell at 

 the Paris cattle market, then at Poissy. This was 

 long before the railways, and they sent their cattle 

 by the road on foot to market. Their way was 

 through the Perche, from Cholet to Paris, and dur- 

 ing their numerous trips through the district they 

 were attracted by the surroundings, and decided to 

 settle there. We find trace of a Chouanard (Joseph 

 Rene), bom in 1767, who died in the Perche in 1815, 

 at Bretoncelles, about 12 miles from Nogent, where 

 he had a farm. He left many children, and his first 

 two sons were the ancestors of the Chouanards of 

 today. One of his sons, Ivouis Chouanard, resided at 

 the farm of Champeau near Nogent, and was the 

 owner of some celebrated stallions. His brother, 

 Joseph Chouanard, was the first Chouanard to live 

 at La Touche. He leased the farm in the year 1820, 

 and was known as Chouanard de la Touche, as his 

 brother Louis was knoAvn as Chouanard of Cham- 

 peau. 



Joseph Chouanard was a man of strong charac- 

 ter and good judgment. He was universally es- 

 teemed, and was considered one of the highest au- 

 thorities of his day on horse breeding. In fact, he 

 was often called to judge at shows or to act as ref- 

 eree. He probably was the greatest mare man of 

 his time in the Perche. He had a long career, quit- 

 ting the farm in 1863 and retiring to Nogent, where 



