Edgard de Maigret, a sailor born in 1841, took part in the Mexican expedition under the Second Empire, then found himself in 1870 in a land war, with the Army of the North. Then came Tonkin and Formosa, as the Third Republic pushed its Asian conquests. Raised to the highest dignity of the Legion of Honour, he died in 1910, in Trouville. Four campaigns, three continents, one engraved line.
The story
The inscription in Division 26 reads like a service record: “Vice amiral, Comte de MAIGRET, Marie Edgard, grand-croix de la Légion d'honneur, Mexique – Armée du Nord – Tonkin Formose, 1841-1910.” — grand cross of the Legion of Honour; Mexico, the Army of the North, Tonkin, Formosa. Three continents and a European war in one line.
Born at Hermonville in 1841, he entered the navy and took part in the Second Empire's expedition to Mexico. During the war of 1870, a sailor in a land war: he served in the Army of the North.
He then took part in the campaigns in Tonkin and Formosa — the Third Republic's colonial expansion in Asia. Grand cross of the Legion of Honour, he died at Trouville-sur-Mer on 13 October 1910.
The stone cuts his four campaigns in the order he fought them, without a word of comment. Three continents in one line: that is all Division 26 keeps of a life.
The grave
An inscription that reads like a service record, with its four campaigns listed: “Vice-admiral, Comte de MAIGRET, Marie Edgard, Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, Mexico – Army of the North – Tonkin Formosa, 1841-1910.” The spelling of the first name, moreover, wavers between Edgar, which the registers give, and Edgard, which the stone engraves.
On site, do not miss
Compare the stone and the registers: it engraves “Edgard”, they give “Edgar”. The four campaigns are listed in chronological order, without a word of comment.
Visitors' questions
Where is Vice Admiral de Maigret's grave?
In Division 26, chemin Molière-et-La-Fontaine, second row — the Division of Alphonse Daudet and Gay-Lussac. The inscription carves his four campaigns after his name. He died in 1910 and rests in Division 26.
Alphonse DaudetWhich campaigns did he serve in?
Four, carved on the stone: Mexico (the Second Empire's expedition), the Army of the North during the war of 1870, then Tonkin and Formosa — the Third Republic's colonial expansion in Asia.
Admiral BruatA sailor in the Army of the North?
Yes: during the war of 1870 he served in the Army of the North, a land force. The case was not unusual — the navy was then supplying officers and seamen to the armies of National Defence.
Gay-LussacWhat was his decoration?
The Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, the order's highest grade, carved on his stone between his rank and his campaigns. He was a vice admiral and bore the title of Count of Maigret.
Ernest Arrighi de CasanovaAudio guide to Père Lachaise: the best unusual guided tour!
Discover the secrets of the most astonishing tombs
the audio guidefrom€6.99