Basic Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name (recorded) | Charlotte-Étiennette Chappuis |
| Birth | c. 1794–1795 |
| Birthplace | Arnay-le-Duc, Côte-d’Or (eastern France) |
| Death | 1880, Champagnole (Jura) |
| Mother | Antoinette Cattin |
| Recorded family name | Chappuis |
| Husband | Jacob / Étienne Muller (maître des forges) |
| Children | 5 (Antoine, Paul-Antoine, Marie-Louise, Adrien, Étienne) |
| Main occupation / role | Maîtresse des forges (industrial manager) |
| Notable family public role | Son Adrien served multiple terms as mayor of Champagnole |
Early life and the paternity claim
Baptized Charlotte-Étiennette, Charlotte was born in Burgundy about 1794–1795. Local records list her mother, Antoinette Cattin, as a young woman in Auxonne in 1794. In later evidence and local archival files, the mother and daughter claimed Antoinette had a connection with a neighboring young cop. That claim led to the local belief that Charlotte was the illegitimate daughter of a major military official.
In civil and genealogical documents, the allegation is presented as a local tale, recorded in police or municipal dossiers from the early 19th century and repeated subsequently. The plot centers on 1794, the year of the supposed encounter, and local depositions and documents from the decades that followed.
Family and descendants
Charlotte’s formal life was marriage and family. She married Jacob (or Étienne) Muller, a maître des forges (ironworks manager). They had five children: Antoine, Paul-Antoine, Marie-Louise, Adrien, and Étienne. One of those children, Adrien Muller, became a prominent Champagnole mayor several times in the 19th century.
| Relationship | Name | Role / note |
|---|---|---|
| Mother | Antoinette Cattin | Mother of Charlotte; central to the paternity claim narrative |
| Husband | Jacob / Étienne Muller | Maître des forges; Charlotte’s partner in family life |
| Children (5) | Antoine; Paul-Antoine; Marie-Louise; Adrien; Étienne | Adrien later served multiple terms as mayor of Champagnole |
In 19th-century France, provincial industrial households married, had children, participated in civic life, and combined company and municipal status. The Muller family coupled industrial responsibility with civic obligation as the kids grew up.
Career, property and social standing
Charlotte became the “maîtresse des forges” of the family forges after her husband’s death, running the ironworks from the mid-1830s onward. Female industrial managers were rare at the time. She managed the works herself and the family prospered afterward, according to sources.
She was born about 1794–1795, ran the forges from 1836 (making her 41–42), and died in 1880 (85–86 years old). The family had five children, and Adrien’s repeated mayoral terms show local respectability and civic involvement.
The claim’s persistence and modern interest
The local legend that Charlotte was the hidden daughter of a prominent military captain persisted for decades. It exists in early 1800s police records and dossiers, and modern writers and local media have reintroduced it. The idea persists because to contemporary depositions that named a liaison, Charlotte’s distinctive social trajectory (managing industrial property and generating municipal leaders), and local memory, which preserves dramatic explanations for uncommon events.
The claim remains a theory, not a genealogical fact, despite repeated attention. Charlotte’s biological relationship to the identified military figure is unknown, and civil registration genealogical records preserve the surname Chappuis and the legal family line through the Muller marriage. The story is family history, civic legend, and cautious historical interest.
Documents, images and local memory
Local archives and collections hold Charlotte and Muller family photos and pictures, and town exhibitions feature family likenesses. A portrait, family photo, or municipal registrations anchor the story. They also show how a provincial family with industrial assets may leave a lasting archival legacy: civil papers, marriage registers, birth entries for five children, and municipal reports from Adrien’s public office.
An early 19th-century dossier of depositions and police notes is in the archive. These documents are often used in retellings and constitute the main basis for the paternity tradition, but they do not prove a genetic or legal link to the military character.
FAQ
Who was Charlotte Chappuis?
Charlotte Chappuis was a woman born around 1794–1795 in Arnay-le-Duc who later ran family forges in Champagnole and raised five children.
Was she really Napoleon’s daughter?
The claim that she was the daughter of Napoleon Bonaparte remains a disputed local tradition and is not definitively proven by available evidence.
How many children did she have?
Charlotte had five recorded children: Antoine, Paul-Antoine, Marie-Louise, Adrien and Étienne.
What role did Charlotte play in industry?
After her husband’s death she managed the family forges and is recorded as a maître-esse des forges from about 1836 onward.
Did any of her descendants hold public office?
Yes; her son Adrien served multiple terms as mayor of Champagnole, indicating notable local standing.
When did Charlotte die?
She died in 1880 in Champagnole, Jura, at roughly 85–86 years old.
Are there photographs of her?
Yes; portraits and early photographs associated with Charlotte and the Muller family exist in local collections and public image repositories.
Is there DNA proof for the paternity claim?
No public DNA proof has been presented to conclusively establish the alleged paternity.
