Albert Lemaître (c. 1864 – in or after 1906), (aka Georges Lemaître
[Some modern anglophone secondary sources (and myriad derivative internet sites) use the name Georges Lemaître, but the leading contemporary French sources of the 1890s–1900s, motoring magazines and publications ''La France Automobile'' and ''La Vie Automobile'' consistently refer to him as Albert Lemaître, as do ''The Great Road Races 1894–1914'' by ]Henry Serrano Villard Henry Serrano Villard (March 30, 1900January 21, 1996) was an American foreign service officer, ambassador and author.
Life
Henry S. Villard was born in Manhattan, New York City March 30, 1900. He was the great-grandson of William Lloyd Garrison ...
and ''Mercedes And Auto Racing In The Belle Epoque, 1895–1915'' by Robert Dick.), was a French sporting motorist and early racing driver. He was the first petrol powered finisher in what is described as 'the world's first competitive motoring event' when he drove his
Peugeot Type 7 from
Paris to Rouen at in 1894. The
Comte de Dion had finished first but his steam-powered vehicle was ineligible for the main prize which was shared between the manufacturers Peugeot and Panhard.
[Forix, Autosport, 8W – Welcome to Who? What? Where? When? Why? on the World Wide Web. ''The cradle of motorsport'' by Rémi Paolozzi, May 28, 2003](_blank)
/ref>
Throughout the 1890s he competed in a range of events and races driving Peugeots, but after their withdrawal from competition in the early 1900s he was contracted to drive Mercedes.
In 1906, while he was in Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, he murdered his wife in a domestic argument after she had filed for divorce. He then fired the third gunshot into his own head, but survived. In September 1906 he was acquitted of a crime of passion
A crime of passion (French: ''crime passionnel''), in popular usage, refers to a violent crime, especially homicide, in which the perpetrator commits the act against someone because of sudden strong impulse such as anger rather than as a premed ...
.[Le Petit Journal, 7 September 1906, Court Reports - Crime of Passion](_blank)
/ref>
Family life
Albert Lemaître was born (circa 1864) in Aÿ
Aÿ (; also Ay) is a former commune in the Marne department in northeastern France. On 1 January 2016 it was merged into the new commune Aÿ-Champagne.
Champagne
Aÿ is most famous as a centre of the production of Champagne. Aÿ's vineyards a ...
, a village outside Épernay
Épernay () is a commune in the Marne department of northern France, 130 km north-east of Paris on the mainline railway to Strasbourg. The town sits on the left bank of the Marne at the extremity of the Cubry valley which crosses it.
Ép ...
, where he worked in partnership with his brother as an exporter in the champagne
Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...
industry. His brother's name is not established, but could be Joseph "Georges" Lemaître, born in 1868 in Aÿ as the son of the wine dealer Louis-Emmanuel Lemaître and M. Julie Fabry. This Georges Lemaître married into the Mercier champagne family and was also involved in motoring during the 1900s.
Circa 1901 (1900), Albert married Miss Lucie Dumény after her first engagement with a Mr. Bruyant had been broken off for family reasons. His business was failing, resulting in serious domestic difficulties. After 4 years of marriage, Lucie had rekindled feelings for her ex-fiancée and in February 1906 she both filed for divorce and moved out of the marital apartment. On 7 May 1906 at the apartment on rue de Miromesnil in Paris he murdered her with two gunshots and then shot himself in the head. She was 28 years old and they had no children. Albert Lemaître was taken to the 'Hopital Beaujon'. On hearing the news of Lucie's death, Bruyant took his own life. In September 1906 Lemaître was acquitted of a crime of passion
A crime of passion (French: ''crime passionnel''), in popular usage, refers to a violent crime, especially homicide, in which the perpetrator commits the act against someone because of sudden strong impulse such as anger rather than as a premed ...
.
[Newspaper cuttings](_blank)
- ''Le Figaro
''Le Figaro'' () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is headquartered on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The oldest national newspaper in France, ''Le Figaro'' is one of three French newspapers of r ...
'' Paris, 8 May 1906 - ''Nouvelles Diverses - À Paris.'' Le Drame de la rue de Miromesnil. Le Figaro, Paris, 7 September 1906 - ''Gazette des Tribunaux'' Cour d'assises de la Seine : Meurtrier de sa Femme; :(see Notes)[(Google Books) Mercedes And Auto Racing In The Belle Epoque, 1895-1915 by Robert Dick.](_blank)
/ref>[TNF - Lemaitre and Giraud. Doug Nye - ''By 1897 'La France Automobile' listed him as Albert Lemaitre of Ay (Marne)''](_blank)
/ref>[The 'rue Albert Lemaître' in ]Courcelles, Belgium
Courcelles (; wa, Courcele) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium.
As of January 1, 2006, Courcelles had a total population of 29,626. The total area is 44.24 km² which gives a population density of 670 ...
is associated with the artist Albert Lemaître (1886-1975) who was born in Liège and died in Milhars
Milhars is a commune in the Tarn department in southern France.
Geography
The river Cérou flows into the Aveyron in the commune, 1.4 km north to the village itself.
See also
*Communes of the Tarn department
The following is a list of ...
)
['']Le Figaro
''Le Figaro'' () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is headquartered on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The oldest national newspaper in France, ''Le Figaro'' is one of three French newspapers of r ...
'' Paris, 8 May 1906 states:
['']Le Figaro
''Le Figaro'' () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is headquartered on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The oldest national newspaper in France, ''Le Figaro'' is one of three French newspapers of r ...
'' Paris, 7 September 1906 states:
Car racing
1894 – Paris to Rouen
On 22 July 1894, Pierre Giffard
Pierre Giffard (1 May 1853 – 21 January 1922) was a French journalist, a pioneer of modern political reporting, a newspaper publisher and a prolific sports organiser. In 1892, he was appointed ''Chevalier'' (Knight) of the Légion d'Honneur and ...
organised what is considered to be the world's first competitive motoring event from Paris to Rouen to publicise his newspaper, '' Le Petit Journal''.[A previous motoring event had been held in 1887 but received only a single entrant. Georges Bouton and his passenger the Comte ]Jules-Albert de Dion
Marquis Jules Félix Philippe Albert de Dion de Wandonne (9 March 185619 August 1946) was a French pioneer of the automobile industry. He invented a steam-powered car and used it to win the world's first auto race, but his vehicle was adjud ...
had completed the 2 mile drive from the Bois de Boulogne
The Bois de Boulogne (, "Boulogne woodland") is a large public park located along the western edge of the 16th arrondissement of Paris, near the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt and Neuilly-sur-Seine. The land was ceded to the city of Paris by t ...
to Porte Maillot in a steam powered vehicle of their own manufacture, the genesis of the De Dion-Bouton
De Dion-Bouton was a French automobile manufacturer and railcar manufacturer operating from 1883 to 1953. The company was founded by the Marquis Jules-Albert de Dion, Georges Bouton, and Bouton's brother-in-law Charles Trépardoux.
Steam cars
T ...
. The paper promoted it as a ''Competition for Horseless Carriages'' (Concours des Voitures sans Chevaux) that were ''not dangerous, easy to drive, and cheap during the journey''. The 'easy to drive' clause precluded the use of a travelling mechanic or technical assistant, thereby making steam-powered vehicles ineligible for the main prize.
Lemaître completed the qualification event on Friday 20 July, driving from Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
to Mantes-la-Jolie
Mantes-la-Jolie (, often informally called Mantes) is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region of north-central France. It is located to the west of Paris, from the centre of the capital. Mantes-la-Jolie is a subprefe ...
via Bezons
Bezons () is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris.
Population
Transport
An extension of the tramway line T2 to Pont de Bezons opened in 2012. With Bezons not served by any stations o ...
, Houilles
Houilles () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is a northwestern suburb of Paris, located from the center of Paris.
History
Until 2000, the command post of French Navy's Ballisti ...
and Maisons-Laffitte
Maisons-Laffitte () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the northern Île-de-France region of France. It is a part of the affluent outer suburbs of northwestern Paris, from its centre. In 2018, it had a population of 23,611.
Maisons-Laf ...
. The main race from Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
to Rouen started from Porte Maillot
The Porte Maillot (also known as the porte Mahiaulx, Mahiau or Mahiot after a Paille-maille court, or the Porte de Neuilly Alfred Fierro, ''Histoire et dictionnaire de Paris'', Robert Laffont, 1580 pages, 1996 ; page 848 : "the porte de Neuill ...
and went through the Bois de Boulogne
The Bois de Boulogne (, "Boulogne woodland") is a large public park located along the western edge of the 16th arrondissement of Paris, near the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt and Neuilly-sur-Seine. The land was ceded to the city of Paris by t ...
, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Courbevoie, Nanterre
Nanterre (, ) is the prefecture of the Hauts-de-Seine department in the western suburbs of Paris. It is located some northwest of the centre of Paris. In 2018, the commune had a population of 96,807.
The eastern part of Nanterre, bordering t ...
, Chatou
Chatou () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Chatou is a part of the affluent suburbs of western Paris and is on the northwest side of the Seine river about from the city's center.
Hi ...
, Le Pecq
Le Pecq () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the center of Paris.
Geography
The commune of Le Pecq is located in a loop of the Se ...
, Poissy
Poissy () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the centre of Paris. Inhabitants are called ''Pisciacais'' in French.
Poissy is one ...
, Triel-sur-Seine
Triel-sur-Seine (, literally ''Triel on Seine'') is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is positioned approximately to the north-west of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
The city is known for the "Fête ...
, Vaux-sur-Seine
Vaux-sur-Seine (, literally ''Vaux on Seine'') is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Yvelines department
An intentional community is a voluntary reside ...
, and Meulan
Meulan-en-Yvelines (; formerly just ''Meulan'') is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It hosted part of the sailing events for the 1900 Summer Olympics held in neighboring Paris, and would ...
, to Mantes
Mantes-la-Jolie (, often informally called Mantes) is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region of north-central France. It is located to the west of Paris, from the centre of the capital. Mantes-la-Jolie is a subpre ...
where he held first place with the best time 2 hours 36 minutes when they stopped for lunch from 12:00 until 13:30. Lemaître completed the final 80 kilometre section via Vernon, Eure
Vernon (; nrf, Vernoun) is a commune in the French department of Eure, administrative region of Normandy, northern France.
It lies on the banks of the river Seine, about midway between Paris and Rouen. Vernon–Giverny station has rail connec ...
, Gaillon
Gaillon () is a commune in the Eure department in northern France.
History
The origins of Gaillon are not really known. In 892, Rollo, a Viking chief, might have ravaged Gaillon and the region, before he became the first prince of the Normans an ...
, Pont-de-l'Arche
Pont-de-l'Arche () is a commune of the Eure ''département'' in France. Notable monuments include the parish church of Notre-Dame-des-Arts, which was built in the late Flamboyant style.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Eure department
T ...
, to the 'Champ de Mars' at Rouen in 4 hours 15 minutes. Lemaître and his 3 passengers took 6 hours 51 minutes 30 seconds to reach Rouen in his 3 hp Peugeot Type 7, the first petrol-powered car to finish, 13 minutes ahead of Auguste Doriot
Auguste Frédéric Doriot (24 October 1863 – 1955) was a French motoring pioneer who developed, built and raced cars for Peugeot before founding his own manufacturing company D.F.P. in combination with Ludovic Flandrin and the Parant brothers. ...
(Peugeot). The fastest vehicle, and the first home, was the steam-powered De Dion-Bouton
De Dion-Bouton was a French automobile manufacturer and railcar manufacturer operating from 1883 to 1953. The company was founded by the Marquis Jules-Albert de Dion, Georges Bouton, and Bouton's brother-in-law Charles Trépardoux.
Steam cars
T ...
driven by the Comte Jules-Albert de Dion
Marquis Jules Félix Philippe Albert de Dion de Wandonne (9 March 185619 August 1946) was a French pioneer of the automobile industry. He invented a steam-powered car and used it to win the world's first auto race, but his vehicle was adjud ...
, but was ineligible for the main prize because it needed a stoker, a technical assistant.
1897
On 29–31 January 1897 Lemaître finished second in the 'Marseilles-Nice-La Turbie' race driving a Peugeot. He completed the event in 8 hours 7 minutes 27 seconds, an average speed of .
On 24 July 1897 he finished 20th in the Paris-Dieppe Trail driving a Peugeot. He completed the event in 5 hours 27 minutes 46 seconds, an average speed of .
On 14 August 1897 he finished 3rd in the Paris-Trouville Trail, driving a Peugeot. He completed the event in 4 hours 17 minutes 40 seconds, an average speed of .
1898 – 1899
On 21 August 1898 he finished 3rd in the Bordeaux-Biarritz Trail, driving a Peugeot. He completed the event in 8 hours 4 minutes at an average speed of .
On 21 March 1899 Lemaître won the Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...
-Castellane
Castellane (; Provençal: ''Castelana'') is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. With about 1,600 inhabitants, Castellane has the distinction of being the least-populated sub-prefecture of France.
Its in ...
-Nice race driving a Peugeot. He completed the in 2 hours 52 minutes 50 seconds, an average speed of . He was driving the latest version of rear engined, two cylinder, (140 mm bore x 190 mm stroke) Peugeot, in which he also achieved a standing start mile in 1 minute 35 seconds.[Grand Prix Winners 1895-1949 by Hans Etzrodt](_blank)
/ref>
On 24 March 1899 Lemaître won the La Turbie
La Turbie (; oc, A Torbia; in Italian "Turbia" from ''tropea'', Latin for trophy) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
History
La Turbie was famous in Roman times for the large monument, the Trophy of Augus ...
Hill climb in 24 minutes 23 seconds in the new 17 h.p. Peugeot.[Hill Climb Winners 1897-1949 by Hans Etzrodt](_blank)
/ref>
On 6 April 1899 he won the Pau- Bayonne-Pau race in a 10 hp Peugeot. He completed the event in 3 hours 57 minutes 36 seconds, an average speed of .
On 1 September 1899 he finished 3rd in the Paris-Ostende race driving a Peugeot. He completed the event in 6 hours 32 minutes, an average speed of .
1901 – 1902
On 25 March 1901 he drove a Mercedes in the Nice-Salon-Nice event, but failed to finish.
On 27–29 June 1901 he finished 28th in the Paris-Berlin Trail (Subsequently, named VI Grand Prix de l'A.C.F.) driving a Mercedes. He completed the event in 23 hours 9 minutes 53 seconds, an average speed of .
On 7 April 1902, during ''Nice week'', Lemaître finished second in the 'Nice – La Turbie mountain race driving a 40 hp Mercedes Simplex
The Mercedes Simplex was an automobile produced from 1902 to 1909 by the Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG, Daimler Motor Society, a predecessor of Daimler-Benz and Daimler-Chrysler). It continued the use of the Mercedes name as the brand of DMG, ...
during its first competitive event. He was competing in the category for racing cars weighing more than 1000 kg.Nice Week, 1902. George Lemaître and Mercedes Simplex
/ref>
Notes
References
Other sources
(Google Books) Mercedes And Auto Racing In The Belle Epoque, 1895-1915 by Robert Dick.
Gallica, Online Archive, ''Le Petit Journal'' Index
Gallica, Online Archive, ''Le Petit Journal'' 7 September 1903 – Court Reports (Les Tribunaux)
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lemaitre, Albert
1860s births
Year of death unknown
French racing drivers
French murderers
Sportspeople from Marne (department)