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Maria Altagracia, the youngest of the Frier sisters, was very close to the Henriquez Urena family. When complications of the disease that took the life of her close friend Salome Urena presented themselves, Maria Altagracia persuaded her husband to travel from
Pierre André Frier Roche (b. Sassenage) , France 1836- Port-au-Prince 1879) was a French people">French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
military and musician known for his involvement in the military campaigns of Haitian president Fabré Geffrard and the Dominican president Buenaventura Baez during the second half of the 19th century in Hispaniola">Buenaventura_Báez.html" ;"title="Fabre Geffrard">Fabré Geffrard and the Dominican president Buenaventura Báez">Buenaventura Baez during the second half of the 19th century in Hispaniola.
Biography
Pierre André Frier was the son of Jean Antoine Frier (1804-1871) and Rose Agathe Roche (1811-1888). He studied music at the National Conservatory in Paris">National Conservatory of Music (Paris)">National Conservatory in Paris and before age 20 joined the body of French Zouaves, in which he came to hold the rank of captain. He fought with the zouaves in the Crimean War, and later in the Second Italian War of Independence, Italian campaign, fighting in the Battle of Magenta and Battle of Solferino, Solferino, being wounded in the latter with a sword inflicted by a member of the Austrian cavalry, which forced him to leave the active service.Military Mission in Port-au-Prince
On his return to Paris, he was appointed on a mission of military instructors that would go toHaiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
at the request of President Fabré Geffrard. Due to his musical culture and formation, Geffrard commissioned him the formation of several military bands.
Frier and President Geffrard developed a close friendship and in his residence he met Asuncion Troncoso Perez, daughter of General Tomas Troncoso and Sinforosa Perez, whom he married in 1860. Troncoso and his family were in Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince ( , ; ht, Pòtoprens ) is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 987,311 in 2015 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is define ...
as exiles of the antinational government of Pedro Santana
Pedro Santana y Familias, 1st Marquess of Las Carreras (June 29, 1801June 14, 1864) was a Dominican military commander and royalist politician who served as the president of the junta that had established the First Dominican Republic, a pre ...
, whom the general had resisted as head of the Plaza de Santo Domingo
The plaza de Santo Domingo is a public square in the city of Madrid, Spain.
History and description
The square covers an area of . It is located in the Palacio neighborhood, itself belonging to the Centro District.
Located in the northern e ...
during the siege that ended with the overthrow of President Jimenes. In that same year of 1860 his eldest son was born, Emilio Frier Troncoso, who died in infancy, and the following year they gave birth to their second daughter, Rosa Margarita Frier.
Military Mission in Santo Domingo
In early 1864, Frier obtained a license from the Haitian government to move to his homeland with his family and remained there until October 1865, when they sailed back to Haiti, via Curaçao. Late in November, while on the island, a Dominican commission arrived to make known to the generalBuenaventura Báez
Ramón Buenaventura Báez Méndez (July 14, 1812March 14, 1884), was a Dominican politician and military figure. He was president of the Dominican Republic for five nonconsecutive terms. His rule was characterized by being very corrupt and govern ...
the decree of the Constituent Assembly that had elected him president of the Republic.
Baez insisted that Frier and his family, instead of going to Port-au-Prince, join him and his entourage to Santo Domingo
, total_type = Total
, population_density_km2 = auto
, timezone = AST (UTC −4)
, area_code_type = Area codes
, area_code = 809, 829, 849
, postal_code_type = Postal codes
, postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional)
, websi ...
. Asuncion, eager to visit her family, joined instances with Báez and they moved to Santo Domingo in 1865. Later that summer in July 1866, the third child of the marriage, Antonia Francisca Frier, was born.
Death
In late 1866, the family moved back to Port-au-Prince, where Frier continued his work with the military bands, until he died suddenly on 17 March 1879. He had finished his mission and had packed their household to return toFrance
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. At the time of his death, his wife Asunción was in a state of their fourth child, Maria Altagracia Frier, who was born in 1870.
The Frier Family
The three surviving daughters of the Frier Troncoso marriage lived forever in Santo Domingo with their mother, who later became known as the "Madame Frier". The oldest, Rosa Margarita Frier (b. 1863), married Ezequiel Perdomo Molina, son of Agustín Perdomo Bello (brother of Col. Angel Perdomo) and Petrona Advíncula Molina. This couple fathered Francisca Altagracia, (b.1883), Emilio Ezequiel (b. 1885), Damian Agustin Clemente (b. 1886) who married Esperanza Guerra (cousin, once removed, of singer Juan Luis Guerra); Tancredo (b.1888), Olimpia Malvina (b. 1889), Mercedes, Américo, and Angelica Perdomo Frier (b. 1904-2000), wife of Horacio Alvarez Savignon (b.1900) founders of Pepsi-Co Dominicana and creators of theEnriquillo
Enriquillo, also known as "Enrique" by the Spaniards, was a Taíno cacique who rebelled against the Spaniards between 1519 and 1533. Enriquillo's rebellion is the best known rebellion of the early Caribbean period. He was born on the shores of ...
soda water in the 1930s, the first Dominican carbonated drink.
The second daughter, Antonia Francisca Frier (b. 1866), married Juan Isidro Ortega Montaño. This marriage gave birth to Miguel Virgilio (b. 1885), Luz Maria (b. 1887), Julio Cesar Ortega Frier (b. 1888) who became a prolific jurist and educator; Luis Anibal (b. 1890), Mercedes Laura (b.1892), mother of painter Gilberto Hernandez Ortega; Antoinette, who died at 13 years of age; and Juan Isidro Ortega Frier.
The youngest, Maria Altagracia Frier (b.1869), married Juan de Dios Tejada who was a native of Santiago de Cuba. They gave birth to Esteban Carlos (b. 1891), Luisa, John and Nellie Tejada Frier.
The Ville St. Nazaire Tragedy
Maria Altagracia, the youngest of the Frier sisters, was very close to the Henriquez Urena family. When complications of the disease that took the life of her close friend Salome Urena presented themselves, Maria Altagracia persuaded her husband to travel from New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
to Santo Domingo, for her to take over the care of her mentor and closest friend. They did and on the same day they boarded the steamer Ville St. Nazaire, 6 March 1897, Salome Urena died. The ship which they boarded was discovered to be leaking water and coupled with the impact of a storm that whipped, caused the collapse of the steamer. Of its 83 passengers, only 18 survived.
One of the rescued was Juan de Dios Tejada, who was saved by the schooner Hilda from United States. However, the fate of the rest of the Tejada Frier family was another. The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
later confirmed the loss of his entire family. In Santo Domingo, a cenotaph in memory of those Dominicans who perished in the shipwreck was erected in the cemetery of Independence Avenue.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frier, Pierre Andre 1836 births Musicians from Grenoble French emigrants to the Dominican Republic French emigrants Immigrants to Haiti Dominican Republic military personnel 1869 deaths Military personnel from Grenoble