Alfred de Marigny
Encyclopedia
Alfred de Marigny was a French Mauritian acquitted of the murder of his father-in-law, Sir Harry Oakes
.
to a well-off French family. He died on January 1, 1998. He let people address him as Count, but it is clear that he was not part of a noble family (Fouquereaux). De Marigny obtained the French title of Count from his mother's side of the family.
's daughter, Nancy, the day after her 18th birthday. It was de Marigny's third marriage; both of the first two were also to wealthy women, who broke off those relationships soon after marriage.
When Sir Harry was murdered on July 7, 1943, de Marigny was the main suspect and was arrested shortly after. At his trial, detectives which the Duke of Windsor
, then Governor of the Bahamas, had brought in from Miami
claimed to have found de Marigny's fingerprint
near the bed of Sir Harry Oakes. The defense argued that the fingerprint had been lifted and placed in the bedroom. Nancy Oakes supported her husband throughout the trial and testified on his behalf. There is a theory that Sir Harry was murdered because he was going to reveal the existence of a scheme involving the Duke of Windsor and Nazi German money being laundered through Mexico. Implicated in this treasonous venture, as well in as the murder, are Harold Christie and his brother Frank. It is typical of the good burghers of Nassau, the very same people whom de Marigny despised, that any scandal involving "one of their own" is swept under the carpet.
The jury acquitted de Marigny of the murder charge but gave a recommendation that he was an "undesirable alien" and should be removed from the island. The deportation recommendation is rumored to have been influenced by his unpopularity among the ruling class on the island. (The Duke of Windsor had described de Marigny as "an unscrupulous adventurer [with] an evil reputation for immoral conduct with young girls".) Following his deportation, the de Marignys settled in Cuba
before separating in 1955.
His fourth marriage was the only one to produce children (3 sons).
toward the end of World War II
and enlisted in the Canadian Army in July 1945. He lived in Quebec
for three years before being deported. He spent various amounts of time in the United States, Jamaica
, Haiti
and the US again before finally moving to Central America
.
He died in Houston, Texas, He was survived by his wife, Mary; sons Morgan and John; grandchildren William, Alexandra, Elizabeth and Mary Catherine. He was preceded in death by his son, Philip deMarigny.
Harry Oakes
Sir Harry Oakes, 1st Baronet was an American-born British Canadian gold-mine owner, entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist. He earned his fortune in Canada and moved to the Bahamas in the 1930s for tax purposes. He was murdered in 1943 under notorious circumstances in the Bahamas...
.
Biography
Marie Alfred Fouquereaux de Marigny, whose real name was Alfred Fouquereaux, "de Marigny" being his mother's name, was born on March 29, 1910 in MauritiusMauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
to a well-off French family. He died on January 1, 1998. He let people address him as Count, but it is clear that he was not part of a noble family (Fouquereaux). De Marigny obtained the French title of Count from his mother's side of the family.
Sir Harry Oakes murder case
De Marigny married Sir Harry OakesHarry Oakes
Sir Harry Oakes, 1st Baronet was an American-born British Canadian gold-mine owner, entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist. He earned his fortune in Canada and moved to the Bahamas in the 1930s for tax purposes. He was murdered in 1943 under notorious circumstances in the Bahamas...
's daughter, Nancy, the day after her 18th birthday. It was de Marigny's third marriage; both of the first two were also to wealthy women, who broke off those relationships soon after marriage.
When Sir Harry was murdered on July 7, 1943, de Marigny was the main suspect and was arrested shortly after. At his trial, detectives which the Duke of Windsor
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
, then Governor of the Bahamas, had brought in from Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
claimed to have found de Marigny's fingerprint
Fingerprint
A fingerprint in its narrow sense is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. In a wider use of the term, fingerprints are the traces of an impression from the friction ridges of any part of a human hand. A print from the foot can also leave an impression of friction ridges...
near the bed of Sir Harry Oakes. The defense argued that the fingerprint had been lifted and placed in the bedroom. Nancy Oakes supported her husband throughout the trial and testified on his behalf. There is a theory that Sir Harry was murdered because he was going to reveal the existence of a scheme involving the Duke of Windsor and Nazi German money being laundered through Mexico. Implicated in this treasonous venture, as well in as the murder, are Harold Christie and his brother Frank. It is typical of the good burghers of Nassau, the very same people whom de Marigny despised, that any scandal involving "one of their own" is swept under the carpet.
The jury acquitted de Marigny of the murder charge but gave a recommendation that he was an "undesirable alien" and should be removed from the island. The deportation recommendation is rumored to have been influenced by his unpopularity among the ruling class on the island. (The Duke of Windsor had described de Marigny as "an unscrupulous adventurer [with] an evil reputation for immoral conduct with young girls".) Following his deportation, the de Marignys settled in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
before separating in 1955.
Marriage and children
De Marigny was married four times:- Lucie-Alice Cahen for four months in 1937,
- Ruth Fahnestock Schermerhorn (1937-?)
- Nancy Oakes (1942–1949)
- Mary Morgan-Taylor (1952–1998)
His fourth marriage was the only one to produce children (3 sons).
Later life
De Marigny went to CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
toward the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and enlisted in the Canadian Army in July 1945. He lived in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
for three years before being deported. He spent various amounts of time in the United States, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
and the US again before finally moving to Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
.
He died in Houston, Texas, He was survived by his wife, Mary; sons Morgan and John; grandchildren William, Alexandra, Elizabeth and Mary Catherine. He was preceded in death by his son, Philip deMarigny.
Published works
- More Devil Than Saint (Bernard Ackerman, 1946)
- A Conspiracy of Crowns with Mickey Herskowitz (Bantam/Crown, 1990)