In 1810, at Essequibo (Englisch Guiana) Mary Manning, widow of Laurent Corneille Blecher (or Blecker), gave birth to a little Virginie , and died shortly after, leaving 12 children. Virginie was adopted by Benoît Hebbelinck a citizen of Tournai (today in Belgium) who owned a mill in Guyana, at Stilka on the river Essequibo. According to local newspapers, Benoît worked together with L.A.J. Philippart, probably one of his cousins (maybe a son of Charles Theodore Philippart. Benoît brought Virginie back to Tournai, where he died in 1818. Virginie was then adopted by the uncle of Benoit Hebbelinck, François du Bus in Tournai, and married his son, Léonard. They left an important descendancy (see . Descendancy du Bus - BlecherThe presence of Hebbbelinck and Philippart, two citizens of Tournai, in Guyana, the family links between them and Viscount Léonard du Bus de Gisignies, governor of the East Indies (Today Indonesia) raises the question whether there was some organised colonisation of the region of Essequibo - Demerary- Berbice out of Belgium at the time of Napoleon. (It should be noted that that region was the object of constant disputes between the UK and the Netherlands, until it finally became British Guyana) I am looking for all elements that would alllow me to dig further into the links between continental Europe and British Guyana at that time, and also all information about Virginie Blecher and her parents.

The name is very common in Luxembourg, I am looking for the ancestors of Nicolas Reding