The Traveling Hongreurs
An unusual occupation in the Lacrouts family tree
Genealogy Matters Storyteller Tuesday Challenge: OCCUPATIONAL ODDITY
Due by June 17, 2025.
In 1799 in the village of Ogeu-les-Bains, France, Jeanne (Sausaden Beigbeder) Lacrouts gave birth to my 3rd great grandfather, Pierre Lacrouts. It stands to reason that Pierre would become a forgeron (blacksmith) like his father and grandfather before him.
But he wasn’t. Instead, Pierre was a hongreur.
What exactly is a hongreur? Well, it’s an animal castrator. In this part of France in the 1800s, it usually meant pigs, but could also mean horses.
According to one source, the tools of the trade were a penknife and a something known as castrots which were two wooden cleats. I’ll spare you the gory details. I didn’t want to delve too deeply myself.
As the trade was generally passed down from father to son, it is unclear who Pierre apprenticed with. Pierre passed down his knowledge to his grandsons Jean, Pierre, and Louis Casaux Lacrouts. They were the sons of his daughter, Marie Marguerite.
As a hongreur, Pierre was assigned a district. He may have walked or rode on horseback as he traveled from village to village. The work kept him away from home for several months at a time leaving his wife to deal with their growing family.
A hongreur’s talents were in demand not only in the villages near Ogeu-les-Bains, but across the border in Spain. The Lacrouts men worked both sides of the border.
In this Cassini map from 1799, Ogeu-les-Bains is located in what was then known as the Bearn province (now known as the Pyrenees-Atlantiques department). It is south of Pau near Oleron (aka Oloron Saint Marie). This gives you an idea of how close they lived to Spain.
Although the work meant they were on the road for long periods of time, the money earned for their services made up for it. Hongreurs lived well, owned nice homes, and could educate their children.
The work came with risks. It was common knowledge that hongreurs carried money with them on their return trips. Thefts were common.
Pierre Lacrouts eventually retired. He remained in Ogeu-les-Bains where he died at the age of 78.
Pierre’s grandson, Pierre Casaux Lacrouts, also a hongreur, married a woman from Spain, Francisca Casaux. Francisca’s father was French and her mother Spanish. Pierre and Francisca settled in La Hiniesta, Spain with their 4 children. There he was known as Pedro Casaux de la Cruz. He died at the age of 66. His line continues in Spain to this day.
This definitely wins the Most Unusual Occupation Award!! 😬
What a great little story and interesting occupation.