Is it possible that such a small cemetery holds so much history? Welcome to the Cimetière de Bosc. This small family cemetery is a French landmark. It is the final resting place of naturalist Louis-Augustin Bosc d’Antic. His wife, daughter, and several relatives also rest here. The Cimetière de Bosc is located in the forest of Montmorency. It lies within the commune of Saint-Prix in the Val-d’Oise.
The Cimetière de Bosc is on a promontory in the forest. The Nid d’Aigle stream loops around its base defining its boundary. The cemetery was listed as a historical monument in 1933.
Let’s delve into the life of Louis Augustin Guillaume Bosc d’Antic. Born in 1759, he was passionate about mineralogy and botany. He studied natural sciences in Dijon. Bosc befriended the Rolands during Jussieu’s botany course. This friendship drew him into reformist circles. He inherited Rousseau’s republican spirit.
Bosc collaborated with Brissot on “Le Patriote français”. He joined the Jacobin club. He became secretary of the correspondence committee. Robespierre and Fabre d’Eglantine also worked there. In 1792, he was appointed post administrator. That year, he saved French arboriculture. He transferred 203 varieties of fruit trees. These trees came from the Jardin des Chartreux to the Jardin des Plantes.
In September 1793, Bosc wrote and illustrated a “Mémoire sur les araignées”. This work focused on the spiders of the Montmorency forest. It remains unpublished. It is preserved at the Muséum d’histoire naturelle.
After Thermidor, the Directoire appointed him consul to the United States in 1796. Under the Consulate, Bonaparte sent him on a mission to Italy. In 1800, he published his first work “l’Histoire naturelle des vers”. Thanks to Cuvier’s support, he became a nursery inspector in 1806. He then entered the Academy of Sciences. In 1811, he published the “Encyclopédie méthodique de l’agriculture”. Duke Decazes appointed him agriculture advisor. This was under the Restoration. He entrusted Bosc with a vast project. It focused on French vineyards from 1820 to 1825. He became a professor at the Jardin des Plantes. This followed the death of André Thouin.
Bosc discovered the region in 1780. He was with Jussieu’s students. They were gathering plants in the valley of the Château de la Chasse. In 1791, he inaugurated Rousseau’s bust in Montmorency. In 1792, he settled in Sainte-Radegonde. This was near the Château de la Chasse. After the Girondins fell on May 31 1793, he hid his political friends. He also hid Manon Roland’s memoirs. Dressed as a peasant, he visited his friends. He carried medicinal plants in his bag. He went to Saint-Prix and Domont regularly. Bosc links Rousseau with two Revolution actors. These were Manon Roland and La Réveillière Lépeaux.
Bosc wished to rest near the former priory of Sainte Radegonde. A sandstone rock serves as his tombstone. This stone is shaped like an armchair. It commemorates the story of Saint-Fiacre. The Cimetière de Bosc stands as a testament to history. It is a monument to nature, revolution, and remembrance.