Miramion, Marie Bonneau, Lady

Miramion, Marie Bonneau, Lady a very estimable French female philanthropist of the 17th century, was born at Paris November 2, 1629. She was the daughter of Jacques Bonneau, lord of Rubelles, and of Maria d'Issy, both very wealthy. She married (March, 1645) Jean Jacques de Beauharnais, lord of Miramion, who died the same year. Many desirable parties solicited her hand, but she preferred to consecrate herself to God and to the care of the poor and sick, and took religious vows February 2, 1649, when only twenty years of age. Every hour of her life was devoted to some charitable or pious act. In 1660 she collected twenty-eight poor monks driven from Picardy by the war, and nourished and cared for them for six months. Her zeal and liberality prompted her to found at Paris the House of Refuge and that of Sainte- Pelagie; she drew up the rules for these two houses, destined to serve as asylums for wives and repentant women. She contributed largely for the establishment of the Seminary of Foreign Missions. Civil war had increased the misery of the people of Paris; Madame de Miramion sold her necklaces, estimated at 24,000 pounds, and her plate, and distributed the proceeds in alms. In 1661 she established a society of twelve girls to teach country children how to dress wounds and succor the sick. This little community was called the "Sainte-Famille;" Madame de Miramion subsequently united it to the daughters of "Sainte-Genevieve." She bought for them a large house on the wharf of the Tournelle, sufficiently endowed the establishment, and consented to become superior. She gave more than 70,000 pounds to her parish of Saint-Nicolas de Chardonnet, the seminary of which she endowed with a sum of 35,000 francs. The hospital for foundlings was also greatly indebted to her. She died March 24, 1696. See Abbe de Choisy, Vie de Madame de Miramion (Paris, 1706, 4to, and 1707, 8vo); Saint-Simon, Memoires; Richard and Giraud, Bibliotheque Sacrae; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v. SEE GENEVIVE, ST., DAUGHTERS OF.