Jeanne-Charlotte Allamand

Jeanne-Charlotte Allamand (April 16, 1760 – September 18, 1839) was a Swiss-born Canadian pioneer, educator and artist.

The daughter of Jean-Emmanuel Allamand, a draper and dyer, and Judith-Henriette-Françoise David, she was born in Lausanne. In 1785, she married painter William Berczy; the couple had two sons: William Bent and Charles Albert. The couple lived in Florence, where she studied painting, until about 1790; in that year, they both exhibited paintings at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. In 1791, they led a group of German settlers to New York state. After the agent of the American colonization group did not meet the terms of their agreement, she helped the settlers relocate to Markham township in Upper Canada; the Berczys settled in York, later Toronto. Allamand frequently took responsibility for the settlers while her husband was away on business. She also opened a haberdashery and textile shop to help support her family.

In 1798, the family moved to Montreal. Her husband left for England, not returning until 1802. Allamand established an academy in her home, teaching drawing, watercolour, music and languages; she was one of the first women identified as an art teacher in Canada in available sources. Her pupils included Louise-Amélie Panet. Sometime after 1817, the couple moved to Sandwich in Upper Canada. Around 1832, they moved again to Sainte-Mélanie in Lower Canada.

Allamand died in Sainte-Mélanie at the age of 79.

Her work is included in the collection of the Royal Ontario Museum.