Giacomo D'Angelis was a Corsic-Indian aviation pioneer who became famous for probably the first flight of an own-built aircraft in 1910.
His great grandson claims that the first flight ever in India took place, started in Madras (Chennai) on March 10, 1910, nine months ahead of the one in Allahabad. Giacomo D’Angelis, a confectioner from Corsica, arrived in Madras in 1880 and opened his "Maison Francaise" as chief of cuisine, and his excellent service soon enabled him to open a small hotel in 1906, the latter Hotel d'Angeli. The biplane has been built by D'Angelis entirely from his own designs, experimenting with a small horse-power engine.
D'Angelis seems to been inspired by Louis Blériot who was the first to fly across the English Channel in July 1909. D'Angelis tested his aeroplane in Pallavaram, Tamil Nadu, and then arranged a public viewing in March 1910 reported by the local newspapers. Giacomo D'Angelis was a middle- class, educated man who belong to that group of Italian Traders and Entrepreneurs who settled in India in the second half of the 19th Century in Order to earn profit from businnes there. These included tHE Falettis, The Monginis, The Bosottos, AMONG others, who contributed to the Italians gainging a reputation in India as confectioners, chefs, and hotel managers. Giacomo Maria D'Angelis Grillo was born in Messina( Sicily) in 1844 to a middle- class FAMILY. His father, Francesco D'Angelis. owned a bookshop and his mother, Anna Grillo, was a housewife. After High School, he traveled to France in 1864 to train as confectioner. There is a gap in the story then,, but next he reported as arriving in Madras in 1875 whit the new governor, the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, on whose staff he said to have been. Certanily, during all the years he ( D'Angelis) spent in Madras, he was very close to Government House. On October 16, 1880 , he married Esther Jane Wilnel, believed to be Irish, in Coonnor; he was 36 and she was 28. She is later always referred to as Wilme.Was Wilnel in the marriage records a mistake? Her father too is recordede as a Wilnel, Benjamin Wilnel. The D'Angelis' had six children, five of them born in Madras 1. Giacome Wilme D'Angelis born in Madras( Agust 1881- December 1881) and buried in" Purselwalkam"2. Anne Violet D'Angelis(1884 death Unknow)3 Francesco D'Angelis (1886 death unknow)4 Carlo( or Carlos)Umberto D'Angelis ( 1887)1920)5 Marianna Elise D'Angelis (born in madras 1892 death in London 1977)who was baptised in Ooty; and Louis D'Angelis who alone was not born in Madras but in Paris in 1889. He died in Santiago de Chile. in 1964, and was Jefferis Evans D'Angelis' Grandfather. When the Duke of Buckingham left Madras in 1880, GiacomoD'Angelis stayed on in the city and opened his confectionery bussines, The Maison Francaise, Specialising in French and Italian Pastries, and chocalates, that year. Thereafter, he considered Madras his home. But he loved travel and Turin , Italy, was probably a stop- His last one- during a holiday he died ther c. 1934. D'Angelis, in many ways a Frenchman at heart, was inspired by Bleriot's July 1909 CROSS- CHANEL FLIGTH and was deterimened to introduce Madras Aviation. In MARCH 1910 , HE PILOTED A MADE. IN -Madras aeroplane using the Island Grounds as his airstrip. The only dispute is who built that first airplane Addison's or Simpson's?. Maruthamuthu Moopanar ( Tanjore Landlord)'Shot', using a hand- Cranked camera running at speed of 16 frames/second against today 24fps, D'Angelis' Pionneing Fligth- and later screened it in MADRAS ann Tanjore. It must also noted that The Giacomo D'Angelis who lived in MADRAS till his death was considered by many to be a French. Giacomo,in fact, was thought to be Corsican. This was probably due to the fact arrived in India from France. But Giacomo did not seem to have particulary disturbed by the fact that he was considered French Than Italian. Connections whit France had a great influence on The Family.. When asked about his grandfather Louis D'Angelis, Jefferis Evans D'Angelis said he remembered him as a" True Frenchman" Louis D'Angelis Wilme ( " The las of the Children of Giacomo D'Angelis") migrated to Chile in 1923. The original name of Giacomo is De Angelis( in Italy) Read information Published by Madras Musings vol 21 issue 15, November 2011
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