2019 by Darryl Goyetche. All rights reserved
What’s in a name ---
origins & meaning of the
surname Goyetche
Most Basque surnames are readily
identifiable because they follow a
small number of set patterns. The
vast majority are not derived from an
ancestor but rather from the family's
“etxea”, the historically all important
Basque family home.
This name Goyetche means the
house on the hill, mountain top, or
pinnacle. Being a superlative, it
indicates the highest point around.
The word Goi or Goy means the one
on top or the highest one. Exte is
house. Goy "high place" + etxe or
etche "house".
Other variations of this surname
include Goyenetche, Goienetche and
Goienetxe. It is found in Arizkun,
Aspilkueta, Iruieta, Ordoki, and in the
valley of Baztan. Some branches
went to Elizondo, Tarazona
(Zaragoza), Velez-Málaga, and Peru.
In Larabezua, Ustaritz, and Argentina
it is also known as Gojeneche.
The story of the Goyetche's of Nouvelle
Caledonie (New Caledonia) begins on March
20, 1836 with the birth of Dominique
Goyetche at Ascain in France, and with his
marriage at Bidart to Marie Deville. His father
was Jean-Pierre Goyetche born in 1798 at
Saint Pée-sur-Nivelle.
Dominique had a sister Graciane, and two
brothers, Joseph and André. André left for
America and was not
heard from again.
Dominique Goyetche
managed the
network of
contraband goods in
the Basque territory,
a profession
disapproved of by
the authorities.
Given their
helplessness at
opposing the Basque smuggling network, the
police decided to set a trap for Dominique
Goyetche one evening at a dance at Saint Jean
de Luz. During the course of the dance, to
everyone's surprise a police officer came and
invited Dominique's wife to dance with him. In
the midst of this happy atmosphere,
Dominique gave a sign to his wife to accept.
The crisis seemed to be averted, when after a
number of turns in front of Dominique, the
officer, before the failure of his provocation
took the initiative. During the next turn before
Dominique…well…he simply put his hands on
the lady's buttocks!
This was too much! This insult! In
the midst of a dance! …in front of
the entire crowd! In a fraction of a
second Dominique had sprung on
the officer and beat him about the
head. The officer was hospitalized
but not killed. But an attack on an
officer of the law demanded severe
punishment.
Dominique was sentenced to serve 5 years in
prison on New Caledonia and a 10 year
prohibition on returning to the Basque
territory. The network had been dismantled.
Respect was returned to the law.
Dominique was a large landowner and his
wife Marie sold a portion of his holdings and
embarked on a sailing ship with their three
children for New Caledonia. The Panama
Canal did not yet exist and the voyage, which
took three months, required passing around
Cape Horn.
On her arrival at Nouméa, Marie bought a
parcel of rough land at Bourail near the
French prison where her husband was
detained.
This was the beginning of the colonization of
New Caledonia. On this territory of 18,000
square kilometers (more than two times the
area of Corsica) there were no roads, and the
French population had grown slowly to
several thousand
people. Bourail is
situated 170
kilometers from
Nouméa, the
administrative
capital, without any
other connection but
a ship (once every
two or three months)
or on horseback (a 4
or 5 day journey).
Marie cultivated this parcel of land to provide
for the needs of her family until her husband
was released from prison.
Bound by the prohibition not to return to the
Basque territory for ten years, Dominique
and Marie remained in Bourail until their
death. Of their three children, only Pierre
established roots in New Caledonia. His two
sisters died without bearing any children.
Pierre is the patriarch of all the Goyetche's of
New Caledonia (and Australia). There is, at
Nouméa, a street named "rue Pierre
Goyetche", the "fronton de pelote basque
Pierre Goyetche" (a Basque sport).
The descendants of Pierre
Goyetche represent many
hundreds of persons.
Having arrived in New Caledonia
at the age of six, Pierre followed
the education route of the time,
which is primary school along with
a life in the outdoors: hunting,
fishing, horses, etc.
At first he was a farmer with his parents, he
then became a "stockman" (cowboy) in
Australia. As well, his love of horses led him to
become a jockey, for a short period of a few
years because of the weight limit, as well as a
trainer and owner of race horses.
The discovery of nickel in New Caledonia at
the beginning of the century brought a new
dimension to Pierre. Immediately captivated
by this discovery, he devoted heart and soul
and became the leading prospector sought by
all the mining companies.
A New Life in the South Pacific