Adélaide Fouque

The overarching figure of the Rougon-Macquart series she was the mother of both sides of the family. Both her parents were dead by the time she was 18. Her father died insane. She was always considered strange and became stranger as she grew older. She married a gardener called Rougon in 1786/7. Within a year of his death she took Macquart as her lover. She had one son by Rougon (Pierre) and two children by Macquart. (Antoine and Ursule). When Macquart was dead she went to live in his shack-helped on her way by Pierre. For a while her grandson Silvère Mouret lived with her. Also known as Aunt Didé.