Antoine Deol de Gylet

Jacques de Gylet

• Jacques de Gyle 1549-1600.....

http://www.genyourway.com/gt-hist.html

The ancestor of the Connecticut Gillett family.

"The GILLETT family has been in America since 1630, ten years after the landing of the Mayflower at Plymouth.

The first known member of the family was believed to have come from the town of Bergerac, Guyenne Province, France with introduction of the Rev. Jacques de Gylet. The Rev. de Gylet was born about 1520. He was banished from France and his property confiscated when he continued to preach the Gospel. He was at the massacre of the French Protestants on St. Bartholomew’s Day, August 24, 1572. Gylet is a Bergerac name.

The Rev. de Gylet fled to Scotland with his family where they resided for almost 57 years. This was during the reign of King Henry II. The family, after almost thirty years, started an exodus to England."

The Rev. Jacques de Gylet had at least one son:

• Richard Gylett - born 1551

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The dates in the genealogy below cannot be correct. I have preferred the above source and genealogy.

Jacques de Gylet b. Abt 1549, Devonshire, Eng. Jacques m. Jeanne Mestre French Church, Crispin, London, Eng.. Jeanne b. 1552.

Children:

William Gylette d. Bef 16 Apr 1641, Chaffcombe, Somerset, Eng..

suzysclanadded this on 27 Jul 2010

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THE LEGEND OF 1066

THE LEGEND OF 1066: Long ago, a Gillette told us a legend he had been told by his family. It went like this: In 1066 A.D there was in France a feudal homesite that was actually called "Castel de Gillette" (Gillette Castle). It had already been the family site for generations before 1066. But at this time (1066) when the Norman, William the Conqueror was preparing to invade England, he called for recruits from everywhere. Conquered lands and spoils were promised to all who would rally to William's cause. The Gillette Family responded with a considerable percentage of their number, and sailed with William to England, leaving half the family in France. From that time forward, half of the family was in England and half in France, but the family on both sides of the English Channel maintained their familial bonds and communications for generations. To date, we have not attempted a research into this legend, but it is intriguing.

A clue to this seemingly universal "William" connection could possibly lie in the background of the Gillette name itself. Notice this quote: "Gillett, Gillette/From Guillot, the French diminutive for William; the family came from Gillette, a town in Piedmonte, France, with William the Congueror, to England." (source: Directory of the Ancestral Heads of New England Families 1620-1700. F.R. Holmes, Compiler. Baltimore Genealogical Pub. Co. 1964). This assertion actually places the "William" connection to Gillette clear back at the invasion of England in 1066 AD by William the Conqueror.

There are many worthy theories. The support for some of these theories and tales weaken under study, while others seem to only gather more merit the more they are examined. Some can never possibly be proved. One says that the Roman Caesar, Julius was extremely popular in his lifetime and soon thereafter, and that the girl's name Juliet derived from Julius, and that Jillet or Gillet etc derived from the same source, Julius. Another theory holds that Saint Julian became popular after the name Gillette was already in use. The girl's name Jill was taken from Saint Julian. It is theorized that Jill evolved into Gill, and that it was easy for people to begin to call themselves Gillette, that name already being in use and popular. We have seen written mention of "The Church of Saint Gillette in Cornwall" and of "The Church of Saint Gilles, Southwest of Paris." The New Dictionary of American Family Names, by Elsdon C. Smith, harper 1973, says "Gillette is French, meaning a descendant of Giles, a variant of the Latin, Aegidius, (shield, or protection)."

suzysclanadded this on 26 May 2010

Vickicoop1originally submitted this to Victoria Cooper's Genealogy on 1 Jan 2009

Source: http://www.tell-my-mom.com/_ancestry/314.htm

Jacques and William from Gillett forum

Jacques de Gylet was a Hugenot and fled France during a period of religious strife.

Jacques de Gylet was born 1549 in Bergerac and left to England around 1570-1572. There he married Jeanne Mestre said to be born abt 1552. Their son, William, was born abt 1574 at Devonshire, England and son, Richard, 1576 at Devonshire.

One information sheet says that Jacques was born in Murge France in 1549. He supposedly married Jeanne Mestre at the French Church, Crispin, London, England in 1573

"Mary and John" series of books. There is a lot of info about William and one book has a picture of the church that William preached in. Jonathan, Nathanial, and Jerimia(sp) all came to US on the above named ship but Jonathan went back to get married, and Jerimia, went back to stay. He may have come back at a later date. Windsor and Simmsbury are the town they settled in. Was there and saw some of the Gylet artifacts such as the Bear Bible.

The story I've heard is that the Bible was used to prop open a window in Jonathan Gillett's home in the 1630's and a bear tried to get in the window and clawed the leather binding. The Bible's on display at the Windsor CT Historical Society. It dates back to 1599.

Rev William Gillette sailed on the John and Mary to the new world.

suzysclanadded this on 26 May 2010

jpoulstonoriginally submitted this to Gillett Poulston Lonsdale Browne Tree on 21 Sep 2007

Rev. Jacques de Gylet

The Rev. Jacques de Gylet is the earliest known ancestor of this branch of the Gillett family in America.

He was a Huguenot (Lutheran Protestant of France). Much of the Huguenot Immigration to America, is known to have come from the town of Bergerac, Guyenne, France. In consequence of his continuing to preach the gospel, he was banished, his property confiscated and his life put in imminent danger. He and his family first escaped to Scotland.

The Huguenots were a select class of people, perhaps the most intelligent and enterprising Frenchmen in the 16th and 17th centuries. Few others came to America so gifted and prepotent as the French Huguenots. They had the same affinity for ideals and the tenacity of character as the founders of New England. With their French blood however, they brought sensibility, a creative fervor, and an artistic endowment of their own.

From "The Rhys Tradition", by Robert L. Johnson

suzysclanadded this on 26 May 2010

slstoll23originally submitted this to Cooley-Stoll Family Tree on 24 Mar 2009

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