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Source: Passenger List of Huguenots and Transactions of the Huguenot Society of South Carolina No. 5. pp 76-78, Charleston, South Carolina, 1897. Press of Walker, Evans & Cogswell Co.
THE HUGUENOTS OF ABBEVILLE, S. C.
During the persecutions of the Huguenots in France, which had continued through the 18th century almost to its close, a colony arrived in South Carolina in 1764. Two hundred and twelve persons succeeded in eluding the vigilance of their pursuers, and arrived safely at Plymouth, England, from which point they sailed for South Carolina in April of the same year, their place of disembarcation being Charleston.
They were there received with kindness and hospitality and accommodations were soon furnished them at Beaufort, which they accepted as a healthy retreat for the summer. They returned to Charleston in October, having lost but one of their members by death. A tract of land on Long Crane Creek, Abbeville County was granted them, and they soon after removed to this spot, the expense of their journey having been defrayed by public subscription. On their arrival at their new home they gave it the name of New Bordeaux. Two ministers accompanied them, the Reverends Jean Louis Gibert and Pierre Botilon, the names of the other refugees being in part inserted in the Gaillard List. A total of 74 names became unknown, and the holders thereof lost sight of, the Provinces from which they came being not known for certain either, although it is believed they mostly came from Guienne, one of the old Southern provinces of France. That a certain number were from Bordeaux is likely from their having named their settlement after that city.
New Bordeaux was located at or near the junction of Long Cane Creek and Little River, about three and one-half miles above the confluence of the latter with the Savannah River, and five miles south-east of the village of Willington. It is now designated as "Old French Town" on the County Map. Many names of the immigrants are yet familiar in that neighborhood, as Gibert, Moragne, etc., and thus indicate some of the descendants of the original settlers.
LIST OF THE NAMES OF THE ABBEVILLE SETTLEMENT
Taken When They Were In Plymouth, England (age, occupation, family members)
** These names have been Anglicized. I need to go back to the original lists and revert the given names to French**
** Women are listed with their maiden names. French women did not take their husband's names. Please keep the maiden name and the last name the same for married women, as least in this generation**
- Armagnieu, Martha age 30
- Anthony, John age 20, "Sciller"
- Audibert, John age 22 Wine grower
- Audouin, Andrew age 24 Sailor
- Berd, Phillip
- Basson, Nicholas age 23 Wine grower
- Barbier, Pierre age 23 Sailor
- Baylard, Jacob age 23 Mason
- Jean Bayle, Tanner
- Bayle, Cecille, age 22
- Bayle, Francis, age 24
- Bayle, Pierre, age 19, Wine grower
- Billaud, Anthony age 36, Wine grower
- Beillard, Jean Pierre age 33 Baker
- Bellefaye, Jean age 56, Merchant
- Bellefaye, Anne age 11
- Bellote, Jean age 50, Tailor
- Gogul, Lydia age 46
- Bellote, Pierre Helie Elie age 19, Sailor
- Bellote, John Arnaud age 3
- Bellote, Maria Magdaline age 16
- Bellote, Judith age 8
- Beraud, Anne age 36, Widow of Pierre Beinayme
- Beinayme, Elizabeth age 4 (married Pierre Gibert III)
- Beraud, Jean age 32, Tanner
- Beraud, Mathew age 23, Tanner
- Beraud, Matthew, age 35, Laborer
- Gregorie, Elizabeth age 33
- Beraud, Anne age 7
- Beraud, Maria age 4
- Bollomay, Samuel age 23, Shoemaker
- Bonique, Bartholemew age 22, Surgeon
- Bonneau, Jean age 28, Laborer
- Bordejeau, Corlas age 33, Laborer
- Sacbouille, Francoise age 32
- Bordejeau, Jean, age 8
- Bordejeau, Pierre, age 6
- Bordejeau, Maria, age 10
- Bordejeau, Jeanne, age 1
- Bouchillon, Joseph age 22, Wine grower
- Bouchillon, Jean age 19, Laborer (brother of Joseph?)
- Coureau, Anne age 50, Widow of Charles Bouchonneau
- Bouchonneau, Charles age 19, "Pilotn"
- Bouchonneau, Nicolas age 15, Sailor
- Bouchonneau, Maria age 14
- Boutin, John age 24, Carpenter
- Boutiton, Jacques age 54, Laborer
- Boutiton, Pierre age 50, Pastor
- Boyer, John age 20, Wine grower
- Boyer, Pierre age 20, Button maker?
- Branton, Francis age 23, Laborer
- Brieau, Jean, age 24, Wheelwright
- Caris, Jeanne age 30
- Castan, John age 18, Wine grower
- Chardavoine, Jacob age 17, Sailor
- Clareau, Pierre age 24, Carpenter
- Cluseau, Pierre age 34, Weaver
- De Laune, Jean Baptiste age 45, Weaver
- De la Mare, Maria ae 33
- De Laune, Maria age 12
- De Laune, Jean Baptiste age 10
- De Laune, Anthony age 4
- De Laune, Jacques age 1
- Dom, Jean age 16, Sailor
- Don, Pierre, age 25, Doctor
- Duc, Daniel age 31, Navy captain
- Dumas, Pierre age 30, Tanner
- Dupuis, Jean age unknown, Shoemaker
- Eymery, Jean age 32, Bookbinder
- Farasteau, Anthony age 34, Wine grower
- Pierre Gabeau
- Farasteau, Maria, age 1
- Favereau, Etienne, age 30, relationship to following not clear
- Favereau, Jean, age 24
- Favereau, Maria, age 30
- Favereau, Francis, age 26
- Festal, Mathew, age 35, Private tutor
- Fresille, Jean, age 48, Driver ?
- Roujon, Maria age 40
- Fresille, Maria age 8
- Fresille, Judith age 10
- Fresille, Susan age 4
- Marie Farrasteau
- Garineau, Pierre age 26, Mason
- Gautier, John Baptist, age 45
- Alexandre, Susan, age 27
- Gautier, Theodore, age 7
- Gautier, N., age 1
- Gerard, Francis age 35, Tailor
- Gereau, James age 34, Carpenter
- Gibert, Jean Louis age ?, Pastor (he would have been 42 years old)
- Jeanne Boutiton, age 21, known as Isabeau Boutiton
- Gollin, Pierre age 31, Sailor
- Lievre, Jeanne age 36, not verified as Peter's wife
- Gollin, Pierre age 7
- Gollin, Jeanne age 1
- Gout, Jean age 19, Barber ?
- Gros, Francis age 26, Laborer
- Guay, Theodore age 23, Potter
- Guillebeau, Andre age 25, Wheelwright
- Guilliame, Amey age ?
- Herport, Anthony age 26, Soliciter, notary
- Husson, Jean Louis age 35, Wheelwright
- Le Fevre, Jeanne age 24
- Husson, Maria age 1
- Jacob, Abraham age 37, Cobbler
- Jolly, Susan Isabeau age 37
- Jacob, Maria Judith age 6
- Jacob, Daniel age 3
- Jennerett, Daniel Louis age ?
- Labbe, Joseph age 34, Private tutor
- Labrousse, Jacques age 35, Laborer
- Blanchet, Jeanne age 32
- Labrousse, Etienne age 7
- Labrousse, Maria age 3
- Larousese, N . age 1
- La Faye, Jean age 27, Wine grower
- La Faye, Jacques age 7
- La Faye, Jean age 5
- La Faye, Jean age 3
- Langel, Jacob age 45, Wheelwright
- Langel, Jacques age 40, Wine grower
- Allegne, Jeanne age 33
- Langel, Pierre age 11
- Langel, Dennis age 3
- Langel, Jacques age 2
- Langel, Anne age 5
- Lartigue, Pierre age 18, Mason
- Latoure, Anne age 25, sister of Susan Latoure
- Latoure, Susan age 20, sister of Anne Latoure
- Levvant, Elizabeth age ?
- Libron, Pierre age 27, Gardener
- Moragne, Pierre age 22, Laborer; kept journal
- Nicolas, Peter age 27, Sailor
- Elizabeth Unknown age ?
- Nivrau, Paul age 19, Barber ?
- Petit, Jean Baptiste age 27, Tailor
- Roudier, Jane age 20
- Piron, Nicholas age 26, Fr: Purruqr. ?
- Pouillac, Francis age 18, Wine grower
- Poitevin, Jean Francois age 35
- Morin, Ann Julie age 35
- Poitevin, Ann Julie age 7
- Poitevin, Jean Francois age 2
- Priloet, John age 24, Wine grower
- Quate, Maria age 25
- Reigne, Peter age 36, Sailor
- Bonneau, Jane age 36
- Reparon, Maria age 22
- Renateau, Francois age 23
- Renond, Pierre age 36, Carpenter
- Rivard, Julian
- Roger, Jean age 45, Merchant
- L'espine, Anne age 42
- Roger, Pierre age 21, Laborer
- Roger, Jeremiah age 20, Laborer
- Roger, Maria age 22
- Rolland, Joseph age 27, Tailor
- Rolland, Peter age 30, Carpenter
- Roquemore, Pierre age 36, Tanner
- Marie Jeanne age 30
- Roquemore, Maria age 4
- Roquemore, Anne age ?
- Roquemore, Peter age ?
- Roquemore, Pierre age 22
- Roquemore, Pre age 18, Tailor
- Roquemore, Marie Jeanne age 22
- Scervante, John age ?
- Sudre, Peter age 20, Tanner
- Thomas, Etienne age 12 Brother and sister; wine growers
- Thomas, Maria age 31 Sister to Etienne
- Touzeau, Jacques age 30, Catechism teacher
- Vallard, James age 26, Baker; listed as Louis Villaret (#106)
- Verdiere, Maria age 35
- Vidau, John age 23, Laborer
- Vidau, Louis age 22, Wine grower
- Vilke, Maria age 16
- Villaret, Louis age 45
- Wagnon, Andrew
The Abbeville Colony attempted the rearing of the silk worm and the weaving of its product into cloth. In this they were successful for a time, but eventually abandoned the scheme. They were industrious and hard working like the other Huguenot Colonists but their location was not particularly favorable for agricultural profit, and an insurmountable difficulty of the time was the transportation of their produce to a market.
Assimilation (see Edmonds The Huguenots of New Bordeaux, Chap Five)
Surnames and given names were anglicized. There was significant intermarriage with their neighbors, especially the predominant Scotch-Irish population. For example, Louise Guy Gibert, the daughter of Rev. Jean Louis Gibert, met the "dashing (Scotch-Irish) William Pettigrew" while living at Badwell, the family farm at New Bordeaux after her father's death in 1773. Her sister, Jeanne, married Thomas Finley, Williams's close friend.
Some of the Intercultural Marriages
- Louise Guy Gibert and William Pettigrew
- Jeanne Gibert and James Finley
- Isacc Moragne and Margaret Blanton Caine
- Pierre Francis Moragne and Mary Ann Todd
- Pierre Boyer Moragne and Amanda Rachel Allen
- Francis Moragne and Jane Taylor
- Archibald Breazeal and Dorcas Watscon
- Eliza Rogers and Jesse Dabbs; and John Hurbuck
Sources
- Roquemore Ancestry, containing a good overview of the colony's history, as well as information on the Roquemore family
- Passenger List of New Bordeaux Settlers, with ages, occupations and land grants, not everyone on this list settled in New Bordeaux
- LIST OF THE NAMES OF THE ABBEVILLE SETTLEMENT. Taken When They Were In Plymouth, England.
- The Huguenots of New Bordeaux, by Bobby F. Edmonds. 2005, Cedar Hill Unltd.
- http://www.huguenot.netnation.com/general/