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« on: Tuesday 12 March 19 22:15 GMT (UK) »
Hi Richard
Thank you for your further thoughts which, as ever, are very much appreciated. Two strands now follow for me:
1/ In an effort to properly exclude Jean Jacques Grassart/Gransar from the line, I am now in the process of trying to locate the source of the reference in Arthur Henry Hirsch’s 1928 book The Huguenots of South Carolina as it mentions Jean Jacques Gransar and has the mysterious reference MS Col. Doc. S. C., XX. 261. I assumed it was Colonial Document South Carolina but I can’t find anything beyond Volume 41 1734-35. Do you know what it is and where it is to be found?
You suggested that a Petition to the Board of Trade was declined but according to Hirsch, “Help was given them and they united with the settlers already situated in Hillsboro Township.” That said, conversely and like you too, I see some Grassart/Gransar records in London after this.
Is the document where you see 4 children the Petition? I realise the Petition reads, ‘Jean Jacques Gransar sa femme et quatres Enfans” but according to my records Jean Jacques Grassart had 11 children by two of his 3 wives. By 1765 at least 5 had died, leaving 6 for whom I have no death records:
Anne Reine G 27/9/1751- Quiévy France (who married Armand Joseph Proye 1776) travelled to London
Jacques Joseph G 17/8/58- Quiévy France
Twin Marie Joseph G 15/3/1760- Quiévy France &
Twin Marie Thérèse G 15/3/1760- Quiévy France
Anne Élisabeth G (Gransar) 16/6/1762- London
Élisabeth G (Gransart) 24/10/1764- Bapt at the home of Jacob Bourdillon London
So, did two die before the 1765 petition, or is there a different Jean Jacques who went to South Carolina? Or what? I have been in touch with the Professor who provided the preface to the new edition of Hirsch’s book and to a student of his who has researched the later, scattered and smaller New Bordeaux Huguenots as well as a Boston based professor who wrote on the same subject. I am hoping that any responses they may send provide some South Carolina information which may help see if they went and who went.
So I am inclined to still believe that the Jean Jacques trail is a false one and it is more likely to be that Thomas is the correct ancestor. But I’d like to be able to understand why Jean Jacques, a sister and some of his children floated between Quiévy and London at the same time as a more distant cousin Thomas (great grandson of a brother of Jean Jacques grandfather!)
2/ Who are the Blariau’s (Blarieux/Blariaux) and where do they come from. I can see that a Susanne Blariau was one of 5 children of Jacques Jean Blarieux and Lousie Troufé:
Susanne 9/12/1753-19/2/1850)
Hélène Blarieux 19/1/1756-
Louise Blarieux 17/1/1760-
Élizabeth Blarieux 11/8/1762-
Isaac Blarieux 12/4/1765-)
There is a suggestion that Jacques Jean (surely its Jean Jacques anyway?) was born in 1740 in Cappel, Moselle in France. But that would make him 13 when he had his first daughter Susanne. Also I have checked all the records in Cappel and can find no Blariau/eux records at all from 1720 onwards. I am also looking at Binche in Hainaut Provence in Belgium as that has also been mentioned as the Blariau home area but again nothing found yet.
So who are they and who are the Troufés?