Any Info On Betambeau?

[richarde1979]

As for Jacques, who married Judith at St Dunstan's 1700, according to Jean Paul Roelly's register of Protestant families from Picardy, his parents were Isaac de BETTEMBOS and Marthe LEROY

http://www.roelly.org/~pro_picards/prop/pag72.html#18

http://www.roelly.org/~pro_picards/prop/pag72.html#22

According to those sources the family were from the village of Vraignes-les-Hornoy (neighbours Bettembos about 2.5 miles away), and used the nearest Protestant Temple to them based at Oisemont.

 Jean Paul Roelly's site does not cite a baptism for Jacques, and sadly only a few years survive in the archives, from the Oisemont registers, 1667-1671, so he may have been born to the family in France, but baptised outside these dates.

That said a Jacques Betembos does appear, an illegitimate son Jacques, to Jacques Betembos Sr of Vraignes,  listed in 1671 baptised at the same Oisemont Temple:

"Jacques BETEMBOS fils de Jacques BETEMBOS et de Louise LE BRIS de VRAIGNES est né hors mariage le 11ème jour d’août a esté baptisé le 8 de septembre, son parrain Estienne GAMBIER, sa marraine Marie SAUVALLE demeurant à GOUY."

"Jacques BETEMBOS, son of Jacques BETEMBOS and Louise LE BRIS, of VRAIGNES, born out of wedlock, the 11th day of August, baptised the 8th September, Godfather Estienne GAMBIER, Godmother Marie SAUVALLE residing at GOUY."

Possible he was the same child and bought to England by Isaac, possibly his uncle? But probably more likely he was a cousin to yours and your Jacques baptism is indeed in the missing registers.


The family appear to have been in Canterbury by 1674. This is quite early, as the rights of the Protestants in France were not fully revoked until 1685, though Louis XIV had slowly been eroding them by stealth since 1662. That said they would have been unlikely to have been facing 'certain death' (even after the revocation). Though life was made very hard for the Protestants of France, only their pastors faced execution during the outlawed period. Most of the laity  remained in France worshiping in secret, whilst maintaining a very thin pretence as 'New Catholic Converts' in public, which fooled no one, but generally satisfied the authorities enough to keep the wolves from the door. Those who fled abroad were the minority who felt they could not in good conscience live under that compromise, or who were victims of extraordinary personal persecutions, and vendettas, at hands of zealous local governers or dragonnades.

[richarde1979]

I have today translated this from Louis Rossier's 19th century work the Protestants of Picardy which I cited in an earlier post:



"At  Oisemont , Paul George, brother of Samuel, was replaced [as pastor] in 1665 by Pierre Bories, as was he in 1667 by Jacques De Vaux, the former pastor of that same Temple.

The Order of the Lieutenant-General, Thierry, to gather evidence against De Vaux and Phillipe Bernapré, was made ​​at the request of the Kings Prosecutor on June 10, 1671.

According to testimonies, given at different times, in front of  the Provost of Vimeau, the services there were held in the upper room of Oisemont Castle. 50 people were admitted, the surplus had to wait in the courtyard, then they would be admitted for a second service, and a third was held in the afternoon. A butcher called as a witness, however, asserted the assemblies sometimes held up to 90.

This was still far from the figure, of approximately 500, which the Bishop later claimed  the meetings were attracting at that time. People came there from the towns of Oisemont, of Senarpont and of Hornoy, the villages of Heucourt, of Croquoison, of Vergies, of Vraignes and other surrounding places.

Interrogated once already in July 1671, by the Lieutenant-General himself, De Vaux, De Bernapré, and his son John, were interrogated once again in the November of the same year. They were questioned as to the residence of Bernapré's father, to the number of religious services held, to the number the persons who attended it, to the salary of the pastor.

Among the allegations 'under investigation' were a funeral allegedly held before nightfall, and a wedding announcement published in the assembly during worship, all things contrary to the judgement of the Royal Council.

De Vaux had to submit his records to the authorities, and it is probably due to these circumstances, that we owe the preservation of the one surviving register of this congregation(1):

 (1)The register, conserved in the National Archives date from April 1667 to October 1671.

They contain records of 16 marriages and 76 baptism. The names which occur most frequently are : Le Roy, Nourtier, Le Clerc, De Visme, De Bettembos, Desmaret, Delassus, Gambier, du Hamel, Vauquet, De Moufflier.

Also to be found are Charles Routier, De Bernapré and his son, De Rambures of Haudecœurt, Jean de Rambures (spouse of Blanche de Rambures) of Haudecœurt , Philippe de Rambures of Huileux.

The register is certified by De Vaux, the minister, De Bernapré and De Moufflier, elders of the  Oisemont Temple, and given legal status by De Bacq, civil officer, for the baillage of Amiens."



As well as the confirmation of the link between the De Bettembos family and this temple, it also confirms the congregation was being put under pressure at the time the family left for England 1671-74. It's quite possible the temple was in fact closed as a result of the above investigation as it was (at least allegedly) in contravention of the very limited conditions Protestants had been allowed for their freedom of worship by the Edit of Nantes in 1598. In fact before the total revocation of the Edit in 1685, something like 80% of France's Protestant temples had already been closed down or demolished, by the above means.

[johnmarg]

I have a reference to a marriage pledge dated March 4 1660-1 from the Strangers Church, Canterbury, Vol.5, between Charles Betembes, son of Arthur, and Anne Le Rou.

Could the date be an error, as other occurrences seem to be mostly later, 1670s or 1680s.

Richarde1979, thank you for previous information, I found it very helpful and interesting.

[richarde1979]

Hello johnmarg

The entry is there:

"Mars 4 Charles Betembes, fils d'Arthur, natif de Vrigue proche d'Amiens, et Anne le Roux, fille de Laurens, native de Canterbury. Promesse."

From a different village 'Vrigue' (probably modern Vergies) then the latter Betembos from Vraignes 10 miles to the south, so possibly unrelated or a different branch of the family that came over earlier. Some of the Picard families fled across to the Netherlands and England during the 1635 war when most of Northern France surrounding Amiens was temporarily occupied.

[richarde1979]

Incidently two of my own Huguenot families the Desmarets of Previllers, and Martins of Senarpont, used this same temple at Oisemont. The Desmarets family switch to the Clermont temple after 1671 which would suggest Oisemont was closed down around the time of the investigation.

Oisemont was aproximately 35 miles to the north of them, and Clermont 35 miles to the south, so they simply had a long trek in the other direction to carry on worshipping.

The Bettembos, based in Vraignes, however had been only 15 miles away from the Oisemont temple, but were much further from Clermont, so now faced a trek of 70-80 miles to their nearest temple, so this may explain why they chose to go abroad at this time, whereas their fellow church members the Desmarets evidently didn't.

Though some of mine did eventually flee anyway, once all the temples were closed on the revocation,  members of both families remained in France even then.

In fact our two families come together much later in 1754 when a cousin of mine Marie Madeliene Desmarets, then 24, made the long 150 mile clandestine trek from her home, in Previllers, across the French border to the Walloon church in Tournai, Hainault (now Belgium) where Protestants could marry in the open. Her husband was the 38 year old widow Phillipe Bettembos of Vraignes.

They returned and settled in Vraignes, where they had two children, both who died in infancy, and both of whom were forcibly baptised into the Catholic creed by the local minister, with the parents 'illegitimate' status as Protestants noted in the register. So evidently Bettembos remained in Vraignes even after your relatives fled, and kept to the Protestant faith in France throughout the outlawed period, doubtless enduring the many difficulties and hardships it bought with it.

[John1935]

I am searching more info on Susanne Betembo, born 1735 St Jean Bethnal Green, married Solomo -n Macaire  1774 (his second marriage - his first was to Jeanne Boitel) at St Matts.
On her entry into French protestant hospital Oct 7 1809, she was 74 yrs old a member of the church of St Jean and grandaughter of a Refuge from Normandy ? but think it was in fact Somme.
Could she be Daughter of Jacques ?
Have just returned from trip to Vraignes - only readable gravestone for Bettambo was Jean Francois Bettambo - died 26 aug 1905 aged 89 yrs - maybe the last one who stayed ?
Also searching info on Solomon Macaire, date of birth, parents etc - Hoping that 'richard 1979' or 'johnmarg' might help

[John1935]

New at this, but here is photo of Huguenot Temple at Vraignes

[richarde1979]

Hello John

I had a look and unfortunately can't find any information for Salomon Macaire, before the birth of his first child in London in 1762. Many of the new refugees to London in the 1750's were initially received into Minister Bourdillon's congregation in Artillery Lane where the entrance registers have unfortunately not survived, so it is possible he was new refugee and there are no earlier details to be found for him in England.

Susanne's French Hospital record as you say does suggest in her case at least this is not the case and she was the grandaughter of a refugee. The only Susanne Bettambo/Bettambeau I can find in the French church records though is baptised to Jacques and Judith Ferre in 1701 which is way too early to be her. I would have though that couple more likely candidates to be the grandparents.

Your photograph of the Temple at Vraignes is very interesting to see. There is a little bit about it at the link below, it was built in the 19th century once protestantism was once again legal in France, and in use until November 1979.

http://huguenotsinfo.free.fr/temples/vraignes.htm

It's possible Jean Francois Bettembos was the last of the family line surviving in the village as his entrance in the death register below, notes he was unmarried.



There is a discrepancy in as much the death entry records his age as 88 rather than 89 as the gravestone does, though 88 would appear correct as his birth is recorded in the earlier registers as 26 December 1816.



The name does however appear still quite numerous then , with lots of other births and marriages appearing in the village throughout the 19th century, so it may just be Jean Francois was the last buried in the Protestant cemetary, the rest of the family may have returned to using the local Catholic congregation.

[John1935]

Thanks Richard - Susanne as we know had a brother Peter- who signed on her wedding cert with Solomon Macaire - he always signs with an 'o' and not 'a'.
It appears that she might have had a second brother, as on the 'Land Tax' records for 1660/61 at Tower Hamlets - both paid tax and lived in southside Brick Lane.
On subject of Temple, I was lucky enough to see a photo of a baptism in 1913  and a very good turn out of people at the Temple.

Back to Susanne - could she be the daughter of Jacques Jnr and Louise Le Brise, so making Jacques Snr & Judith her Grandparents and Isaac her greatgrandfather ??

Best

John