The French Settlers in Ireland - No 3 (pt 2)

Guillot.

The Guillots were officers in the navy of Louis XIV., but, being driven from France by the religious persecutions, escaped into Holland, where they were kindly received by the Prince of Orange, and presented with commissions in his navy. On more than one occasion they performed important services. Some members of the family settled in Lisburn, and two of the ladies married sons of Samuel Crommelin, brother of Louis.

Another family, named Jellett, which resided for many years near Moira, (a few miles from Lisburn,) is also of French extraction, but of different origin from the Guillot family above mentioned having settled in Ireland previous to 1685. The first of the name of whom the present representatives have any record is William Jellett, who was born in England about 1632, and settled at Dromore Co. Down, before 1687; in which year he married the daughter of Captain James Morgan, one of Cromwell's aides-de-camp, a Welsh settler from Garth, in the parish of Llandovery, in Caermarthenshire, and proprietor of Tully-ard, in the County of Down. It is thought possible that he may have been a relative of the Protestant clergyman of the same name who preached in the Cathedral of Durham in 1656, on which occasion there appears a charge in the Church Books of three shillings "for saek for Mr. Jellett." [See Quarterly Review, January, 1829, p. 386.] A little incident which occurred while King William III. was at Hillsborough, may be mentioned in connection with the Jellett family settled at Moira. Being Protestants living in a district surrounded by Roman Catholics, Mr. Jellett the elder being then in feeble health, and his son probably serving in the army under Sir George Rawdon, his wife presented herself to King William., and requested him to leave her two soldiers as a protection to her house. The King received her graciously; but, perceiving a great tankard, of fully a quart measure, attached to her girdle, he humorously asked for an explanation. He was informed that this vessel was one highly prized in her family, and handed down as an heir-loom, being formed of "blood-stone," mounted in silver-gilt, and believed to be of great efficacy in curing haemorrage; and that she was afraid to leave so valuable an article behind during her absence. His Majesty thereupon called for wine, filled the tankard, and drank the lady's health: then presented it to her to drink to his success, and afterwards kindly granted her request. The two soldiers accompanied her home, with orders to remain until required; but, as they never were called on, they eventually became settlers on the property, and were long the only Protestants there. The tankard is still preserved, and in the possession of the Rev. John H. Jellett, F.T.C.D. -- it had no doubt been brought from Wales along with the Morgan family. A Captain Henry Jellett served in General Monk's army in Ireland, in 1642, and was one of three who were deputed by the General Officers of the army to demand from Monk his reasons for not signing promptly the "Solemn League of Covenant" which had already been signed by all the officers but himself. One of the originals of this League and Covenant, now in the Belfast Museum with a number of signatures attached, was presented to that institution by the late Morgan Jellett, Esq.,^h and was believed by him to have come into the possession of his family through this Captain Jellett.

In England there are numerous families who write their name Gillett, and Gillot, all of French extraction: the former at Glastonbury, Exeter, and Banbury, the latter at Birmingham and Sheffield. It is probable that these names, as well as Jellett and Guillot, have all been originally the same, namely, Gillot, the diminutive of Gilles, the French form of Giles.

Saurin.

The family of De Saurin resided in Languedoc, and was strongly attached to the Reformed church, ranking among its members many individuals distinguished for their piety and learning. At an early period we find them taking a prominent part in the affairs of the church, the names of two appearing in the Synod Roll of Alençon, viz., -- Saurin, pastor of Aymarques, and Peter Saurin, pastor of Uxeaux. The branch of the family settled in Ireland derives its origin from the noble Charles de Saurin, of Calvission, in the Diocese of Nismes, who served for a long time in the army. He had two sons, John and James.ⁱ The eldest, John, was page to the Constable de Montmorency, Maitre de Camp of a regiment of Infantry, and subsequently appointed Governor of the Castle of Sommières by Letters Patent dated at St. Germain's, the end of October, 1597. He left three sons, Antoine,  N--------- , and Daniel.^j The eldest succeeded his uncle, James, in the governorship of the town of Sommières, and his appointment was accompanied by a letter from the Constable and the Duc de Vandadour, expressing their high sense of his father's merits. He left two sons who embraced the military profession, and died without issue: and three daughters, two of whom became nuns, and the third married. N--------- de Saurin became Captain of the Guard to the Duc de Royan, and was killed in the service, leaving a very young son who settled at Nismes, and went to the Bar. He became an advocate of great reputation, and a member of the Royal Academy of Nismes. He had three sons Jacques, Louis, and a third (name unknown) who became Captain of Cavalry, in the service of England. The father, notwithstanding his high position in Nismes, retired to Geneva at the first outbreak of the "Revocation," where he died. Jacques Saurin, his eldest son (born at Nismes 1677) entered, at the age of fifteen, a regiment raised by the Marquis De Ruvigny, for the service of the Duke of Savoy, then engaged in the European coalition against Louis XIV., and on that prince's defection retired to Geneva; where, having resigned a profession for which he never was designed, he resumed his theological studies, under the direction of the celebrated Turretin Pictet and others, he soon became distinguished for his oratorical powers. Numbers flocked to hear him and on one occasion it was found necessary to throw open the cathedral to accommodate the crowd that pressed for admission. On receiving orders, he was nominated Minister to the French Protestant Church in London, and here, taking the celebrated Tillotson as his model, he perfected the admirable talents bestowed on him by nature. It was then perhaps, that Abbadie^k having heard him for the first time, exclaimed:-- "Is this a man or an angel who speaks!" -- After five years' residence in England he was summoned to the Hague with the title of "Minister Extraordinary" to the French community of nobles, and preached there with immense success, in the chapel belonging to the Prince of Orange. He possessed all the qualifications of a great orator and preacher, extensive knowledge, fervour of imagination, powerful argument, and luminous arrangement of thoughts, with a purity of style, which, combined with the physical advantages of a noble countenance, and a sonorous and thrilling voice, rendered him one of the most remarkable men of his time, and attracted crowds of enraptured auditors. His sermons, some of which have been published, abound with the noblest specimens of modern eloquence. Among his admiring hearers were the Prince of Orange, and the Princess of Wales, afterwards Queen Caroline. So deeply impressed was the latter with his character and his abilities that on her return to England she ordered Dr. Boulter (preceptor of Prince Frederick, father of George III.) to write to him, with a request that he would draw up a treatise on "the Education of Princes." This work was prepared, though never printed; but the author received a handsome donation from the Princess, and afterwards a pension from George II., to whom he dedicated a volume of sermons. He died in 1730.

Louis Saurin, second son of N. de Saurin, and brother of the celebrated Jacques, also entered the church. He became Dean of St. Patrick's, Ardagh, in March 1726, and also Chanter of Christ's Church, Dublin. Previous to his leaving France he had married a daughter of the Comte de la Bretonnière, a Norman Baron, and had a son and four daughters. He died in 1749, in Dublin.

James Saurin, his son, became a Minister of the established church, and was appointed Vicar of Belfast in June 1747, where he continued for 26 years. His memory was so respected that, 50 years afterwards, when St. George's Church, (Belfast) was being built,^l the workmen engaged in making the foundations, on meeting with their former pastor's grave, arched over his remains, which now rest under the communion-table. He married a Mrs. Duff, and left four sons, Louis, Mark Anthony, William and James: of these only the two latter have left issue, viz., the Right Hon. William Saurin, and James, late Lord Bishop of Dromore.

The Right Hon. William Saurin was born in 1758, received his early education at the school of the Rev. Mr. Dubourdieu (in Lisburn), and entered Trinity College, Dublin, in 1775, where he obtained the highest academic distinctions. In 1780 he was called to the Irish Bar; but for several years experienced the fortune of many able men whose "moral and intellectual tendencies being strictly professional withheld them from all irregular and indiscreet short cuts to notice." It was during this interval that he married Mary, relict of Sir Richard Cox, Bart., niece of the late, and sister of the present, Marquis of Thomond, by whom he had a large family. The marriage took place in 1786. He was engaged in the election contest in the County of Down, in 1790, when Lord Castlereagh was one of the candidates; and he made his debut on behalf of Mr. Ward, another candidate, in so successful a manner as to obtain at once a reputation for ability. He was soon extensively employed, and he rose steadily to the highest professional distinction. In 1796 he was elected, by the members of the Bar, Captain-Commandant of their corps, which affords ample proof of the estimation in which he was held. In 1798 the office of Solicitor-General was pressed upon him with much earnestness, but declined; as it was his determination to oppose the measure of the Union, then in agitation. In 1803 he was again urgently solicited to take the same office, but peremptorily refused. In 1807 he was once more applied to by the Government, and at length yielded to the influence of his attached friend, Mr. (afterwards Lord) Downes, and accepted the office of Attorney-General for Ireland, which he held for 14 years. Previous to this he had been elected a member of the House of Commons, and soon became distinguished as a speaker. On the retirement of Lord Downes from the Bench, the Government wished to raise Mr. Saurin to the vacant seat, but he refused the promotion. A peerage was added to the offer but it was still declined. He continued "in great Chancery practice, till at length having become father of the Bar, and beginning to feel the weight of years, he took leave of the profession in 1831." His death took place on the 11th January, 1839.

The Right Rev. James Saurin, Lord Bishop of Dromore, was born in Belfast, 18th December, 1759. He was the fourth son of the Rev. James Saurin, rector of St. Ann's; and in early life was for a short time at the school of the Rev. Mr. Dubourdieu, in Lisburn. On the death of his father he left Belfast, and entered Trinity College, Dublin, at the age of 14; unusually early in those days. He was a distinguished classical scholar, obtained a scholarship, and read for fellowships; but the close application necessary for this having injured his health, he was obliged to relinquish the pursuit, and was ordained in 1783 to the curacy of St. Doughlass, where he continued 17 years. In 1800 he was nominated to the rectory of Rosenallis, in Queen's County, and in 1807 to that of Donaghmore. He was appointed Dean of Cork in 1812, Archdeacon of Dublin, in 1813, and Dean of Derry in 1817. In 1819, when about 60 years of age, he was consecrated Bishop of Dromore. He presided over that diocese for 22 years, and died the 19th April, 1842, in his 83d year. He had thirteen children, of whom twelve are living. On leaving each of his preferments, he received complimentary addresses; and, when resigning the Archdeaconry of Dublin, he was presented with a service of plate. During his residence in the Diocese of Dromore he maintained a cordial intercourse with all denominations of Protestants. He was one of the Irish prelates deputed to wait upon George IV., at the period of the Catholic Emancipation Bill, in 1829, and voted against that measure in the House of Lords. It is creditable to his memory that he evinced a strong desire to sacrifice a portion of his income, in order that the Rectorial titles of four parishes appropriate to the Bishopric might be transferred to their respective incumbents. For this purpose a bill was to have been introduced into parliament, and he was willing to bind himself never again to renew the leases of the aforesaid tithes; but unforeseen obstacles, over which he had no controul, baffled the design. -- A monument to him is erected in the cathedral church of Dromore.

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Of the other French families who joined the settlement at Lisburn all that can now be ascertained is their names. The following have been collected from various authorities, chiefly from the old Vestry-books, and the lists of deaths, marriages, and baptisms at Lisburn. The dates subjoined to some of the names are those at which they appear in these Registers.

Brethet,	De Berniere	Foguy	Nebur
Bulroy	Druet (1723)	Gornal	Nois
Birrel	Drewet (1723)	Garran	Noblet
Bonace	Drued (1723)	Gothard	Prorié
Burto	Druid (1723)	Higuet	Petticrew, (1722)
Bourto	Drufan	Labady (L'Abbadie?)	Purdee, (Purdue) (1662)
Blosset	Defou	Lefevre	Rothell, (1718
Bonley	Darele	La Briol	Réné
Comière	Dufore	Labrel, (1727)	Stalliard
Colbert	Dela Hyde	Ledrue	Touchamp, (1723)
Covart, (1728)	Deluze	Languel	Trimullete
Quavert, (1727)	Driffet	Lascelles, (1698)	Tremmule
Chartres, (1703)	Treufet	Leroy, (1676)	Treufet
Chaters, (1799)	De Armine	Maskue	Taverner (1723)
	Duliez (1718)	Marret	Vandas
	Duard	Merret	Vagieux
	Denmar, (1738)	Morrell	Valentin
	Dalton, (1722)	Merron
	Domville, (1758)	Martine (1698)
	Dumvill, (1662)	Maslin
	Dumbill, (1664)
	De Lap, (1698)
	Dulap, (1671)
	De Vanny

[There is a possibility that several of the above names may not be French.]

The foregoing particulars, relative to the French Protestant families settled at Lisburn, scanty as they may appear, are all that can be now collected, and have not been obtained without much trouble; so completely have the descendants of these settlers become incorporated with the population of the district, or disappeared amidst the eventful changes of the last hundred and fifty years. That their settlement, however, exercised a powerful influence on the character of the locality, there can be no question. They added one energetic element to a population already strongly Protestant in its tendency; and, as many of the original colonists were of high family and liberal education, and all of them of industrious and peaceful habits, they contributed in no small degree to the respectability for which the neighbourhood of Lisburn is now so deservedly noted. From the time of their arrival the Linen Trade began to assume a new importance. Its elements had of course existed in a crude form for a long time previous; but the improvements and systematic arrangements introduced by them led the way to that wonderful expansion of the manufacture which has since rendered the Province of Ulster celebrated throughout the world. The factories and bleach-works of the present day are no doubt infinitely superior to the infant establishments of Crommelin and his colonists; but we must remember their own French proverb, "C'est le premier pas qui coute," and acknowledge that, if political events had not driven these unfortunate men into exile, our Linen Trade might still have been rude and unimportant, or might even have been extinguished by the competition of other countries.

Many of the Huguenots of Lisburn long cherished hopes of recovering their properties in France, and of returning to reside in their native country; but their expectations gradually declined, and their descendants, losing the amor patrice of the first settlers, intermarried by degrees with the natives. They joined the Established Church in numbers, so that by this means, as well as by the removal of many to other districts, the French Chapel, which was at one time numerously attended, became almost deserted. Finally, the Rev. Saumarez Dubourdieu, the last of the French pastors, was appointed to the neighbouring parish of Lambeg, and the Chapel was closed. It continued so until the year 1798, when it was converted into a guard-house. After the country became quiet its occupancy was again changed, and it became, what it still is, the Court-house of Lisburn. The only memorials that now remain of this colony are some tomb-stones in the church-yard, and a few vague traditions and kindly recollections among the old inhabitants.

Additional Notes.

The ardent desire felt by the Huguenots to return to their own country, and the sacrifices they were willing to make for that purpose are illustrated by the following incident, the account of which we transcribe from the Belfast News-Letter, January, 1707. It is there given on the authority of the Count de Maisonville who, thirty years before, had been Plenipotentiary and Envoy from the Elector of Treves to the Court of France and elsewhere, and was intimate with the Dukes of Bellisle, Estrées, and Choiseul, Ministers at Versailles.

-- -- -- -- -- -- --

In the reign of the late French King, when France was groaning under the weight of taxes, and the people struggling against the complicated horrors of tyranny and heavy exactions, Mareschal de Bellisle, then Minister, was one day informed that a person solicited the favour of an audience with all possible eagerness. The request was acceded to. A man wrapped up in a cloak appeared before the Minister, whom he thus addressed:-- "My lord, deign to listen to me. I am a Protestant and a preacher, nor am I ignorant of the danger to which the latter quality exposes me; but I own it because I know that your closet must be an asylum for those who are admitted to it." -- "Your confidence pleases me," answered the Mareschal, "and it shall not be deceived: speak to me candidly, and tell me what you want" -- "Deputed by my brethren, the Refugees, who, notwithstanding the rigorous edict of Louis XIV., still regret their banishment from France, I come in their name to offer you the pecuniary assistance of which the country stands so much in need." -- He then opened a pocket-book, and showed the Minister notes, to the amount of 40 millions of Livres, on the best banking-houses in Europe; and then continued his address:-- "This is only an earnest of the sacrifices we are ready to make to France, if she consent to re-admit us into her bosom, and annihilate the "Revocation of the Edict of Nantes," which hypocrisy and avarice extorted from the King. Seventy years of exile have not been able to eradicate from our hearts an affection for this country which our fathers ordered us ever to cherish. There are still alive some venerable witnesses of those days of horror and desolation, when wives were torn from their husbands arms; when tender infants were snatched from their mother's breasts; when methods equally repugnant to nature and reason were employed to force them to abandon the religious tenets of their ancestors. These evils, the work of barbarous prejudices, have not effaced from our hearts the desire of returning to France. We were obliged to export our industry and talents along with us: we now petition to bring them back improved by the assiduous exertions of seventy years. All we want is liberty of conscience, and a civil existence. Deign, my lord, to lay our proposal at the foot of the throne and become our protector."

The minister, astonished and flattered, answered the deputy with much kindness, and left him alone in his closet, while he went to acquaint the King with what had taken place. An Extraordinary Cabinet Council was summoned immediately, where the subject was debated with much warmth. Pride and Hatred were opposed by Reason and Humanity; but Pride and Hatred triumphed. The Minister was scouted for having even listened to a proposition which, according to the apostles of intolerance, was a crime against religion. They alleged that to grant such a request would be the signal for a civil war and all its attendant horrors, and that it would be selling France to heresy. Louis XV. signed the decision: and then for the first time, in an affair of importance, did he exhibit proofs of a weakness which served as a pledge for the other evils he afterwards hurled on his wretched subjects. The Mareschal, having returned, answered the preacher:-- "The King does not consent to the proposal of his refractory subjects. He will never grant a residence in France to those who stubbornly profess and propagate error. Go away; and be grateful for the King's clemency, which allows you 48 hours to quit the kingdom." -- The honest man retired without a murmur; for the "Bastille" was then in existence, and so were "lettres de cachet."

This occurrence, which is little known, took place about 40 years ago. What a progress has reason made since that period! -- [Belfast News-Letter, January, 1797.]

-- -- -- -- -- -- --

In the old Vestry-book of Lisburn, at I8th June, 1699, there is a sum of £24 10s voted for the relief of the distressed Vaudois.

-- -- -- -- -- -- --

The following is a copy of a certificate to two Huguenot ladies (who afterwards joined the Lisburn colony) from the minister and elders of a church in Holland, on the occasion of their leaving the place; a precaution probably usual in those times:-- "Nous soussignéz, Pasteurs et Anciens de L'Eglise Walonne de Lejde, certifions, que Mesdemoiselles Judith et Louise de la Cherois, natifues de la Ville de Ham en Picardie, après avoir abandonné en France toutes choses pour la cause de l'Eglise, et avoir passé quelques années a Boisleduc, d'où elles ont remporté un avantageux témoignage, se sont rétirées a Lejde, où elles demeurent depuis quatre ans; pendant lesquels elles se sont conduites d'une manière très-chrétienne et très-édifiante, donnant des marques de leur piéte et de leur zèle en fréquentant avec assiduité vos saintes assembleés, participant á toutes les occasions au sacrement de la Sainte Cène du Seigneur, et faisant paroistre, dans tonte leur conversation, une sagesse, une humilité, et une modestie, qui leur ont acquis l'estime de tout le monde.

"C'est le témoignage que nous rendons á la vérité, afin qu'elles puissent s'en seruir en temps et lieu. Fait au Consistoire le 5 de Juillet, 1693. Et pour tous.

"GODEFROY VAN KEMPE, Pasteur.
"GUERIN, Pasteur.
"JEAN BONVLA, Ancien.
"JEAN CARLIER, Ancien.
"ELIE DEL TOMBE, Ancien.

[Translation]

"We the undersigned, Pastors and Elders of the Walloon Church of Leyden, certify that the ladies Judith and Louisa De la Charois, natives of the town of Ham, in Picardy, after having given up everything in France for the sake of the Gospel, and having passed several years at Bois-le-Duc, from whence they brought a favourable certificate, retired to Leyden where they have lived these four years; during which period they have conducted themselves in a most Christian and edifying manner, giving proof of their piety and zeal by frequenting assiduously our holy assemblies, participating on all occasions in the Sacrament of the Lord's Holy Supper, and exhibiting in all their conversation a degree of wisdom, humility, and modesty, which have won for them the esteem of every one.

"This testimony we give in all truth, in order that they may be able to make use of it in due time and place.

"Done at the Consistory, the 5th July, 1693; and in the name of all."

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Among the few relics preserved by the descendants of the Lisburn Huguenots is a little portable spinning-wheel, of which we annex a wood-cut, one third of the actual size. It is neatly made of polished brass, and was worn at a lady's girdle, who could thus, without inconvenience, spin while superintending other domestic matters. The little machine consists of a pair of multiplying wheels (contained in the oval case shown in the outline) moved by a handle, and giving considerable velocity to the "spool" round which the spun yarn is wound. The "rock" carrying the unspun flax is also shown, but stood at right angles to the position in which it appears in the sketch. This article was brought from France by one of the ladies of the De la Cherois family, and is still preserved as a relic of old times.


[ERRATA. -- Owing to the difficulty of reading the M.S. documents which contained some of the foregoing particulars, several names of places, &c., have been erroneously printed. In page 167, for "Godefrey" read "Godefroy," for "Sanoctal," read "Sauvetal," and for "Blangar," read "Blanzac." In page 168 for "Londure" read "Loudure."]^h In a MS. autobiography of this gentleman he mentions a little trait of his youthful days, illustrative of the manners of the time. When he went to serve his apprenticeship in 1785 to a solicitor in Lisburn, the boys wore hair-powder and a cue!



[i] James, after the death of his brother, was appointed in 1601 to the same offices which he had held. On resigning the Governorship he retired into Lorraine, and there occupied several offices of distinction. He was deputed by the Duke on a mission to the Court of France to negotiate some important matters. He had two sons, who were both captains of cavalry, and lost their lives at the battle of Seness. His widow inherited all his property, and subsequently married the Marquis of Courcelles.

[j] Daniel de Saurin was a Minister, and it is probably his name that appears in the Synod of Alençon. He had two sons and a daughter, who were educated in the Reformed faith. Louis, the eldest, received his education at the Academy of Saumur: but, after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, having occasion in his flight from France to pass through Moulins, he could not resist the desire of calling to see his relations there, two of whom had become nuns, and at the same time of visiting the Duchess de Montmoreney; and he was so influenced by their solicitations to change his religion that he subsequently returned to France from Lausanne and embraced the Roman Catholic faith. He performed the duties of an Abbé for some time, but was obliged by weak health to relinquish the office. He went to Paris "where his bright parts, and his great skill in Natural Philosophy and Mathematics procured him a pension from the King, and a place in the Royal Academy of Sciences. He is partly the author of the elegant and learned Journal of Paris." [Dubourdieu's Appeal, p. 144.] He was frequently employed by the King in secret negotiations with the Princes of Germany during one of his journies in Italy he was received into the Academy of Padua: he was also a member of the Royal Academy of Nismes. He wrote several French poems, among the rest one addressed to the Dauphin on the Campaign of 1690.

[k] James Abbadie was born at Nay, in Béarn, in 1654. He was educated by the distinguished La Plucette, and afterwards studied at the University of Sedan, whence he went to Holland and Germany, where his fame as a divine led to his appointment as Minister of the French Church at Berlin. In 1690 he came to England, and after officiating for some time in London, was appointed Dean of Killaloe, in Ireland. He afterwards returned to London, and died in 1727, at Mary-le-bone, at the age of 75.

[l] St George's church was built on the site of the old parish church of Belfast, which was taken down in 1775, as being unfit for public worship; the ground on which it stood had been converted into a burying-place.

The above article is reproduced from the Ulster Journal of Archaeology, vol. 2, 1854.

The French Settlers in Ireland - No 3

[Editors Note.]

THE Editors of the Ulster Journal of Archaeology find that the subject of the Huguenot Refugees has excited considerable interest. They have received offers of literary assistance from many quarters, and have already had placed in their hands a number of curious and interesting documents belonging to private individuals, affording matter well worthy of publication. Others are promised, relating not only to the history of the French colonies established in Ireland, but to the previous history of the refugees before quitting their own country. Several private Journals kept by distinguished individuals, have also been placed at the disposal of the Editors; and they have opened a correspondence with gentlemen in various parts of Ireland, who are themselves descendants of French settlers.

They therefore hope to be able to collect a good deal of curious information with regard to this portion of Irish Ethnology. But they already find that the traces of many of the original families can now with difficulty be discovered. A great number of names have totally disappeared, and others have become singularly metamorphosed; while, even in the districts occupied by French families a couple of centuries ago, the traditions are fast dying away. In several cases it has been found that information respecting a family can only be obtained in England, Holland, or Geneva; and at this moment several gentlemen are at work making inquires in those countries. The Editors have, therefore, decided on postponing the continuation of the articles on the Huguenot settlers in Ireland, until next Number, in order to accumulate as many particulars as possible relating to each colony. Gentlemen residing in Dublin, Cork, Youghal, Innishannon, Kilkenny, Waterford, Portarlington, Dundalk and Lisburn, may materially assist the undertaking, by communicating any information they possess regarding the French families settled at these different places.

The Huguenot Colony at Lisburn.

(Concluded from vol. 1, p. 294.)

Dubourdieu.

(Additional particulars.) The ancestor of the Dubourdieu family, Godefrey de Brius, a French knight, was created Lord of Bourdieu in Languedoc, by Philip, King of France, on account of the eminent services rendered by him to that monarch in the Holy War; hence the Turkish scimitar was adopted as his crest, and his family name was laid aside for that of the title. The Dubourdieu family early adopted the principles of the Reformation, and were distinguished supporters of its doctrines; several members having become ministers and elders in the church, and taking a prominent part in its management. We find that, in the year 1637, Armand Dubourdieu was pastor of the Sanoctal at the Synod of Alençon, and in 1644 at the third Synod of Charenton. James, Lord Dubourdieu, was elder in the church of Blangar at the same Synod. In answer to an appeal to the Synod, from the church of Bergerac, a resolution was passed: "That this assembly determines -- first, the province of Guyenne hath exceeded the stated rules in removing Monsieur Dubourdieu from the church of Bergerac without consulting that church; second, that whereas Bergerac is a church of no small importance, and its necessities very great and urgent, and M. Dubourdieu is exceeding successful in his ministry there, this Synod doth approve of his being in that station, and confirms him in the pastoral office of that church." --

In 1659, at the Synod of Londure, among those representing the Province of Lower Languedoc w a Isaac Dubourdieu, pastor of the church of Montpeilier, and it was resolved that, "In pursuance of an order of the same Synod, Messieurs Guilton and Dubourdieu are sent to Saumur to pacify some differences between the members of that church and Messieurs Amyrant and D'Huission. -- The nobles of the Dubourdieu family intermarried with those of De Saumarez and De Lavalade; and it was while holding this high position that it experienced the first shock of the fearful tempest which burst with such violence in the year 1685. At that time a judgment given by the parliament of Thoulouse against Isaac Dubourdieu, the pastor of Montpellier, and his son, obliged him to fly from France and take refuge in London. There he became a minister, and preached with so much zeal and effect that an author^a writes of him:-- "Among them M. Dubourdieu, the father, holds a primary rank. You know that he was one of the best heads of our French Presbytery; what he was he was in Montpellier, that he is in London; wise, laborious, and entirely devoted to the refugee church, which he instructs by his frequent preaching, and still continues his exhortations though upward of ninety-five years of age." His declining years were cheered by the presence of his two sons, the elder of whom had lingered at Montpellier some months after his father's departure; and the danger to which he was exposed in so doing is thus mentioned in a letter from the Cardinal Archbishop Bonzi to the Duke de Noailles.^b -- "From Montpellier, the 23d of January, 1683. * * * In the stay which I have made here, I have pursued the projects known to yon to obtain conversions; I have discovered that Bordieu (Dubourdieu) the son, a minister here, has some connections and attachments here which will facilitate his conversion, if he can be made to fear either a distant banishment or an order to depart out of the kingdom. If you think proper to send me a 'lettre de cachet' for that purpose, I am in hopes that upon showing it to him he will be disposed to listen to proposals, and that eventually, by an offer of an appointment of Counsellor to the presidial court (of Montpellier) with which the King will gratify him, having secret agents, it will not be impossible to gain him. He has merit, and will be a good acquisition." Notwithstanding these attempts he succeeded in escaping to England, where he became rector of Sawtrey Maines, in Huntingdon, where he died in 1728, at the age of seventy-two. His brother, John, still remained in France, and he, together with the widow of Lord Bourdieu, and her infant son, were the only members of the elder branch who escaped after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Their subsequent history has already been been given; but the following particulars (since obtained) relating to that son, may be given to complete what is known respecting the family. He was the Rev. Jean Armand Dubourdieu, and his piety and ability were so much esteemed among his countrymen in London, that on all occasions of vacancies occurring in their churches, he was requested to select ministers for them. He was also so distinguished as an orator, that he was called on to preach before the Judges at the Summer Assizes of Chelmsford in 1714. Amongst his countrymen his benevolence was so well known that a refugee had only to come to him to find relief; in him his persecuted brethren had a warm advocate; and his faithfulness in the ministry was such that he did not hesitate to raise his voice against the corruption of the time. He did not fail to allude (though in a Christian-like manner) to the apostacy of one of the Saurin family. His gratitude for the kind reception given him by the English Protestants was sincere and lasting; and, though belonging to the French church, his appreciation of the English is manifest from the sentiment expressed in the following passage:^c -- "That this church, which hath hitherto been the bulwark and glory of the Reformation, and with which all the other churches abroad must stand or fall, may survive future ages, outlast this visible world, and never end but with commencing eternity!"

De Lavalade.

This family possessed large estates in Languedoc, the head of it having the title of Count de Lavalade. During the persecution of the Huguenots in France, they, like hundreds of their co-religionists, were tortured in the most cruel manner. Laval mentions the case of one lady of this family who, "having patiently suffered many exquisite pains, had at last her clothes turned up and was laid bare on a chafing-dish of coals!"^d -- So much did the various members of the Lavalade family become dispersed that we can now trace the history of only three, viz.; the widow of James Seigneur du Bourdieu of whom mention has been already made, and the Rev. Charles, and Mdl'e. de Lavalade: the two latter escaped into Holland, where they resided for many years under the protection of the Prince of Orange. Here M^dlle. de Lavalade married Alexander Crommelin, brother of Louis, the founder of the linen colony at Lisburn,^e who, when inviting over a number of his countrymen to settle in Ireland, selected M. de Lavalade as their pastor, and brought him with himself for that purpose. On his arrival in Lisburn, M. de Lavalade was installed in his new office, and held it for a period of upwards of forty years. He resided with his only daughter, Anne, who married Mr. George Russell in 1737.

Roche.

Louis Roché was another of the French refugees who settled in Lisburn at the same time as Louis Crommelin, (being induced through his connection with him,) and was an extensive merchant there. His family consisted of two daughters, Mary and Alice: the former married Val. Jones, jun., Esq., and their descendants are now among the first inhabitants of Belfast.^f The latter married Edward Masslin, Esq. These unions occurring in the same year appear to have been hastened by the declining health of their father, as he died immediately after, in the year 1726.

Geneste.

This family possessed large estates in Guienne, in France, at Agenois. The title held by the head of the family was Seigneur de Melromez, as stated in a MS. document entitled "Agreement to be made, 9th Nov., 1570, between Noble Gerard de Geneste, Signeur de Melromez, of the town of Sarlat, so much in his name as being husband to Marguerite Paraiziare, living in the seigniorial house of Melromez in Agenois;" as also in another entitled, "Declaration of lands and lordships of Melromez given to the King, 18th June, 1645, for the sake of his possessions in Guienne, to the Treasury of France, by Jacob de Geneste, Lord of Melromez, and for the possession of the three-fourths and the other one-fourth belonging to Gabriel de Geneste's father.^g Of the several members of this family, Louis alone adhered to the Reformed faith, thereby forfeiting his large estates at Beargues, about five or six leagues from Cajare, from which he took the name Louis Geneste Pelras de Cajare. After the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes he fled to Holland, and entered into the service of William, Prince of Orange, in whose army he held a commission, and whom he accompanied to England and thence to Ireland, where he served in the regiment of Lord Lifford at the battle of the Boyne and the other engagements of that time. After the pacification of Ireland he settled at Lisburn, where he resided for some years. In 1724 he went to the Isle of Man, and remained there for seven years; but again returned to Lisburn with his family, consisting of two sons and a daughter; namely, Louis, Daniel, and Marguerite, the grand-daughter of whom was married to Jean Baptiste Shannon, Esq., of Belfast, a lineal descendant of the celebrated Colbert. Louis Geneste was too far advanced in years to undertake a journey to his native land, but his feeling of affection for it was still strong, and he wrote to his younger brother (who had saved his life and property by recanting) to inform him of his son's intention of visiting France. This led to an affectionate correspondence between them, part of which is still extant. The letters from France are signed "Pelras." -- His eldest son settled in the Isle of Man, and although he made many efforts to proceed to France, for the purpose of inquiring respecting his property, he was unable to accomplish it. However, after the Decree of the National Assembly professing to restore their forfeited estates to Protestants, his son went to France to prefer his claim; but found many difficulties in the way. In June, 1792, he thus wrote to his family: -- "All matters relative to the fugitive Protestants are enveloped in darkness, and the clerks and persons attending at the different offices seem disinclined to draw aside the veil. Indeed it appears to me, as well as to my friends here, on making the needful inquiries at the offices, that it is their wish to suppress such information as would tend to throw light on the subject." Hoping, however, that he might be the means of "opening a door for the benefit of the heirs of Protestant refugees, which, by the chicanery of those vipers in office, has been closely barred up, and that in direct contradiction to the liberal terms of the Decree," he wrote to the President of the National Assembly, mentioning the difficulties he had met with at the different offices, and his inability to obtain the Table of Forfeited Estates, agreeably to the intention of the Decree, 19th Article. This letter was transmitted to the Minister of Justice, and he subsequently wrote to that official himself, and then waited on him, when he was received with politeness. The Minister apologised for the neglect of his predecessors in office in not obeying the Decree, and mentioned that he had given orders for printing the list of Forfeited Estates; but that this being a voluminous document it would require a fortnight to complete it: and, in the meantime, handed him a written order for access to the manuscript. By means of this he was able to ascertain the situation of his father's estates; and his anxiety to visit them was so great that he left Paris for Bordeaux before the expiration of the fortnight, with the assurance that the list would be forwarded to him. He had hardly reached Cajare when he was arrested on suspicion of being a spy, and it was not until after a minute inspection of his papers and letters of introduction that he was set at liberty. M. Pelras and his son, an Abbé, chanced to be present during the examination, and to his great surprise the latter accosted him thus:-- "We are your nearest relations. The late M. Pelras of Cajare was brother to my father, and, consequently the same to your grandfather, of whom I heard that he had left this country, as well as another brother." He dined with the Abbé and met several of his nearest connections. "After dinner," he continues, "the Abbé proposed going with me on the following day to Beargues, the ancient estate of the family, a moiety of which was in possession of his father, and mentioned that the remaining part of the paternal inheritance had been held by the late M. Pelras of Cajare, and, being sold by him, had passed through several different hands. The Abbé promised to procure at Beargues (as they could not be obtained elsewhere) every document I might require relating to the estate and family of my ancestors. I accordingly arranged to accompany him; but in the afternoon he excused himself, saying his attendance in his parish was indispensably necessary, and that he was sorry it so happened. I told him my time would not admit of any further delay, and that I must return the following morning to Figeac on my way back to Bordeaux." At last, finding all endeavours to procure further intelligence fruitless, he returned to England, and died there leaving many descendants, among whom we may particularize the names of Stowel and Geneste, well known to the Christian world.

De Blaquiére.

The estates of this family were situated in Guienne, and the title borne by the head of the family was that of Seigneur de Blaquiére. One individual settled in London, and became an eminent merchant; and his sons held a high position there. Another branch of the family was induced to settle in Lisburn, in consequence of the marriage of a M^dlle. de Blaquiére to John Crommelin, nephew to Louis.

Perrin.

Little more can be gleaned of the early history of the Perrin family than that they held large possessions in the fertile district of Nonére, in France. A few mutilated fragments of old French MS. papers are all that now remain among its representatives in Ireland, and these afford but scanty information. The following passage translated from one of these would seem to indicate that the MS. when complete had contained various interesting particulars. It commences thus:-- "In a sunny vale, not far from the banks of the Garonne, surrounded by swelling hills, the first steps of the great barrier between France and Spain, was situated a small and picturesque village. There was the residence of the Curé, there the village church, with its well-proportioned spire gracefully shooting towards the sky; while the residences of the villagers, clustering around, bore an appearance of neatness and comfort which, at the epoch we are speaking of, the traveller would have elsewhere vainly sought, for many a long mile through France. A little sparkling mountain stream danced gaily down the main street, if indeed the expanse between the two rows of cottages could be called by that name; and at the middle of its course deepened into a pool, beside which, from a broad stone pedestal, sprung a massive cross. It might be three o'clock, one Autumn day of the year 1725, that this pedestal was occupied by a man of striking and impressive appearance. Above a massive forehead waved long locks of silvery hair, the only covering it had; the form was large and well-proportioned; the deep chest and broad shoulders indicated one whose earlier powers must have been of no common order. He was speaking in grave, earnest, and, occasionally, impassioned tones, to a groupe of the villagers which was every moment increasing; and he again and again referred to a small volume which he held open in his hand, and from which he quoted long passages in a manner that showed he held its words in deep reverence. That volume was the Bible; the speaker was Délas the celebrated Huguenot preacher. On one of his missionary journeyings he had reached and spent some days in this remote district. Among the listeners was one whose wrapt and earnest attention was not less striking than his personal appearance. He was in the vigour of early manhood, of thirty years, or thereabout; his form stalwart, yet lithe and graceful; his black hair clustered under a small hunting-cap, which from time to time he reverently touched, when a name or a word uttered by the preacher claimed such an act of homage. His dress was that of an ordinary country gentleman of the age and place; the respectful bearing of the villagers towards him marked that his station was more exalted than theirs; while the air of proud affection with which, from time to time, some aged sire among them gazed upon him, showed that the relation between them was not the too common one of tyrant and slave. He was indeed the representative of a family whose boast had always been the love of their tenantry. Amongst all the traditions of the Comtes de Perrin scarce was there a murmur of ill-will or strife subsisting between them and their retainers; while many noble deeds of self-devotion on the one part are related from the time when all his band fell one by one around the prostrate corpse of the old crusading lord, which they unanimously refused to leave, as still recorded in the great tombstone dedicated to their memory, in the churchyard; and on the other part of uncalculating munificence, and of resolute resistance to every invasion of their rights by King, or Church, or neighbouring Seigneur. Everything bore witness to the unbroken traditionary love, handed down on both sides from sire to son as their most precious heir-loom. -- Yes, such was the station, such were the advantages, which to thy ardent soul, in its pursuit of truth, weighed but as dust in the balance, O! Louis Perrin, when, resigning rank and honours and wealth, thou wentest forth from thy ancestral home, and cheerfully became a penniless exile: amid the scorn of the worldling and the wonder of the careless, thou, and all thy house in thee, bade an eternal farewell to the land to whose glories they had contributed, and whose" * * * * * * [Here the manuscript becomes illegible]

It appears from some fragments of the Comte du Perrin's correspondence that many enticements were held out by the King to induce him to change his religion; but all without effect. An unrelenting persecution then commenced, to which he makes frequent allusion in his letters: one of his friends was sentenced to the galleys for three years. He at length contrived to escape from France, and settled in Lisburn for several years; subsequently removing to Waterford. His descendants have become honoured members of the Irish Bar. One of the family was long known as an excellent French teacher in Lisburn, and the author of a good grammar of that language.

To be continued...


[a] Apologie des Réfugiés, pp. 98, 100.

[b] Family Papers of De Noailles in the library of the Louvre, quoted in the "Bulletin de la Société de I'Histoire du Protestantisme Français. -- Tom. I., p. 114.

[c] Dubourdieu's Sermon, preached at the Chelmsford Assizes, in 1714, 

[d] Laval's History of the French Reformation, Appendix, p.7.

[e] See ante, vol. I., p.214.

[f] Bruces, Bristows, &c.

[g] "Registry of the confiscated estates of the Religious Fugitives," in the Rue de Clerü, near the Gros Cheret.

The above article is reproduced from the Ulster Journal of Archaeology, vol. 2, 1854.

The French Settlers in Ireland - No 2 (pt 2)

Families of the Settlers.

Almost the only record of the greater number of the names of the settlers is to be found on the tomb-stones in the church-yard, and in the Lisburn Parish Register, to which access was kindly permitted by the Dean of Ross. Many appear not to have long survived their change of country; others have left descendants in the neighbourhood till the present day; while in some families the names have become extinct by the marriage of the female branches, and the death or emigration of the males. The following particulars, after much inquiry, are all that could be obtained of the Family History of some members of the Colony.

Mangin.

Captain Paul Mangin was born at Berlin, whither his family had removed, on account of their religion, from Metz in Louvain, after a sojourn in Cologne. He was twice married; to Madeline Crommelin, (sister of Louis,) and again to Anne Henriette d'Onie de la Laude, a French Protestant of a noble house in Saintogne, in the west of France, from which place her father, with many others, emigrated in the reign of Louis XIV.

Captain Mangin settled in Lisburn, where he had three children, Alexander, Samuel Henry, and Harriette, who married Samuel, nephew of Louis Crommelin. He subsequently removed to Dublin; but did not lose sight of his relations in Lisburn, exerting himself for their advancement, as the following letter, (kindly sent to the writer by Sir Erasmus Burrows, Portarlington, Bart.,) proves:

"Dear Sir,

       I did myself the favour to write to you the 21st instant, in answer to yours of the 28th May. I hope that my letter will come safe to hand, and wish to have an opportunity to make amends for the trouble and cost of postage I put you at. This will acquaint you that I have a nephew named Alexander Crommelin, who served his apprenticeship to a surgeon in Lisburn, in the north of Ireland, and since has been at Edinburgh two years, attending the colleges and hospitals; he arrived from Scotland about four days ago, and was there all the time of the troubles, and attended the wounded. He is a sober youth, and has taken much pains during his time to perfect himself, as to surgery and physic. As he designs to enter as a surgeon in the army in time, he would fain begin by being surgeon's mate, which he would immediately purchase. I am thinking that he could not be better off than with you, if you wanted such; and would be glad he was to serve under you: if he can't have that happiness, I shall be much obliged to you to enquire for one in some other regiment, and to acquaint me how much is desired for it; the price of it is ready to be paid at sight. He was offered one when in Edinburgh, in Brigadr. Bleith's Regt., when the college was sitting, but at that time would not accept of it, till the college was up. It would give me great pleasure that I had the luck to succeed in my request to you for myself and nephew together, the answer of which I wait with impatience. Mrs. Mangin was to see Mrs. Pilot this day, who continues better, and has her love to you. My spouse and family have their compliments to you; Capt. Debrisay and his lady join in the same; they passed the afternoon with me yesterday.
                                                  I am to you with gratitude,
                                                       your most obedient,
Dublin 28th of June, 1746.                   humble servant,
  My compts. to Mrs. Jaspar,                      PAUL MANGIN.
                              (Indorsed.)  "To Doctr. Joshua Pilot,
In the Honble. Colnl. Battereau's Regt.
Inverness,
                     By Portpatrick, Scotland."

Dubourdieu.

The family of Dubourdieu are descended from the noble house of De Brius, Lords of Bourdieu, of which there were two branches. These were connected with the families of De Saumarez, and La Valade. At the time of the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, the elder branch remained firm in the Reformed faith; while the younger, in order to save their lives and property, recanted, and were received into the Roman Catholic church. Only two members of the elder branch escaped after the slaughter and dispersion of their family

1. The Rev. John De Bourdieu, who became chaplain to Duke Schomberg, and one of the ministers of the French church, in the Savoy, London. He accompanied Duke Schomberg to Ireland, and was by his side at the Battle of the Boyne; receiving him in his arms when he fell from his horse, mortally wounded. He afterwards proceeded with the son of Duke Schomberg to Turin, with whom he remained during the Italian campaign, and accompanied him into France, where he was present at the siege of Aubrun in Dauphinè. There he received the recantation of various French Protestants who had been forced to abjure their religion, and exhorted them, in several eloquent discourses, to continue firm in the faith. This event was brought about by a Proclamation of Duke Schomberg, announcing that his Majesty had no other intention in invading France, than to restore to the Protestants their ancient privileges, and grant protection to their clergy; also to procure the revival of the Edict of Nantes. On his return to Turin after the Italian campaign, he witnessed the religious honours paid to the "Martyrs of the Thebean Legion;" and, having convinced himself that the tradition concerning these saints was entirely fabulous, he wrote a work of great research and powerful argument to expose the imposture.[e] Whilst residing in that country his attention was forcibly drawn to the sufferings of the "Vaudois," which made such an impression on his mind that on his return to London, he induced Dr. Lloyd, the Bishop of St. Asaphs, to espouse their cause.

2. The widow of the Lord Bourdieu, daughter of the Count de la Valade. This lady, disguised as a peasant, with her infant son concealed in a shawl on her back, and accompanied by a faithful domestic, effected her escape through the frontier guards into German-Switzerland, and thence to London, where she was received by her relative. The child, called Jean Armand, was educated as a clergyman, and became minister of the Savoy, and Chaplain to the Duke of Richmond and Lenox. He married the Comtesse d' Espuage, and had one son, Saumarez. He attained great eminence in his profession, and was author of a volume of sermons, in the French language, much valued at the time.[f] He died in the midst of a useful career, at the early age of 40.

His son Saumarez was educated for a minister in Trinity College, Dublin, and, it is supposed, was brought to Lisburn through the influence of his relative the Rev. Charles de la Valade, the first French chaplain there. He was so much esteemed, that the Earl of Moira, (afterwards the celebrated Marquis of Hastings,) was entrusted to his care, and educated in his family. He married Miss Thompson, and had three sons, John, Shem, and Saumarez; and two daughters, Charlotte and Anna, who died unmarried. He continued for 45 years minister of the French church at Lisburn; and, as the congregation had decreased, (owing to deaths and intermarriages, and from many having joined the Established church,) he was made incumbent of Lambeg, having previously been acknowledged as a minister of the Church of England. He held this situation till his death, which took place at the advanced age of 96. He was beloved and respected by all classes, and his memory is yet revered by the descendants of the French, as well as by the old inhabitants of Lisburn.

His eldest son John, also became a minister, and was rector of Annahilt, in the county of Down. He devoted much attention to literary pursuits, and was author of "A Statistical Survey of the County Antrim," a work of considerable learning and research, published in 1812. He married Miss Sampson, and had five sons and four daughters: Saumarez, Arthur, John Armand, Francis, and George: his daughters were Selina, Catherine, Margaret, and Maria. He died at the age of 86.

His eldest son, Saumarez, entered the army, in the Royal Artillery, at an early age, and was in active service throughout the whole war, till he was killed at St. Sebastian, having attained the rank of captain. He was in command of the troops at the capture of Martinique, where a little incident of rather an interesting nature took place: the commanding officer of the French, in surrendering his sword to him, addressed him in these words: "My misfortune is the lighter, as I am conquered by a Dubourdieu, and a beloved relative -- my name is Dubourdieu." This individual is now Lord High Admiral of France, and is a descendant of the younger branch of the family before alluded to.

His second son, Arthur, also entered the army, and, having endured all the dangers and hardships inseparable from a life of constant active service, in which he ultimately attained the rank of colonel, died in consequence of wounds received at the storming of Badajoz.

His third son, John Armaud, obtained a situation in the Customs.

The fourth son, Francis, entered the Royal Hanoverian Engineers, obtained the rank of captain, and was honoured by the warm friendship of the Duke of Cambridge. He still survives.

The youngest son, George, joined the Patriots in South America, under Bolivar, and perished there.

Shem, second son of the Rev. S. Dubourdieu, settled in Longford, and married a Miss Brown; he had one son, Saumarez, who settled in Cookstown, and married a Miss Carmichael, who had eight children. After his death his family removed to Dublin.

Saumarez, the third son, died unmarried.

Goyer.

Peter Goyer was a native of Picardy, and an extensive farmer, as well as manufacturer of cambric and silk. After the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, having seen his family scattered, and his brother killed by the ruthless soldiers of Louis XIV, who added to their cruelty the mockery of tearing a leaf from his Bible, and forcing it into his mouth before he died, (the record of which transaction is still preserved in the family,) he escaped from France, and came to Lisburn, where he introduced his branches of manufacture; but, still cherishing the hope of regaining his lost property, he returned after some years, secretly to France. Here, finding his efforts fruitless, and being again persecuted and pursued, he found means to escape by concealing himself in a wine-cask, and was so shipped from Bourdeaux. Returning to Lisburn, he resumed his former occupations, and employed a number of hands in the manufacture of silk and cambric. The silk manufacture was carried on in Lisburn until the end of the last century, when the Rebellion dispersed the work-people: and it has not been re-established. The cambric manufacture, however, became finally fixed in Lurgan and its vicinity, and has arrived now at such perfection, that the cambric handkerchiefs made there compete successfully with those of France. He also acted as clerk in the French chapel, which post he held till his death, at an advanced age, leaving an unblemished reputation to his descendants, some of whom still reside at Lisburn.

Dupré.

Mark Henri Dupré escaped, after the Revocation, to the south of Ireland, and made his way to Dublin in 1690. At this time William III. held out special protection to the Refugees, of which he took advantage, and settled in Lisburn, where he carried on the trade of reed-making, being much encouraged and supported by Louis Crommelin. His descendants still remain in Belfast.

Bulmer.

Réné Bulmer and his wife fled from France, a short time before the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, and with some others similarly situated, established themselves in Lambeg. Bulmer resided in a house now called the Priory. It is said he helped to repair King William's carriage, when it broke down at Lambeg. It is of him the anecdote is related in a former number of this Journal, (p. 135.) He died, leaving a family who settled at Hill-Hall, and Lisburn, and was buried at Lambeg. The name is now changed to Boomer, and the Christian name Réné, or Rainey, is still preserved in the family.

[To be concluded in next Number of the Journal.]


ERRATUM, p. 215, 1. 21. -- For "Sergent de Chery, et Maitre des Regents, read, "Signeur de Chery, et Maitre dex Requétes.

[e] The work is written in English and is entitled -- "An Historical Dissertation upon the Thebean Legion, plainly proving it to be fabulous. -- By John Dubourdieu, M.A. Chaplain to his Grace the Duke of Schomberg and Leinster, and one of the Ministers of the French Church in the Savoy. -- London, printed for R. Bentley, in Russel Street, in Covent-Garden, 1696." -- It is dedicated to the Right Honourable My Lord Mouthermer, eldest son to the Right Honourable the Earl of Mountague, Master of the Wardrobe, and one of his Majesties most Honourable Privy Council.

[f] The title of this work, was "L'indigne Choix des Sichemites, on L'Apologue des Arbres et de l'Epine appliqué à la conjoncture présente en deux sermons sur Juges IX. 14, 15, où l'on fait voir que un Regne Papiste est incompatible avec la constitution de la Grande Bretagne. -- Par Jean Armand Dubourdieu, Ministre de la Savoye, et Chaplain du Duc de Richmond et de Lenox. -- "All that is dear to you must irrecoverably be lost if ever the designs of a Popish pretender bred up in principles of the most arbitrary government should take place." La Reine Anne dans la Harangue qu'elle fit en Parlement en 1708. -- A Londres, chez Thos. Eddin, Imprimeur et Libraire, aux Armes du Prince, vis-à-vis Exeter Exchange dans le Strand. 1733.

The above article is reproduced from the Ulster Journal of Archaeology, vol. 1, 1853.

The French Settlers in Ireland - No 2

The Huguenot Colony at Lisburn.

Having now traced the history of the Lisburn colony, and the causes which led to its foundation, and given the biography of its founders, it may not be uninteresting to glance at the state of the town itself, at the time when L. Crommelin chose it for the seat of his operations, as well as at the condition of the Linen Manufacture at that period.

Lisnegarvey [Lisburn] had, at this time, recovered from the siege of the Irish rebels, under Sir Phelim O'Neill,* and was almost in the same condition in which an English traveller described it about 45 years previously: "Linsley Garven, about 7 miles from Belfast, is well seated, but neither the town or the country thereabouts well planted, [inhabited,] being almost all woods and moorish, until you come to Dromore; the town belongs to Lord Conway, who hath a good handsome house there." There were not more than 100 tenements, besides the Castle, then remaining perfect:-- the town returned two members to the Irish Parliament; and was the residence of the Bishop of the United Diocese of Down and Connor, its church being the Cathedral of the Diocese.

A wooden bridge here crossed the river Lagan, and it was at the foot of this bridge, at the western side of Bridge-street, that Louis Crommelin built the first linen-factory; the old water course of which remained until the beginning of the present century. He also established a bleach-green at a place in the vicinity, now called Hilden; and, having obtained a Patent^a from King William, he commenced operations for the improvement of the Linen trade. This manufacture had made little progress in Ireland from the time of Lord Strafford, (in the reign of Charles I,) who was the first to adopt any measures for its encouragement, and who may therefore be considered its founder.

It is known that Linen was manufactured In Ireland from the earliest ages, and it is said by some to have been introduced, (with the spindle and loom,) by the Phoenicians; but, of course, in a comparatively imperfect state. Yet it was extensively used, and formed even, a considerable article of commerce, as is proved from an act of Henry VIII, and another restricting the higher orders from wearing an extravagant quantity of linen in their shirts. It was exported as early as the reign of Henry III: as we find mention made in Maddox's History of the Exchequer, of two thieves, who stole some Irish linen, amongst other goods, at Winchester, and fought about it. The Irish themselves used it largely in their garments, the long "Cota" being made of it: as Camden mentions that O'Neill and his followers were so clad when they visited Queen Elizabeth.

Nevertheless, Louis Crommelin was justified in the expressions he used in his publication,^b "that the people were entirely ignorant of the misteries relating to its manufacture." This he attributed "to the prejudices that prevail in the minds of the people, that the spinner's, the weaver's, and the bleacher's trades are such poor abject trades, all the world over, and particularly in Ireland, that it is impossible for men of a free, generous spirit, (such as the people of this kingdom must be allowed to be,) to conform themselves thereunto; they having no prospect of sufficient benefit or reward." The way in which the flax was prepared was very pernicious; "being managed by women altogether ignorant as to their choice of their seed or soil, for which reason their flax was and is too short, and unfit for making good yarn; they do not know when or how to pull their flax, whereby their seed degenerates, and their flax wants strength and substance. They have no judgement when or how to water or grass their flax, so as to give it a natural colour; and what is yet worse than all is, they constantly dry their flax by the fire, which makes it impossible to bleach cloth made of their yarns; for let all the skill and judgement of the world be used to bleach cloth made of different sorts of flax, you shall never bring it to a good colour: for, till such a time as it is woven, and so bleached, the best artist in nature cannot discover the mischief. They also use, in cleaning their flax, things which they call "breaks," which I can in no way approve of. They spin their long and short flax athwart, which is extremely preposterous, as the flax cannot be spun fine; so the linen is cottony. The wheels used in spinning are turned by the foot, and have two cords, one going round the wheel and the whirl of the spindle, the other going round the wheel and whirl of the spool, which overtwists the thread. Their manner of reeling yarn is one of the greatest grievances, as many honest, industrious men are undone by the deceitful methods now used by the crafty and unfair people in this particular; as, for instance, there is no standard for the measure of reels, and every body uses such reels as they think fit; for which reason a stranger to the markets is imposed upon to his ruin. The cuts and hanks are reeled by several threads, through laziness or wickedness to the utter ruin of the poor dealers, who think they buy yarn, and that they have good and marketable goods for their money; but, on the contrary, find that the whole hank ravels altogether, and becomes entirely unserviceable, or, at the best so troublesome to wind, that it is as eligible to lose it, as to spend so much time and pains as to wind it. They ought to mark each cut, or six score threads as they reel them, and not afterwards, as they now do; which they might do without difficulty. They do likewise intermix, in one and the same hank, yarn of several degrees of fineness, which is a cheat intolerable to the buyer. The looms generally employed in this kingdom for the making of all sorts of linen cloth, (excepting diaper and damask,) are looms properly disposed and invented for the making of woollen cloth, (save only that they changed the gear, and wrought, promiscuously, linen and woollen therein,) therefore it is impossible to use one and the same loom to both material, with good success."

Another obstacle he found in the reeds, which were uneven, and too thick. To improve this branch a reed-maker, called Dupré, who had escaped from France, was induced to settle in Lisburn. -- Also in the gears, which were too coarse for the fine yarn. -- Likewise in dressing the yarn in the loom, he says "they make a stuff of water and meal, without judgement, wherewith they stiffen their warp; and the cloth is made too thin and sleazy, and woven where the weather could affect it. (The finest woven at this time was what is technically called 14 hundreds.)

With respect to the mode of bleaching, Mr. Crommelin objected that, "The manner of mixing their ashes and yarn together in the keeve, at the same time that they buck their yarn, and purely through ignorance, or laziness, makes their yarn fret and cotton for ever. -- After having detailed his improvement, he says, "They who are disposed to erect one of these bleacheries, may with much greater satisfaction come and view one small bleachery at Lisburn, which may serve as a model, than bestow the time in reading an intricate description of what a bleachery consists."

Such was the state in which Louis Crommelin found the Linen Manufacture of Ireland, as these extracts from his Essay on the subject show, and that he succeeded in improving it may be seen from the extract below.^c In order to carry out his improvements, a Linen Board, was established by the Duke of Ormond, in October, 1711. In a petition to this Board L. Crommelin recounted all he had done, and requested a renewal of the Patent. The Board reported favourably.^d

To be continued...


* For an account of this siege by an eye witness see the present number of this Journal -- page 242. -- [EDIT]

[a] The following is the substance of the Patent. -- "In consequence of a proposal by Louis Crommelin to establish a Linen Manufacture in Ireland, and the design and method in said memorial being approved of by the Commissioners of Treasury and trade: the following grant was made. That £800 per annum be settled for ten years as interest on £10,000 advanced by said Louis Crommelin, for the making a bleaching yard, and holding a pressing house, and for weaving, cultivating, and pressing hemp and flax, and making provision of both to be sold ready prepared to the spinners at reasonable rate, and upon credit; providing all tools and utensils, looms, and spinning wheels, to be furnished at the several costs of persons employed by advances, to be paid by them in small payments as they are able; advancing sums of money necessary for the subsistence of such workmen and their families as shall come from abroad, and of such persons of that our kingdom, as shall apply themselves in families, to work in the manufactories: such sums to be advanced without interest, and to be repaid by degrees. That £200 per annum to be allowed to said Crommelin, during pleasure, for his pains and care in carrying on said work, and that £120 per annum be allowed for three assistants, together with a premium of £60 per annum, for the subsistence of a French Minister, and that letters patent be granted accordingly. -- Dated 14th February, 1699.

[b] An Essay towards the Improving of the Hempen andFlaxen Manufactures in the Kingdom of Ireland. By Louis Crommelin, Overseer of the Royal Linnen Manufacture of that kingdom. Dublin, 1705.

[c] Extract from the "Patriot" Newspaper, January, 1818. -- "History and Chronology more frequently record those events that tend to the glory, rather than to the prosperity, of nations. Thus in the various tables of remarkable occurrences the establishment of our great staple, the Linen Manufacture, is omitted. It was on the 13th of October, 1711, that his Grace the Duke of Ormond, having appointed trustees for the Linen Manufacture of Ireland, they were, by his grace's direction summoned to the Castle of Dublin, where the deed of their appointment was read to them. The individual who, in establishing the Linen Manufacture in Ireland, contributed so much to its prosperity, deserves to be memorized amongst our most illustrious countrymen, whether statesmen, legislators, or warriors. The name of this person, now so little known, was Louis Crommelin, who in a space of 14 years, with a colony of about 70 persons, brought from Holland to Lisburn, overcame many disabilities and obstacles, and settled the Linen Manufacture in the Northern Counties, by a vote of the Irish Parliament, on the 30th of October, 1707." 

[d] The humble petition of Louis Crommelin, Overseer of the Linen Manufacture.
          Humbly showeth
     That your petitioner was sent into this Kingdom by the late King William, therein to establish a Linen Manufacture, with his Royal word and promise, that he should receive a recompense, proportionable to the services he should render, which promise was a powerful motive for your petitioner to overcome all the difficulties and obstacles he has since met with, in the prosecution of his designs. That within these 14 years your petitioner hath (together with the colony of about 70 persons he brought into this country from France and Holland, now increased to the number of 120) applied himself with all possible care and diligence to the forming of a settlement, having spared neither his person, nor his and his friends' substance, to make it succeed; which, (by the Grace of God) he has accomplished, to the great satisfaction of this nation: insomuch, that the Parliament, being sensible thereof, did, by their vote of the 20th of November, 1703, recommend him to your Grace, as a person very fit and useful for establishing manufactures in this kingdom: and by a second vote of the 20th of October, 1707, that Louis Crommelin has been eminently useful to this Kingdom in promoting the Linen Manufacture thereof; that though the said manufacture be settled in the province of the North only, nay, but in three or four counties of the same, yet the kingdom reaps a great benefit by the quantities of linen and yarn which are every year exported out of it, as appears by the annexed abstract: and considering it was not possible for your petitioner to impart unto the whole nation the knowledge God has given him in the said manufactures, he did print and publish a compleat treatise of the said manufactures from their first origin to their perfection, dedicated to your Grace, which has proved of great use to the public and it is since the publication of the said treatise that the said manufactures have increased both in quantity and perfection.
     That the Parliament having appropriated a fund for the encouragement of the said manufacture, and the improvement of the same throughout the Kingdom, there are several sorts of linen cloths, of which few or none have yet been made, such as sail-cloth, cordage of the growth of the country, dowlas cloths for sheeting, and diapers made of hemp, which would prove of great advantage not only for the maintenance of the poor, who by their labour would get an honest livelihood, but also by the great exportation thereof out of the kingdom;-- as also the making of threads for sewing and bone lace, tape, &c., which the kingdom might be furnished with, and export abroad: and for the performing those things, your petitioner doth offer his services, and to take care of the several establishments which shall be erected here, if he may have, and it be thought necessary to join with him, four other persons of skill and experience, to go every circuit with the judges and to inspect all the settlements that now are, or shall hereafter be made, and give the necessary directions for carrying on the same with success, and also take an inspection of the persons established in every county, by Act of Parliament, for the culture and preparation, or dressing of Hemp and Flax, and the spinning schools, and to oblige them to do their duty: for although it has already cost £960 the first year, and will every year after cost £516, yet the same will not be of any use to the Kingdom for want of care in the execution of what they were obliged to do; and of the whole matter to give their Report to the Honourable the Trustees that are appointed for the purpose; to the end they may, being fully informed of all things twice a year, give their order and directions accordingly. Your petitioner does hope your Grace will honour him with your protection, and take into serious consideration the many services he has done to this Kingdom, the Royal promise given him of a recompense, and the recommendation of the Parliament, by granting him a pension of £500 per annum during pleasure, that he may subsist himself and family with honour, and continue his care in promoting the good of the Kingdom: for, having lost his only son who managed all his affairs, he will be under a necessity of either laying or continuing the same, and in such case it will be impossible for him to mind the public. That by the first Patent granted by the late King William, the whole sum of £800 was allowed your petitioner, for the settlement of himself and Colony, for ten years, over and above £380 per annum, for pension for your petitioner and his three assistants, and the Minister, during pleasure; which said Patent was not put in execution, but, instead thereof, after the said King William's death, the Honourable Trustees obtained a second from our Most Gracious Queen Anne, authorising them to dispose of the said sums of £800, and £380, both to your petitioner and his Colony, and the natives of the country; both which sums were limited for ten years, whereas, by the first, the pensions were granted during pleasure. So that your petitioner was reduced to £400, which was a great discouragement, and produced not three per cent interest, instead of eight per cent, they were to have, by the first Patent; but this, however, has done much good to the Kingdom by the several establishments made therein. And in regard the present Patent will determine the 24 day of June next, and that unless the same be renewed for a certain term of years, your petitioner and his Colony will be reduced to great extremities, and rendered incapable of continuing a settlement begun with so much difficulty, and brought to such perfection by the indefatigable endeavours of your petitioner and his said Colony, and that your petitioner is still ready to do all that in him lies for the benefit of this kingdom; 
     May it therefore please your Grace, in tender consideration of the premises, to grant unto your Petitioner and his said Colony, a renewal of the said Patent, for ten years to come, or such other term as your Grace shall think reasonable, and unto your Petitioner in particular, a pension of £500 per annum, as above mentioned, or as to your Grace shall seem meet, and your Petitioner shall ever pray. 
          (Signed)
                      LOUIS CROMMELIN.

The above article is reproduced from the Ulster Journal of Archaeology, vol. 1, 1853.

History of Lisburn (pt7)

SOME EXTRACTS

FROM THE

RECORDS OF

OLD LISBURN

AND THE

MANOR OF KILLULTAGH.

-- -- -- --

 Edited by JAMES CARSON.

-- -- -- --

CXXXXIV.

-- -- -- --

HISTORY OF LISBURN.

By W. J. GREENE.

(Continued.)

On January 16, 1899, under the County Councils Act, a new election of Commissioners took place, under the name of Urban Councillors. The gentlemen elected were:-- George H. Clarke. J.P.; John Ritchie, James E. Pelan, G. B. Wilkins, George Wilson, William Davis, Dr. St. George, John Morgan, James E. Sloan, Robert Rice, Robert Garrett, William Todd, Joseph M'Connell, James M'Keown and William Savage, J.P.

Urban Councillors in 1906:-- Alex. Patterson, Dr. St.George, James E. Sloan, Wm. Davis, Robert Pedlow, G. B. Wilkins, H. A. M. Barbour, James E. Pelan, G. H. Clarke, J.P.; Robert Griffith, W. J. M'Murray, Thomas Oliver, George Wilson, John G. Ferguson, James A. Hanna chairman.

Mr. G. B. Wilkins; Solicitor to the Board, Mr. Wellington Young; Town Clerk, Mr. Thomas M. Wilson, son of the late Mr. James Wilson, who held this position for some years prior to Mr. T. M. Wilson.

The sanitary officer in 1906, Dr. James G. Jefferson, and town surveyor. Mr. James Johnston. All the markets are most commodious, well-kept and well managed by the markets superintendent, Mr. Robert M'Creight, who is also school attendance inspector for the schools in the urban district, as well as being rate collector for the town.

The Handsome Courthouse

built by the generosity of Sir Richard Wallace, Bart, in the year 1883, at a cost of about £4,000, forms a most attractive sight on arrival in the town, and is the first object which meets the eye of visitors coming from the railway station. The facade has beautiful Corinthian pillars, and bears the Royal Arms on the pediment, while the Wallace Arms decorate the eastern end. About 1903 this, along with other buildings, was acquired by the Urban District Council from Sir John Murray Scott, Bart, the successor in title, and is now carefully attended to by the present owners.

Courts of quarter sessions and petty sessions are regularly held, also courts for the disposal of offenders against the towns improvement act.

The Magistrates for the district, some of whom usually preside at the petty sessions court and town court in 1906 were Thomas R. Stannus, Magheraleave; Thos. Dunlop Gibson, R.M., Portadown; J. Theodore Richardson, Lissue; James Crossin, Wellington Villas; George H. Clarke, Roseville; John Rogers, Eden-a-Grena, Belfast; E. J. Charley, Seymour Hill; Felix O'Hagan, Belfast; Hugh Mack, Dalboyne; William Savage, Maryville; M. B. Mackenzie, M.D., Seymour Street; W. R. M'Call, Whiteabbey; F. W. Capron, London; John Laird, Gobrana, Glenavy; Sir J. Murray Scott, Bart., London; W. H. H. Lyons, Sydenham; Charles Richardson, Newtownbreda; James M'Connell, Stranmillis, Belfast; John Dornan, Belfast.

Prior to the building of the present Courthouse the Petty Sessions for the district were held for a number of years in the Assembly Rooms after the old Courthouse in Castle Street had been pulled down, to make room for the Estate Office, now used as Urban District Council Offices. The clerk of Petty Sessions is Thomas J. English, who has held the position since April, 1882. The first Petty Sessions Court was held in the new Courthouse in April, 1884.

The present commodious and substantial Post Office in Railway Street was erected by the Government in 1896. In 1796 the postage from Dublin to Lisburn or Belfast was 5d., and in 1834 it appears to have risen to 9d.

The first mail coach commenced to ran from Dublin to Belfast and Cork in 1790. The introduction of mail coaches at that time not only greatly improved the system of the post office, but was attended with the greatest advantages to the general interests of Ireland. Previous to their introduction the state of the roads was such that it commonly took five to six days to perform the journey from Dublin to Lisburn, when the fare was 36s 3d inside, and half that sum outside.

Lisburn being situated on the direct route between the two principal cities of Ireland, the mail coach passed through Lisburn daily, stopping to change horses at the Hertford Arms, now the site occupied by the Northern Bank.

The Armagh coach stopped at the King's Arms, also in Market Square, owned then by Mr. George Moore.

In 1905 the new drainage works were inaugurated.

The town is also the possessor of two weekly newspapers -- the "Lisburn Standard," which was first initiated in 1876 by W. Johnston succeeded by Mr. J. E. Reilly, and is now owned by Victor M'Murray. The "Lisburn Herald " was started some years later by the present proprietor, Robert M'Mullan.

Lisburn returned a member to the Imperial Parliament up to the time of the Redistribution Act; after this it became merged in the South Antrim Division. William Ellison Macartney, Esq., represented this division for many years, but on being appointed Deputy-Master of the Mint, at the end of 1902, he was obliged to resign his seat. He was succeeded by Charles Curtis Craig Esq., the present member.

Among the families who have contributed and are contributing still to the commercial prosperity of Lisburn are the Barbours, Richardsons, Stewarts, Coulsons, and their representatives. Amongst those intimately connected with Lisburn the names of Nicholson, Stewart, Hart, Taylor, Betty, Monro, Crommelin, Wallace, Thompson, Higginson, and many others stand out prominently, and to none more than those, and the men who pioneered and developed the industries of "Ye Towne of Lisnagarvey," do the well-known words of the poet more aptly apply --

     Lives of great men all remind us
          We can make our lives sublime,
     And departing leave behind us
         Footprints on the sands of time.

In 1914 the Urban Council purchased the Castle, built by Sir Richard Wallace in Castle Street in 1880, at a cost of £2,000, and established therein a Technical School. This understating has proved an unqualified success. First committee -- Thomas Sinclair, chairman; James Carson, vice-chairman; Harold Barbour, J. B. Campbell, Edward Donaghy, Fredk. Duncan, Robert Griffith, James A. Hanna, Wm. M'Ilroy, W. J. M'Murray, James M'Nally.

1919.

Magistrates -- Alan Bell, R.M.; G. H. Clarke, Roseville; J. Crossin, Lisburn; E. J. Charley, Seymour Hill, J. Doran, Dunmurry; Wm. M. Whitaker, K.C., Dublin; F. W. Capron, London; W. R. M'Call, Belfast; W. H. H. Lyons, Belfast; Felix O'Hagan, Belfast; Jas. M'Connell, Belfast; Robt. Griffith, Hugh G. Larmor, Belsize Road; J. Milne Barbour, D.L., Conway, Dunmurry; J. L. Rentoul, M.D.; William Ritchie, W. J. Frazer, Lisburn; Wm. M'Ilroy, Hilden Cottage; Edward Donaghy, jun.; W. J. M'Murray, E. V. Taylor, Thomas Sinclair, J. M'Gonnell.

Clerk of Petty Sessions -- T. J. English.

Urban District Council -- Messrs. Robt. Griffith, J.P.; Geo. H. Clarke, J.P.; W. J. M'Murray, J.P.; H. M. Barbour, James M'Nally, Alexander Patterson, Thomas Sinclair J.P.; George StGeorge, C. V. Bolton, Wm. Davis, J.P. (chairman); Jas. A. Hanna, James E. Pelan, Charles Scott, and John G. Ferguson.

Town Solicitor -- Wellington Young.
Town Surveyor -- James Shortt.
Town Clerk -- Thomas M. Wilson.
Medical Officer -- D. C. Campbell, M.D,
Manager, Gas Works -- A. S. Brook.
War Pensions Committee -- Jas. Carson, chairman.
Stationmaster -- John Allister.
Postmaster -- J. Shanks.
Technical School -- Cecil Webb, Principal.
Rate Collector -- R. M'Creight.

(This article was originally published in the Lisburn Standard on 1 August 1919 as part of a series which ran in that paper each week for several years. The text along with other extracts can be found on my website Eddies Extracts.)