Notes for: Francis Bridon
SUMMARY: Based on the available records and some educated interpetation of them, I estimate that Francis Bridon, Sr. was born between 1622-1627 in or near the village of Soubise in the old province of Saintonge, France. He and his family fled to England in 1681 as persecution of Protestants was becoming really harsh in his area of France. He seems to have been a very rich man in France and gave up a fortune to flee his native country because of his faith. After his son was released from prison in France in 1698, they seem to have quickly made their way to America where they eventually began living on Staten Island, New York. He died in late 1703 or early 1704 on Staten Island, his wife having preceded him in death. He left three married children in America.
Now here are some more details and other possible interpretations of the information related to his life.
He supposedly came from Port-des-Barques across from l'ile d'Oleron (Baird just says "National Archives" as his reference). This is at the mouth of the Charente River next to Saint-Nazaire-sur-Charente, France. He, his wife, and two children left there in 1681 leaving behind a fortune valued at 800 pounds (Baird). Other sources say 2300 pounds or even as high as 6000 pounds. He, his wife Susanna, their son Francis Jr., and their servant, Elias Vallet, were naturalized in England on March 21, 1682 (Baird's History of the Huguenots).
His son, Francis, returned to Port des Barques for property in 1684 (Baird). This is also mentioned in the Soubize records that he returned (TT Series, No. 267, Dossier 17, page 1105). It was his son Francis who was a church elder in the French church of Boston from 1696-1705 (Source?). Baird, v. 2, p. 15, may say the father was the Elder. It doesn't seem clear to me who it was but we think Francis Bridon, Jr.
His will of November 7, 1703 lists his daughter Hester Bedine, son Francis, and daughter Susanna Russhea (Wills, Surrogate's Office, NY VI, 88; VII, 127). So his wife must have been deceased by this time.
There is more information we found on both Francis Bridon, Sr. and Jr. in TT Series No. 267, Dossier 17 (pages 1104-1106 on microfilm reel #2). That says the following about these two men:
28 François Bridon lesné [i.e., l'aîné] Est Revenue Et a lessé [i.e., laissé] Sa famille En angleterre.
Translation: "Francis Bridon, Sr. has returned and has left his family in England." A knowledgeable woman at the archives told me that he must have come back to Soubize after having fled previously to England. He must have had to return to take care of personal property and land. He was well off and probably had risked coming back to try and sell off his property and land. Dr. Charles Baird does say in his book on Huguenot emigration to America (v. 2, p. 15) that Francis Bridon, Sr. did flee from Port-des-Barques in 1681 leaving property valued at 800 pounds (a fortune back then and other sources even say 6000 pounds). Baird says there is a reference to this in the National Archives, but he does not give a specific reference.
33-34 François Bridon le jeune estant de retour s’en est encore retourné et lesse [either "et lesse" or "delesse"] sa femme en france.
Note: I have asked several expert French researchers to read the line above and have gotten varying responses. What I have now seems to be the consensus.
Translation: "Francis Bodine, Jr. having come back, has returned again, leaving [maybe abandoning] his wife in France." I'm guessing this might mean that maybe after coming back to France with his father (mentioned in Line 28 above) he then returned to England without his wife for some reason. Maybe he went back with some money from the sale of his father's properties and goods. Just a guess, though. Don't base anything on my guess. I'm also not sure why his wife would have stayed back in France. Maybe she "recanted" and returned to Catholicism. Dr. Charles W. Baird, in his History of the Huguenot Emigration to America (v. 2, p. 15), does say that Francois Bridon, Jr., while the Bridon family was still in England, went back in 1684 to Port-des-Barques, perhaps hoping to recover some of the property left their at the time of their flight to England. Word was sent to Paris of his return. Then in a footnote Baird quotes some French from an unstated record in the National Archives saying, "Francois Bridon, le jeune, est de retour en 1684, sa famille en Angleterre, et parle de s'en retour." This must be the word sent to Paris Baird was talking about. It means Francis Bridon, Jr., was back in 1684, his family in England, and he speaks of going back."
I found the following on WorldConnect:
New York City Wills, Vol. 1, Orem, UT: Ancestry, Inc., 1998:
Page 168.?FRANCIS BRETON. In the name of God, Amen, the seventh day of November, 1703. I, Francis Breton, of Staten Island, being very sick, do make this my last will. I leave to my son, Francis Breton, one shilling, for his portion of my estate. I leave to my daughter, Susannah Russkea, one bed and one cow. To my daughter, Hester Bedine, ??80, and I make her sole executor.
Witnesses, William Tillyer, De Bonrepos, Andre Canon. Proved before Lord Cornbury, May 12, 1704.
* * *
Page 385.?Inventory of estate of FRANCIS BREDON. Taken by Hester Bodine, executrix, May 22, 1704. Total amount, ??19.15s.
Ronny Bodine also sent me all the following. I believe it is from November 1686. Note that St. Nazaire is a called a Consistoire in the record below. So it could include more than one town. Since Port-des-Barques was very small, I wonder if it had its own Catholic Church. Maybe not. It was right next to Saint-Nazaire-sur-Charente and maybe was grouped in that Consistoire. I'm just guessing, though, since Baird above seems to have found some record that says Francis Bridon lived in Port-des-Barques.
Ronny O. Bodine 15 July 2013
This is a transcription from a handwritten ledger on deposit with the French National Archives in Paris. It lists Francis Bridon as a fugitive from St. Nazaire.
ARCHIVES NATIONALES, PARIS, FRANCE
SERIE TT 232
TT 232: 19 (5)
Extrait de l'Etat de liquidation des biens délaissées par ceux de la R. P. R. de la Rochelle et pays d'Aunis, Marenne, Oleron, et autres lieux qui ont abandonné le Royaume, contenant les noms desdits fugitifs, l'estimation des biens qu'ils ont délaisses; la déduction a suivi sur iceux à cause des charges et oppositions; ce qui reste du prix desdits biens, déduction faite des charges et oppositions, et l'excédent desdits charges, sur les biens de partie desdits fugitifs.
Noms des fugitifs
...St. Nazaire
François et autre François Bridon
Estimation des biens délaisses: 2.300 £
Déductions à faire sur lesdits biens à cause
des charges et oppositions faites sur iceux --
Reste du prix desdits biens déduc/n faite
Des charges et oppositions 2.300 £
Excédent des charges sur les biens de --
Partie desdits fugitifs
TT232: 19 (17)
Etat des Prix des Baux faits des Biens de ceux qui se sont absentés du Royaume dans l'etendu du département d'Aulnis
(p. 878) 3 April 1686 - François Bridon,
Prix des baux: 106 £
Reste à payer des termes échues: 106 £
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Please note: This is somewhat of a loose translation.
Extract state liquidation of property abandoned by those of Rochelle and country of Aunis, Marenne, Oleron, and other places that have abandoned the kingdom, containing the names of such fugitives, the valuation of the property they neglected, following the deduction of circumscriptions because of expenses and oppositions, which is the price of the property, net of charges and opposition, and the excess of such expenses, the property portion of said fugitive.
Names of fugitives
...St. Nazaire
François and another François Bridon
Estimate of abandoned property 2.300 £
Deductions to do on such goods because
of charges and objections made ??on circumscriptions ---
Rest of the price of those goods Deduc / n
of expenses and oppositions 2.300 £
Surplus charges on goods ---
portion of said fugitive
Status of the price of the Leases facts of the property of those who were absent of the Kingdom in the extended the department of Aulnis
(p. 878) 3 April 1686 - François Bridon,
Price of leases: 106 £
Rest of overdue payment terms: 106 £
*****End of information from Ronny Bodine.
Here is some more information from part of a document Ronny sent me along with some of my own notes:
François Bridon was born perhaps 1635-40 in the former French province of Saintonge located on the west central Atlantic coast. There is no record that provides an indicator of his age and so one must guess that since his daughter Esther was already married in 1681 and may have been born about 1660, that her father may have been born 20-25 years before, thus 1635-1640.
Note from Dave Bodine: We do have another clue from the Notes on his son Francis Bridon, Jr. about when Francis Bridon, Sr. might have been born. The only date with a source in all this we can go from is that the arrest records for Francis Bridon, Jr. say he was born "about 1652." That may or may not be true, but if we take it at face value, then his father would more likely have been born 25 to even 30 years before that, so around 1622-1627. And I would imagine with that date that Francis Bridon, Jr. might have been the first born child, but that is just a guess. I would guess Francis Bridon Sr.'s wife would have thus been born 1627-1632 since the wife in those times was usually younger than the husband.]
Charles W. Baird writing in his Huguenot Emigration to America, citing unspecified documents in the French National Archives, states Port des Barques, near the mouth of the Charente, in the old French province of Saintonge, was the home of Francis Bridon and that he escaped to England in 1681 with his wife, two children and servants, leaving behind property valued at 800 Livres [New York: Dodd, Meade & Co., 1885, reissued Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1973, ii, 15.].
However, a ledger of Protestant fugitives and the value of their property shows François Bridon as being from St. Nazaire with property valued at £2,300. Baird notes Port des Barques was a starting point for Huguenot fugitives to England [Archives National, Paris. Series TT 232: 19 (5). Extract of State Liquidation of Property. Baird notes St. Nazaire had 1400 souls about this time.].
Note from Dave Bodine: There are several Saint-Nazaire names in France, but there is one right in between Port-des-Barques and Soubise called Saint-Nazaire-sur-Charente which has to be the one discussed. The ledger is in TT 232, Dossier 19 which is about the historical province of Aunis. That only involves towns and cities near La Rochelle. Saint-Nazaire is also mentioned in a French National Archives file on Soubise (TT 267, Dossier #18).
A document entitled "List of those who gave gone from the Kingdom of France to foreign Realms to take refuge under the domination of other prince than our Invincible Monarch the year 1681 to present day 20 March 1685 of the principality of Soubise making profession of the alledgedly reformed religion" [TT 276 Protestant Affairs and Property] includes among its numbered listing:
No. 28 François Bridon lesné est revenu et a lessé sa famille en Angleterre i.e. François Bridon the elder came back and left his family in England.
No. 33 François Bridon cejeune etant deretour par Est Pu___ ____ une lesse sa femme Enfrance. i.e. François Bridon the younger being back.......left his wife in France.
No. 40 Jean Bodin et Lafamille i.e. Jean Bodin and his family.
The financial aid records of the Threadneedle Street Church in London note the assistance first given to Francis Bridon, husbandman, with wife, 7-year old daughter and 16-year old son, as well as two servants, Joanna Bouquet and Peter Mounier, on 23 Sept 1681, and that "He left £6000 in france." Further payments were made through 14 Dec 1681 [Hands, A. P. and Irene Scouloudi, French Protestant Refugees Relieved Through the Threadneedle Street Church, London, 1681-1687, Huguenot Society of London Quarto Series, xlix, London, 1971, p. 46.].. The stated sum of £6000 was a fortune for that time, worth $1.46 million in today's currency [Historical Conversion of Currency, on-line at ].
Note from Dave Bodine: The above actually seems to refer to two Francis Bridons in the Threadneedle Street Church. See more details after this set of notes.
One single reference may be found of François Bridon in the baptismal, marriage and burial records of the Threadneedle Street Church. This occured on 4 Dec 1681 when he appeared as a witness, with Jeanne Bouquet (his servant, as noted in the financial records) and the wife of Francois Gotie on the occasion of the baptism of Isabele, daughter of Mathurin Alart and his wife Elizabeth Gindeay [Publications of the Huguenot Society of London, ix, 246.].
Note from Dave Bodine: The Frances Bridon above is probably the other Francis Bridon at Threadneedle and not Francs Bridon, Sr.
On 14 Oct 1681, Francis Bridon, his wife Susanna, son Francis, Jr., daughter Esther and her husband, Jean Bodin, and his servant Elias Valet, were naturalized in London [Letters of Denization and Acts of Naturalization for Aliens in England and Ireland, 1603-1700, The Huguenot Society of London, xix: London, 1911, 128-9.].
Having left a fortune behind in France, the Bridons decided to return and dispose of the property to finance their future in a more hospitable environment. Age likely precluded Francis the father from this endeavor, so it was Francis the younger who chose to undertake this dangerous journey. Whether coming or going, is unclear, but it is recorded that on 4 Dec 1685 Francois Bridon of Rochefort or Soubise in Saintonge was taken with his boat and condemned to the galleys by the Magistrate of Calais on 3 Dec 1686 [Haag, Eugene et Emile. La France Protestante. Deuxieme Edition, Tome Sixieme, Paris, 1888, p. 239.].
Note from Dave Bodine about the above and what comes below: I think both I and Ronny now agree that it was Francis Bridon, Jr. who was the galley slave. His elderly father could not have survived a brutal 12 years in such harsh conditions.
When King Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes in 1685, French Huguenots left the country in droves over the next several decades, estimates ranging from 50,000 to 400,000. Although some were of the nobility, it was the artisan or industrial class whose absence had the greatest impact. Leaving France without permission from the King was a crime. And being sent to the galleys for attempting to escape was common at this time. In June 1686, 600 Protestants were serving in the French galleys [McCloy, Shelby T., Persecution of the Huguenots in the 18th Century, p. 57-58.].
The matter of Francis Bridon's capture by the French was brought to the attention of the English authorities. A sworn deposition was read in Council that some witnesses saw a French man of war seize 3 vessels, the property of 3 French Protestant men from Rye, one of which belonged to Francis Bridon, and were taken to Calais or Dunkirk. It was noted that all three men were naturalized English subjects [Clark, Ruth. Sir William Trumbull in Paris 1685-1686. Cambridge, 1938, p. 54.].
Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland, principal Secretary of State and Lord President of the Privy Council addressed the matter with Paul Barillon d'Amoncourt, Marquis de Branges, French Ambassador to England. In response, the Marquis claimed the three men were not taken in English waters, but even had they been, the men were set free at Dunkirk. He suggested one of the boats may have then fallen into the hands of his Most Majesty's Christian Officers and he would no longer write to France on the matter. And so, Francois Bridon was sent off to the galleys along with anyone else in his boat. Bevil Skelton, envoy-extraordinary to France wrote to Lord Sunderland on 29 Jan 1687 that he was informed King Louis "cannot allow that his Subjects can by virtue of any Naturalization throw of his Government and become the Subjects of any other Prince unlesse he first consents to it." [Clark, p. 105.]
Francis Bridon Jr. served a 12-year sentence as a galley slave and was released at Saint-Malo in Brittany on 13 June 1698 [Haag, p. 239. Cites only the year 1698. The Desert Museum in Mialet, France which maintains a register of more than 2,700 "Galley slaves for the faith" records an exact date for his release, 13 June 1698. The register is accessible on-line at www.museedudesert.com/article5777.html]. It is likely he then made his way back to England to rejoin his family and together the Bridons and Bodins secured passage on a ship for America. It seems unlikely that his family would have left him behind and journeyed to America without him and is supported by the fact that they were still in England in June 1696 when Jean Bodin's daughter, Mary Ann, was baptized at Rye, co. Sussex [Rye Parish Register of Baptisms, Burials and Marriages, 1682-1727, p. 15. 12 June 1696 Mary Ann, daughter of John Bodin & Hester, his wife, French Protestants]. The earliest record of Jean Bodin, his brother-in-law, in America is when Jean, then living in Middlesex County, East Jersey, bought 80 acres of land on Staten Island on 19 June 1701 [Richmond County, New York Deed Book B, p. 402.].
It is not known when Francis Bridon came to America, but he surely must have done so in the company of the Bodins and if so, arrived there by 1700, eventually settling on Staten Island. His will of 7 Nov 1703, in which he is called Francis Breton, of Staten Island, was proved 12 May 1704. Therein he distibuted his estate among his three children, Francis Breton, Susannah Russkea and Hester Bedine. Hester received the bulk of the estate and was appointed sole executrix [New York Will Book 7, p. 168.]. His wife, Susanna, was not named and must be presumed to have died before. Daughter Hester Bodine submitted an inventory of her father's estate on 22 May 1704 [New York Will Book 6, p. 88.].
**********
Ronny also sent me the following. Everything below after this paragraph is in his words. Note that there is a Francis Bridon (a) and a Francis Bridon (b). These seem to be two different Francis Bridons from the records, but Ronny does wonder if they are one and the same person. I would think they are two separate Francis Bridons and the second could even be the "other Francis Bridon" mentioned much further above in these Notes about extracts from the state liquidation of property abandoned by those of Rochelle and country of Aunis, Marenne, Oleron, etc.
I studied the two entries for Francis Bridon and that for Jean Bodin from the Threadneedle Street Church and recopied them for easier reading.
BODIN, Jean, farrier, anchor smith, smith (mareschal d'ancres) with w., from Soubize, 1681.
21/23 Sep. 8/--
21/28 Sep. 7/6
5/7 Oct. 5/-
12/14 Oct. 5/-
4 further grants, last being on 30 Nov. 4/-
8 grants in all.
TOTAL £.2.3.6 (A,B)
1681, 14 Oct. L.P.D. for Jean Bodin and w., Ester. (D)
1681, 5 Nov., tem. Vouched for by Mr. Lortie (E)
BRIDON, Francis (a), husbandman, with w., 2 chn., and 2 servants. 'He left £6,000 in France.'
1681.
--Sep. £1.5.0
5/7 Oct., to him, w. and 2 chn., 12/6.
12/14/Oct., to him, w. and 3 [sic] chn and a servant, 15/-
19/20 Oct., to him, w. and 3 [sic] chn., 10/-
Three further grants to him, w. and 2 chn.
30 Nov. last grant 4/-.
8 grants in all.
TOTAL £.5.5.0 (A,B)
1681, 14 Oct., L.P.D. for Francis Bridon, Suzanna his w., Francis his s. and Elias Vallet his servant. (D)
1681, 5 Nov., tem. of F.B. 'et son fils' [i.e. 'and his son'] vouched for by M. Lortie (E). Does this refer to F. Bridon (a) or (b)?
Note from Dave Bodine on the above: My thoughts are that this is Francis Bridon, Sr. and Jr. We see that Francis Bridon, Jr. does not have a wife mentioned which would correspond with other information that he had left his wife in France. She must not have wanted to flee France. Francis Bridon Sr.'s daughter Suzanne would be the other "child" mentioned although I assume she would have been in her 20s or older. The Francis Bridon mentioned below is some other Francis Bridon since he does have a wife mentioned and two younger children ages 7 and 16. I'm sure he was related to the Francis Bridon above, but we don't know how. He might even be the "other Francis Bridon" mentioned in some French records in his father's Notes.
BRIDON, Francis (b), husbandman (laboreur) [i.e. small tenant farmer] 1681 14/16 Sept., from Soubise Thursday last, with w., dau. 7, s. 16, and 2 servants, Joanna Bouquet 20, and Peter Mounier.
20/23 Sept, grant of £.1.
In the following 5 grants of varying amounts, up to 20/27 Oct., the two servants are not mentioned.
On 2/3 Nov., when only 1 servant is entered, 6/- was given
30 Nov. stated 'Il est malade et sa femme aussi' 10/- [i.e. 'He is sick and his wife too']
14 Dec. last grant 6/-.
12 grants in all.
TOTAL £.7.15.0 (A,B)
As you can see, Jean Bodin and wife arrived in September 1681 from Soubize as did both Francis Bridons of which one was specifically noted as also being from Soubize. But both are married and both have two children. I wonder now if they are the same person. I looked up the term husbandman and was surprised it meant a small tenant farmer, one step below yeoman in the social scale.
The reference to L.P.D. is for Letters-Patent Denization. When they were naturalized the entries in the Council Calendars read, all on the same day:
Francis Bridon, Jane-Susan, wife, Francis son, Elias Valet, servant. [Where was daughter Susannah? And if Francis Jr. was married, where is his wife? And where are his 2 children? This seems to point more to the two Francis Bridons being the same.]
John Boudin, Esther, wife.
And I noted for the first time:
Peter Tillon, Anne, wife, Susan, Francis, and John, children, Magdalene Bouquet, cousin.
In her will of 1724, Susannah Bridon, widow of Francis Jr., names among others Peter Tillon, his wife Anne, and their three children Susan, Francis and John.
***End of these last notes from Ronny Bodine.