Subject: Purrysburg From: Steven J. Coker Date: September 15, 1998 The Huguenots of Colonial South Carolina By Arthur Henry Hirsch, Ph.D. 1928, Duke University Press reprinted 1962 by Archon Books (pp 28-33) Purrysburg A portion of the population of South Carolina, often counted among the Huguenots, were Frenchmen, but inhabitants or natives of Switzerland.[68] Pursued by their oppressors, both after the massacre of St. Bartholomew's and after the repeal of the Edict of Nantes, many had fled from France into the mountains of Switzerland, not far from their estates, which they had temporarily lost and to which they could easily return and claim in case the opportunity should be offered.[69] Emigration to Switzerland continued until far into the eighteenth century. It is estimated that 60,000 French Protestants found refuge in Switzerland. With many thousands of Swiss colonists emigrating to North America during the eighteenth century, directing their course chiefly to Pennsylvania and Carolina, came a sprinkling of French Protestant refugees. Two colonies were established in Carolina under Swiss leadership, one in New Bern, North Carolina, in 1710, the other at Purrysburg, South Carolina, in 1732. The latter is of special interest to us in this chapter. Among the refugees of this group who went to South Carolina, during the early years of its history were, for example, the families of Laurens, De la Bastie, Gautier (Cottier),[70] May, Leher, Jean François Gignilliat, Pierre Robert, Honore Michaud, Jean Pierre Pele, etc.,[71] but much larger numbers went under the alluring and oft repeated solicitation of Jean Peter Purry, of Neufchatel, Switzerland, formerly Director General of the French East India Company, advertiser and solicitor.[72] The provincial government was fearing the results of a great increase of negro population and was adding greater inducements for settling Carolina in order to counteract the effect of the great number of blacks. In June, 1724,[73] he began his attempts to convince the British authorities that he could transport 600 French and Swiss to Carolina, providing he were offered proper inducements for making the attempt. He asked for "four leagues square of land"[74] located according to his own choice, that he be constituted a colonel and a judge with power to nominate his own officers, and that the emigrants, after being transported to Carolina free of charge by his Majesty, should be regarded there on "the same and equal basis" with Englishmen and that they be organized into a military regiment, whose officers should have brevets from the King of England.[75] The British Government, in 1725, made a contract with Purry in which the former agreed to give passage to 1,200 persons from England to Carolina, 600 of whom were to be transported that autumn, and to grant Purry 24,000 acres of land in the province.[76] The 600 persons, however, after four years, should be required to pay annually a revenue of £300 sterling to the proprietors. This project became a "speculation bubble". The British government, after a large number of people had waited at Neufchatel for nearly a month for means of transportation to England, failed to carry out its part of the contract. Vernett, one of the adventurers, disappeared for want of sufficient money to take the people on the journey and Purry absconded to avoid the fury of the people, who had neither food nor shelter, nor money to buy either.[77] Hean Watt wrote on October 31, 1726: "So many people offered themselves on the sight of the vessel, prepared, that I am persuaded if one had money, above 600 volunteers might have been procured."[78] There was evidently considerable disturbance and possibly riot, for four days later he wrote that the magistrate of the city had quelled the tumult by "giving them each 75 'bats' their own country". A band of about forty went to England by way of Holland, not daring to face the reproaches of their friends at home. They were led by Mme. Vallet, who took her four children, aged six to twelve, with her. Mme. Vallet and a few of her company succeeded in making only a part of the journey. Out of this scattered and numerous host of six hundred persons, twenty-four finally reached Charles Town, arriving there December 6, 1726, after a six weeks' voyage.[79] Defeated in this first undertaking, Mr. Purry waited nearly four years before making another attempt, though meanwhile carrying on his publicity. In 1730 he went again to South Carolina to look over the available territory.[80] He wrote and published a glowing account of the province and then returned to England. In perusing the pamphlet now, one is led to wonder that the statements it contains could have been taken seriously by anyone. Many of the arguments it presents are illusory and chimerical. Nevertheless, it had the desired effect of inducing a good many disheartened foreigners to go to South Carolina.[81] Purry agreed with the English authorities in return for 12,000 acres of land to transport six hundred emigrants to South Carolina within six years at their own expense. A £6 bonus for each effective person brought over was promised him by the South Carolina legislature.[82] In 1731, one hundred and fifty colonists were brought over.[83] In addition to other perquisites obtained in America, Mr. Purry received from the British government £4 sterling for each effective person he brought.[84] The assembly appropriated £5,150 for expenses occasioned by Mr. Purry's trip and the laying out of the new township. In 1732 the town of Purrysburg was laid out. It contained 400 acres on the Savannah River. Besides, 300 acres were set aside for a church and cemetery and 100 acres for a common and a glebe.[85] In a company of 260 that came in 1734, 40 were persecuted and poverty stricken refugees who had temporarily settled in the Piedmont.[86] A collection was taken for them in England, which netted them enough for the purchase of tools, provisions, and cattle on their arrival in South Carolina. Their names are not extant, but the names of those who arrived on the 22nd and 23rd of December, 1732, are preserved, as well as the age of each.[87] On March 12, 1732-3, Colonel Purry made affidavit in the court house at Charles Town, that he had brought the following consignments of French and Swiss to Charles Town.[88] November 1, 1732, in the ship Peter and James, 61 men, women and children. December 13, 1732, in the ship Shoreham, 42 men, women and children. December 15, 1732, in the ship Purryburg, 49 men, women and children. To this list should be added 150 who arrived in 1731 and 260 who reached Charles Town in 1734.[89] At least 87 were French.[90] Mr. Purry died about 1738-39 leaving an estate of personal property valued at about £3,600, in addition to his land holdings.[91] His youngest son who died in Lisbon in 1786 left an immense fortune valued at £800,000 sterling. During his lifetime the latter presented to his native city, Neufchatel, a gift of £50,000 sterling for the erection of a state-house and a hospital. In recognition of the gift he was honored with the title of Baron, by the King of Prussia. In his will he bequeathed £140,000 sterling to his native city.[92] In 1764, as we shall see, Granville County Frenchmen secured their final additions of countrymen, prior to the American Revolution, by the arrival of thirty-one French Protestants. This was a section of a larger company of about 370 French refugees, who went to South Carolina with the intention of settling in Hillsboro Township, but who separated from the rest in a quarrel. Thereby they lost the protection of the provincial government and the promised bounty.[93] Forced to shift for themselves, they sought land in Granville County. ---------------------- 68 At the time they were classed as Frenchmen, though they were born in Switzerland. See Cooper, Statutes, II 59. 69 See Moerikofer, Geschichte der Evangelischen Flüchtlinge in der Schweiz. Among the French-speaking areas in Switzerland were the following: Corcelles, Bern, Basil, Langel, Le Roy, La Ferrière. See Faust and Brumbaugh, Lists, 41, 43, 45, 61, 62, 76; Combe, Les Refugiées de la Revocation en Suisse. 70 Cottier (also written Gautier) came from a respected peasant family. Because of his peasant stock he was looked down upon by fellow students at school. See Faust and Brumbaugh, II. 4. Henri-Louis Bouquet, born about 1715 in Rolle, served first in a Swiss regiment in Holland, then in Sardinia, when he became captain. See Faust and Brumbaugh, Lists, H. 37, and Dictionnaire biographique des Genèvois et des Vaudois. 71 Howe, Hist. Presbyt. Ch. S. C., I. 115; MS Pr. Ct. Rcd., 1694-1704, 406; Pr. Ct. Rcds., 1754-58, 357. 72 Howe, Hist. Presbyt. Ch. S. C., I. 115; Col. Rcds. S. C., XVII. 294; XI. 132. The name is spelled Purry and Pury in the records; the former is preferred. 73 See MS Col. Rcds., S. C., XI. 132; Dalcho, 385. 74 Col. Doc. S. C., XI. 132-33. 75 Popple to R. Skelton, June 11, 1725, Col. Doc. S. C., XI. 132. 76 Ibid., XI. 282, 320-1; Rawlinson MSS no. 271, folio 3, Library of Congress transcripts. The South Carolina Assembly contracted to supply the provisions for the company for nine months. 77 MS Col. Doc. S. C., XII. 153-4, Jean Watt to Monsr. de Valagne, "at Giles's Coffee House in Pell Mell, London"; dated Neufchatel, Oct. 31, 1726. 78 Ibid. 79 Ibid., XII. 190 f. 80 Ibid., XVI. 122. 81 MS Col. Doc. S. C., XIV. 243, 112, 237; Coll. S. C. Hist. Soc., II. 127, 179, 182; Letter, Chas. Purry to a friend, S. C. Gaz., Sept. 23, 1732. 82 Ibid., XVI. 122; Carroll, Collections, II. 121 f.; MS Col. Doc. S. C., XIV. 112, 237, 243; Coll. S. C. Hist. Soc., 11. 127, 129, 182. The Swiss French emigration reached its height about 1734-35. By that time it had reached such proportions that it may be called an "emigration fever". A Bernese official at the time coined for it the appropriate expression "Rabies Carolinae". Efforts were made at Bern to restrain the movement. See Faust and Brumbaugh, Lists of Swiss, II. 17 et seq. At various times financial aid was given to refugees who went to Carolina, e.g., Jaques Bernhardet, wife and two children received a viaticum of two thalers each (ibid., 18). On March 19, 1735, the Bernische Avis Blättlein contained the following notice: "For the good of those who have no scruples against leaving their fatherland and going to a strange country, the following extract from a letter From a citizen of Bern residing in London is here inserted. London, February 4, 1735. There have arrived here 340 Swiss who have no money left to pay for their passage to Carolina and who are in the direst need because of Mr. Pury's little book in which Carolina is represented as much better than it is and no mention is made of the difficulties, expenses, nor how to plan the journey, so that they are forced to accept any conditions, however hard they may be, to reach Carolina. Finally they have all departed in a little ship in which twice as many were placed as it will probably hold, so that in all probability many will die on the way.... Not only are they taken to the hottest part and to the border-lands of Carolina, but Mr. Pury requires of them a threefold ground-rent, and as I have said, makes them agree to pay over a sixth of the produce of the land to him. I have also heard that Mr. Pury treats the German Swiss very badly; he makes them work for him a half year before he assigns their land to them; he also sells rum to those who like to drink, in return for which they must work his land for him, and so Mr. Oglethorpe who is a member of Parliament (Parlaments-Herr) and trustee of Georgia, had the bottoms of all the casks broken, since it is a practice very harmful to the people to sell them this liquor, so that when the people complained, this gentleman, when he was in that country, put them under the supervision of a German, in order that Mr. Pury should no longer have control over them." The following appears under date of June 4, 1735: "Reliable account of the people from Bern who recently set out in three ships for the English colony of Carolina: After they left here they were 53 days on the way to Rotterdam because of bad weather and water, but contrary to expectation they passed the Rhine safely ... but with three times as much expense as they expected, and on May 19 ... arrived in Rotterdam and on May 21 ... embarked there 300 ... in one ship." (See Faust and Brumbaugh, Lists of Swiss, II. 25). 83 Proposals of Peter Purry for Protestants; Description of South Carolina, Carroll, Collections, II. 121 f. 84 See Holmes, American Annals, 1753 and MS Assembly Jrnl., (Col. Doc. S.C.), 1728-33, 960. 85 Council Jrnl., V. 74-6; Cooper, Statues, III. 301; Coll. S. C. Hist. Soc. III. 306; MS Council Jrnl., 1730-34, 208, 277. Four thousand eight hundred acres were marked off for the new settlers (ibid., 376). 86 S. C. Gas., Nov. 16, 1732. 87 The list contains the names of both French and Swiss. Only the French names are given here: "David Hugenin, age de 60; Susanna Seccot, sa femme, 47; Daniel Huguenin, son fils, 14; David, son fils, 8; Abraham, son fils, 10; Marguerite, sa fille, 12; Josue Robert, 56; Joshue, son fils, 21; Marie Madeline, 29; Anne Vallo, veuvre de Pierre Jeannerret, 49; Henry, son fils, 19; Jacques Abram, son fils, 17; Jean Pierre, son fils, 14; Marie, sa fille, age de 21 ; Rose Marie, sa fille, 9; François Buche, 45; Margaretta, sa femme, 50; Jean Pierre, son fils, 4; Dan'l Henry, son fils, 1; Abram, son fils, 2; Susanne, sa fille, 8; Henry Girardin, 32; Marguerite, sa femme, 32; David, son fils, 7; Henry, son fils, 4; Anne, sa fille, 2; Francois Bachelois, 46; sa femme, 36; Batiste, son fils, 6; François sa fille, 31/2 ; Marie, sa fille, 11/2 ; Laleuve Breton, 53; Jean Pierre Breton, son fils, age de 17; Ulric Bac, age de 50; Jacob Calame, age de 60; David Giroud, age de 19; Madame Varnod; Abram Varnod, son fils; François son fils; Trantions, sa fille; Mariannee La fille; Andrians Richard; Monsieur Purry; Monsieur Buttal; Monsieur Flar." - MS, Commissions and Instructions, 1732-42, 4, Office Hist. Com. Columbia. 88 Ibid., p. 6. 89 Ibid., 6; S. C. Gaz., Nov. 16, 1743. 90 Col. Doc. S. C., XVI. 121. An unknown number of persons of French extraction went from Charles Town and other places to settle in Granville County with the newcomers. This fact is attested by the presence of names in Granville County formerly familiar in other places. 91 Pr. Ct. Rcd., 1736-39, 65. 92 Extract from a letter from Neufchatel, dated July 1, 1786, printed in S. C. H. & G. Mag., V. 191 and in the State Gazette of S. C. Nov. 6, 1786. 93 MS Council Jrnl., 1763-64, 179-80. ==== SCROOTS Mailing List ==== Go To: #, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z, Main |