Draft:Jean Pierre Bondurant dit Cougousset

• Comment: It is unclear what exactly this individual is notable for... Dan arndt (talk) 03:16, 14 March 2025 (UTC)

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Jean Pierre Bondurant dit [called] Cougousset was born on 18 July or Sept 1677 in Génolhac (Genouillac), Gard, France located in the Cévennes Mountains of Languedoc, France. He was a French refugee who escaped Louis XIV's religious persecutions against Protestants, also known as Huguenots. He immigrated to the Colony of Virginia via England in 1700 and settled in Monacan Town (later known at Manakintown).

His father was Jean Pierre Bondurant, Seigneur de Cougoussac b. 1636, d. 24 May 1694, and his mother was Gabrielle Barjon b. 18 Jan 1643, d. 23 Mar 1695. He had one sister, Francoise, whose fate is unknown, and he married Ann Tanner, daughter of Edward Tanner [Sr.] and Mary Hatcher, in approximately 1708 in Manakin Town, Virginia. Jean-Pierre died after 25 September 1734 but before 25 January 1735 in Manakin Town, Virginia. (his will 25/1/1734) Jean was also known as John Peter once he moved to Virginia.

Jean-Pierre was first baptised a Huguenot, then on 13 Feb. 1684, just a few months before his seventh birthday, he was rebaptised a Catholic. About two months after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, which made Protestant worship illegal, both of his parents, and his grandfather and step-grandmother renounced their Huguenot faith and were "nouveaux convertis" / "newly converted" Catholics.

It was a common occurrence for children of Huguenot parents to be taken from them and raised in priories and convents. A series of edicts issued by Louis XIV in 1661, 1681, and 1686, demanded a Catholic education for all children, and later, allowed the removal of children from Huguenot parents who refused to convert to Catholicism. Records from 1681 show Jean Pierre’s father and grandfather made a pension (payment), to Francois Gay, prieur (prior) and trustee of the convent. This payment occurred when Jean Pierre was almost four years of age, which was a common time for noble children to have begun school. Dragonnades were unleashed on the Reformed Protestant residents of Génolhac (Genouillac) in January 1684, and within a few weeks, on 13 February 1684, the records show Jean Pierre was re-baptized Catholic.

Both his parents passed by about a year and a half before his 18th birthday, and he had to accept public assistance from the Church of Rome as a ward of the state until he came of age. In the months between his mother’s death and his eighteenth birthday, Jean Pierre was already living in a facility with other nouveaux convertis, which might have been at the Dominican convent. This is based on a statement by researcher Edouard Goulon Sigwalt, “at the death of his mother he was 18 and lived in the midst of ‘new converts’ where they were put up with, apparently a site made of those of the R.P.R (Huguenots)”.Upon his 18th birthday, he chose his father's first cousin, Andre Bondurant, as his curator alitis. André Bondurant was an apothecary and also the mayor of Génolhac who tutored Jean Pierre in the apothecary trade.

It is important to note that “curator alitias” is not the same as a guardianship in France. The French word for guardianship is “tutelle”. This difference is explained on the French Ministère de la Justice, Minister of Justice, website. “The person under curatorship, (curator alitias), can freely manage and administer their property. But it must be assisted by its curator for all acts of disposition,” (of immovable property - primarily land and structures). Traditionally, young people between 18-25 chose a family member to serve as their curator, but it was their choice.

Upon Jean Pierre's 18th birthday, he inherited from his father the title Seigneur de Cougoussac, (but was called Cougousset meaning the son of Cougoussac), and an estate including a house on la Grand Rue in Génolhac (Genouillac), the l’Aribal and Calquières mills, and a 3 story house, land, and another mill at Cougoussac.

In September 1697, with Andre's consent, Jean Pierre' sold some land, the mills at l'Aribal and Calquières, and some livestock. Jean Pierre then left France and arrived in Aarau, Switzerland in February 1698 where he joined his maternal uncle, Guillaume Barjon, Pastor of the Huguenot refugee Church there for about one year. He was not listed as a "fugitive from the Kingdom because of religion" until 1712. This late date is not significant, as such listings were normally late; and his father's cousin, Andre, was Consul General in charge of the listings.

On October 3, 1697, Jean Pierre signed a document recanting the Catholic faith and became a Reformed Huguenot again. The following is recorded in the congregational record:

The 3rd of October 1697, Seigneur Jean Pierre Bondurant, apothecary, presented himself in front of us, claiming that he was extremely affected by the fault he committed in his youth, which was to attend the worship of the Roman [Catholic] Church; showing his repentance by asking God to forgive this sin and after he claimed that he would live and die in our Holy Religion, he was admitted into the peace of the Church and to participate in the Holy Sacraments.

He signed this present deed along with us: Henry Malbois and Pierre Brochet, both hat makers who took refuge in the town of Aarau, and undersigned by myself:

[signed by]

Barjon

refugee Pastor

JP Bondurant

Henry Malbois

Brochet

Because Jean Pierre had left France with money from the sale of his mills, he did not appear on the Swiss charity records as did the Barjons and most refugee Huguenots. Being financially independent also shielded him from scrutiny and perhaps enabled him to buy his first land when he later went to Virginia.

The ministerial records of Pasteur Barjon showed that Jean Pierre shared a small house with a Moyse Bondurant, likely a cousin, at the Huguenot community in Aarau. Moyes died while traveling with Pastor Barjon's group between Helmershafen and Karlshafen in Brandenburg (later to become Germany) on 6 July 1699. But here is no record of Jean Pierre being with that group. There is also no record of his travel to England, but the next record shows him on board a ship, Ye Peter & Anthony, leaving Gravesend, England and sailing to Jamestown, Virginia. He arrived with other Huguenot refugees at the mouth of the James River in Virginia on 20 September 1700. This was the "second transport" of Huguenots from London.

The immigrants were taken up the James River in smaller boats as far as the shoals (present day Richmond.) They went overland to Manakin Town, where they joined the "first transport" settlers who had occupied a deserted Monacan Indian village near Fine Creek the previous year. Jean stayed with the colony until 1701 and then, as a single man, went elsewhere looking for more opportunity.

Having been an apothecary apprentice under his cousin, Andre, Jean Pierre learned enough medicine to be accounted a Doctor in the Colonies in Virginia. He practiced medicine in Henrico County (part of which later became Goochland County) for many years.

In 1704, the Huguenot men petitioned to become citizens of the colony of Virginia and by an act passed in 1705, they, including Jean Pierre, were granted citizenship by the Governor and House of Burgesses.

Jean Pierre obtained 200 acres of land on Old Town Creek, near present Matoaca, across the Appomattox River from Petersburg. He sold that on 29 Dec 1708 to John Wilson Sr., acknowledged in court 1 June 1709.

A wife Ann, the mother of his son Peter, is mentioned in his will. Some researchers had originally thought that his wife was Ann Faure but this was later shown by documentation and DNA triangulation to be incorrect, proving his wife and mother of his children was Ann Tanner, though the exact marriage date has yet to be confirmed. The will of Mrs. Mary Tanner, Albermarle Co., Virginia, in the 1760s, left $1 to her daughter Ann Bondurant.

In 1711 Jean Pierre registered a cattle mark with the Virginia governor. On March 24 he purchased, from the King of England, 400 acres on the south side of the James River located on Jones Creek and Matthews Branch in Henrico County, later part of Goochland County. In 1729, sons Peter and John were listed as tithables on this land, but the father does not appear on the tithables lists until 1730. This seems to indicate that the parents were living elsewhere and the sons had come ahead to prepare the new land. This land was divided among his sons in his will in 1734. Jean Pierre was elected to the Vestry of King William Parish Church, but died before he could take office.

In 1990 the Bondurant Family Association erected a fence and placed a commemorative plaque at the posited graves of Jean Pierre and Ann Bondurant. The graveyard is located on Birdsong Lane (Road No. 1217) near Powhatan, in Powhatan County, Virginia. The plaque reads:

To the glory of God and in memory of Jean Pierre Bondurant and his wife Ann. Born in Génolhac, France 18 July 1677, Jean Pierre (John Peter) Bondurant escaped to Switzerland in 1697, and reached Jamestown with other Huguenots in 1700. Trained as an apothecary, he practiced medicine in Virginia where he married Ann. Members of King William Parish. He died near Manakin 1734/35. Their five children were John, Peter, Joseph, Ann and Frances. Erected 1990 by descendants.

Jean made a will on 25 September 1734. The will of John Peter Bondurant, Gouchland County, Virginia:

In the name of God Amen, I John Peter Bondurant, being sick and weak by of good sound disposition mind and memory, all praise be given to God for it, and now minding to settle my worldly estate which it has please God to bestow upon me before I depart this life: I do make and appoint this my last will and testament in manner and form following:

First: I give my soul to God who gave it, and my body to the earth from which it was taken, to be decently buried according to the discretion of my Executors hereafter named.

Item: I give and bequeth unto my son John Bundurant, one hundred and forty acres of land which he now dwelleth on and one horse and one hog and blanket and rug and sheet and hide and bed cord and frou pot, and dish and basin and three plates and one cow and calf that he is now possessed of him and to his heirs forever.

Item:I give and bequeath unto my son Peter Bondurant one hundred and fifty acres of land on Age Creek and up along creek Goos, and a horse named Smoker and one cow and calf and two sows and four shoats and one pewter dish and one basin and one porringer and six pewter spoons and one frou pot and one rug and blanket and sheet and brown lining to make him a bed, to him and his heirs lawfully begotten forever, but if one or all of my sons die without issue, then to the survivor and his heirs lawfully begotten forever.

Item: I give and bequeath to my son Joseph Bondurant one hundred and fifty acres of land with the purtenances belonging thereto, where he now dwelleth, and one cow and calf in the possession of James Ford and two sows and four shoats and one ram sheep, and one mair with the hors colts the she has and the mair fols to return to me and two dishes, one large and one small, one basin and six plates and one Porringer and one paint pot and one sow and four shoats, to him and his heirs forever.

Item: I give and bequeath to my daughter Ann Ford one heifer eighteen months old, and one sow and pigs to her and her heirs forever.

Item: I give to my daughter Frances Salle one heifer at the age of eighteen months and one sow and pigs to her and her heirs forever.

And I do give unto my son Peter Bondurant all my wearing clothes and it is my desire that my wife keep them and let him have them as she sees fit and my carpenter tools and shoemakers tools and croscut saw and wagons I lend for the use of my wife and two sons and their heirs be no hinderance or molestation of any persons or persons whatsoever.

Item: I give to my loving wife Ann Bondurant after all my just debts and funeral charges and legacies are paid, all the remainder of my estate real and personal in this place or also wherever to her and her heirs forever, and I do allow my loving wife Ann Bondurant whole and sole Executor of this my last will and testament, revoking all other wills by me made heretofore.

As witness my hand and fixt my seal, this 25th day of September 1734.

J. P. Bondurant (Seal)

Test: John Cook, James Ford, John Bondurant

It is my desire that my son Peter Bondurant heirs his share of land on the S. & E. of Age Branch and my son John Bondurant and my son Joseph Bondurant to have their share on the S. & W. of my branch to be equally divided between them according as the lines go and to have the liberty of cutting any pine or pine trees upon my son Peter Bondurant's land for their house.

His will was proved on 25 January 1734/35. At the court held for Goochland County January 25th, 1734, this will was proved by the oaths of John Cook and James Ford, two of the witnesses hereto and was admitted to probate.

H. Wood, County Court Clerk.

Family

Ann Tanner b. circa 1695

Children

• Ann Bondurant b. 1710, d. a 8 Mar 1758
• John Peter Bondurant [Sr.] b. c 1710, d. c 1774
• Peter Jacob Bondurant b. c 1711, d. c 1735
• Frances Jane Bondurant b. c 1712, d. c 1777
• Joseph Augustine Bondurant b. c 1720, d. 11 Aug 1806