Whilst going through a Huguenot register in London I came across the following very unusual entry:
"Today the 9th October 1715, baptised by Mr Lombard, was a girl born in Africa, enslaved in Jamaica, raised with almost no knowledge of religion until the age of twenty five years or so. By the Providence of God she has fallen into the hands of Monsieur and Madamoiselle Redonnel, Protestants, French, and heretofore refugees in Jamaica, at present in London. They were so careful to instruct her in the Christian Religion that she wanted to profess and be delivered to the saints in baptism, and was presented here today for this by Mr Redonnel, who acted as her Godfather, and Madamoiselles Redonnel and Peschain, who acted as her godmothers and gave her the name of Susanne"
I wanted to find out about Susanne and the Redonnels, but there was no more on them in the Huguenot Society's records at all, bar a marriage at the same church, in Westminster three years later:
"28 Dec 1718 Mr Jean Giraldel dit Constantin and Susanne Redonnel were married by Mr Jonneau, minister, by License of the Archbishop of Canterbury dated 11 December"
Jean Giraldel dit Constantin was from a Bourgeoise family of Huguenot Clock makers who had come over to London as refugees from Dieppe, Normandy in the 1680's. Unfortunately neither Jean nor Susanne lived long after the marriage. They seem to have one child who I cannot find a baptism for before John died in 1720, leaving a will, and Susanne December of the following year 1721. Her will states that she was also suffering from the same sickness as her late husband, and describes England as 'the land of my refuge'. She leaves personal belongings to her 'aunt', Elizabeth Redonnel, and her 'sister' Jane Redonnel of Lunel, Languedoc. I have also found proved in London the Wills of both Elizabeth Redonnel, widow of William in 1724, and Jane Redonnel of Lunel, Languedoc in 1725. Their wills mention various relatives back in Lunel, but obviously not Susanne having already passed.
I cannot find any record of the Redonnels in any of the English parish registers, and online google searches have only led to information on Pierre Redonnel of Lunel, who was a 'Desert Pastor' for the Protestant church in Languedoc between the 1740s-60's.
I would love to know how the Redonnels ended up in Jamaica, and whether the marriage and will for Susanne Redonnel might be one and the same as the African/Jamaican lady baptised in the same church a few years earlier? Might the special license indicate this? The family had clearly been in the parish for three years so were not new arrivals there. Why would they need such a license? I have been looking online here http://www.facultyoffice.org.uk/Marriage.html but this doesn't really illuminate it any further.
Any ideas?
Thanks
"Today the 9th October 1715, baptised by Mr Lombard, was a girl born in Africa, enslaved in Jamaica, raised with almost no knowledge of religion until the age of twenty five years or so. By the Providence of God she has fallen into the hands of Monsieur and Madamoiselle Redonnel, Protestants, French, and heretofore refugees in Jamaica, at present in London. They were so careful to instruct her in the Christian Religion that she wanted to profess and be delivered to the saints in baptism, and was presented here today for this by Mr Redonnel, who acted as her Godfather, and Madamoiselles Redonnel and Peschain, who acted as her godmothers and gave her the name of Susanne"
I wanted to find out about Susanne and the Redonnels, but there was no more on them in the Huguenot Society's records at all, bar a marriage at the same church, in Westminster three years later:
"28 Dec 1718 Mr Jean Giraldel dit Constantin and Susanne Redonnel were married by Mr Jonneau, minister, by License of the Archbishop of Canterbury dated 11 December"
Jean Giraldel dit Constantin was from a Bourgeoise family of Huguenot Clock makers who had come over to London as refugees from Dieppe, Normandy in the 1680's. Unfortunately neither Jean nor Susanne lived long after the marriage. They seem to have one child who I cannot find a baptism for before John died in 1720, leaving a will, and Susanne December of the following year 1721. Her will states that she was also suffering from the same sickness as her late husband, and describes England as 'the land of my refuge'. She leaves personal belongings to her 'aunt', Elizabeth Redonnel, and her 'sister' Jane Redonnel of Lunel, Languedoc. I have also found proved in London the Wills of both Elizabeth Redonnel, widow of William in 1724, and Jane Redonnel of Lunel, Languedoc in 1725. Their wills mention various relatives back in Lunel, but obviously not Susanne having already passed.
I cannot find any record of the Redonnels in any of the English parish registers, and online google searches have only led to information on Pierre Redonnel of Lunel, who was a 'Desert Pastor' for the Protestant church in Languedoc between the 1740s-60's.
I would love to know how the Redonnels ended up in Jamaica, and whether the marriage and will for Susanne Redonnel might be one and the same as the African/Jamaican lady baptised in the same church a few years earlier? Might the special license indicate this? The family had clearly been in the parish for three years so were not new arrivals there. Why would they need such a license? I have been looking online here http://www.facultyoffice.org.uk/Marriage.html but this doesn't really illuminate it any further.
Any ideas?
Thanks
Comment