The Huguenot Herald - Huguenot Society of South Carolina

Volume 22, Number 1
Spring 2012
Upcoming EvEnts
• Huguenot Society of SC 127th
Anniversary Meeting, Saturday,
April 14 at 4 pm, Charleston
Museum
• Annual French Service, French
Protestant (Huguenot) Church,
Charleston, Sunday, April 15 at
10:30 am
• Annual Service & Covered
Dish Picnic, St. James Santee
Episcopal (Brick) Church near
McClellanville, Sunday, April 15
at 11 am
• Huguenot Society of SC
Autumn Service, French
Protestant (Huguenot) Church,
Sunday, October 21st at 10:30
am
The Huguenot Society of SC
138 Logan Street
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 723-3235
Fax: (843) 853-8476
www.huguenotsociety.org
archivist@huguenotsociety.org
The Huguenot Herald
The Huguenot Society of South Carolina
127th Anniversary Meeting
Saturday, April 14, 2012, 4 P.M.
The Charleston Museum
The One Hundred and Twenty-Seventh Anniversary Meeting of the
Huguenot Society of South Carolina will be held at the Charleston Museum at
4 P.M. on Saturday, April 14, 2012. We are pleased to announce that the speaker
will be Dr. Chester DePratter of the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology &
Anthropology, who will lecture on “Jean Ribault, Charlesfort, and the Rest of
the Story.”
Dr. DePratter’s presentation will include a brief history of the
expedition of Jean Ribault who arrived in La Florida in the spring of 1562.
Ribault was so taken with Port
Royal Sound near present-day
Beaufort, SC that he constructed
Charlesfort before returning to
France to obtain reinforcements.
His imprisonment in England
delayed his return, but during his
confinement he wrote a book which
remains a standard reference on
early European explorations in the
New World. The story of the men
left behind in Charlesfort involves
hardship, deprivation, mutiny, and
murder, and ends with the survivors building a boat and sailing home across the
Atlantic. But the saga does not end there. The Spanish king, Philip II, reacted
to the founding of Charlesfort in a way that led to the slaughter of hundreds of
Frenchmen at La Caroline near present-day Jacksonville, Florida in 1565 and a
French survivor of the Charlesfort garrison played a major role in the Spanish
explorations of the interior Southeast in the sixteenth century. The impact of
the Charlesfort settlement continued on into the early seventeenth century in
ways that even Jean Ribault could not have anticipated.
This year is the 450th Anniversary of the landing of Jean Ribault on
Parris Island. We hope to see you at the Annual Meeting. Please RSVP for
acceptances only to (843) 723-3235 or director@huguenotsociety.org.

Board of Directors
John E. Cuttino
President
Ford Prioleau Menefee
1st Vice President
Helga Preston Wrenn Billings
Secretary
C. Stuart Dawson, Jr.
Treasurer
Vice Presidents:
Daniel Ravenel, M.D.
J. Palmer Gaillard III
Charlton deSaussure, Jr.
John E. Huguley, Jr.
Dianne Watts Ressinger
Charles B. Upshaw III
Chaplain:
Rev. Philip Gendron Porcher
Legal Advisor:
John Bacot Williams
Staff
Renee LaHue Marshall
Executive Director
Harriott Cheves Leland
Archivist/Researcher
Dorothy Mercer Huff, Registrar
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear Society Members:
We are quickly moving toward Spring and its welcomed warmth
and beauty! Your Society’s Board and staff have been busy over the
past several months, and I am pleased to provide you with an update on
several matters.
As always, we invite you to join us at the Society’s Annual
Meeting on Saturday, April 14 th beginning at 4 P.M. at the Charleston
Museum on Meeting Street. This is an excellent opportunity to learn
more about the Society’s activities, renew old friendships, and learn
more about Huguenot history. Our guest speaker this year is the noted Dr.
Chester DePratter, Head of the Research Division of the South Carolina
Department of Archaeology and Anthropology. He will be speaking on
Jean Ribault, the French explorer who founded Charlesfort 450 years ago
this year. We also invite you and your guests to join us at the reception
following the meeting.
A number of activities are planned in commemoration of Ribault’s
arrival near Port Royal in 1562. On May 1 st , the City of Jacksonville,
Florida will hold an event in recognition of Admiral Ribault’s
involvement with Fort Caroline near present-day Jacksonville. I will
be in attendance to represent the Huguenot Society of South Carolina.
Several organizations, including our Huguenot Society, will participate
in a commemoration event on Parris Island on Friday, May 25 th . There is
additional information about the event in this newsletter. Many thanks to
our former President Bob Prioleau for his efforts in helping to organize
this event. (Note: The family in France spells the name Ribault, while
Ribaut is the more common spelling in the United States.)
We are grateful to those of you who made contributions, both
large and small, to our 2011 Annual Fund campaign. Your gifts enable the
Society to continue our work, and we greatly appreciate your generosity.
I am also pleased to report that the Society obtained a one-time general
operating support grant of $10,000 from the Samuel Freeman Charitable
Trust. We are most grateful to them for this grant and will use it to further
the mission of our Society.
As members of the Huguenot Society of South Carolina, we
are blessed with a heritage which has shaped and enriched our state
and nation, and our individual lives. We should never forget that we
are beneficiaries of this heritage and have a responsibility to preserve
and promote it in our families. To that end, please consider asking an
eligible family member to join the Society in 2012. Our staff can provide
assistance if needed.
Finally, I hope you will consider attending the annual French
Service at the French Protestant (Huguenot) Church on Sunday April
15 th , the day following our Annual Meeting. It is always an uplifting
experience for all Huguenot descendants!
John E. Cuttino
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A Ceremony Commemorating the 450th Anniversary
of the Landing of Jean Ribaut on Parris Island
will be held on Parris Island on Friday, May 25, 2012
Please visit www.parrisislandmuseum.com for more information. Details will be posted in
the coming weeks as they become available.
The event will be presented by: The Beaufort County Historical Society, Historic Port Royal Foundation,
Parris Island Historical and Museum Society, The Town of Port Royal, South Carolina Institute or Archaeology
and Anthropology, The Archaeology Society of South Carolina Hilton Head Chapter, The Huguenot Society of
South Carolina and the South Carolina Historical Society.
Additional Commemoration Events:
Ҩ The Beaufort County Historical Society’s 2012 Speakers Series will feature additional commemoration
activities. Please visit www.beaufortcountyhistoricalsociety.org for details.
Ҩ The Jacksonville Historical Society, the City of Jacksonville and Historic Mayport Village will celebrate
Ribaut’s arrival in Florida. Please visit www.Commemorate450.coj.net for details.
Ҩ JEAN RIBAULT ASSOCIATION (French Descendants) have scheduled events throughout the year in
Florida, Paris, and Dieppe. http://jean-ribault-association.blogspot.com/
The Francis Marion Memorial Project
The Francis Marion Memorial Project has successfully obtained Congressional authorization to establish a
memorial honoring Brigadier General Francis Marion in Washington, DC. Visit www.swampfoxmemorial.org
to learn more about the project.
Many Thanks
The Huguenot Society of SC wishes to express its sincere gratitude to The Samuel Freeman Charitable
Trust from which we received a $10,000 Operating Support Grant in December.
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NEW MEMBERS
We welcome the following new members into the Society:
Bates, Adelaide Videau .................McClellanville, SC
Pierre Videau & Jeanne Elizabeth Mauzé/Mozé
Bell, Duane Hodges .................................. Tucson, AZ
Jacques de Bourdeaux & Madeleine Garillond
Betchman, Shirley Pitts .....................Mt. Pleasant, SC
Josias DuPré
Brasington, Steve Johnson ............... Goose Creek, SC
Pierre Guerri & Jeanne Broussard
Buonanno, Gianluca Molony (Luca) Mt. Pleasant, SC
Pierre Bacot & Jacquine Mercier
Curl, Anita Clarke ...................................Florence, SC
Pierre Bacot & Jacquine Mercier
Durgee, Eleanor Dean Hickman ..........Charleston, SC
Jean Souillet & Susanne des Jardins
Gaffney, Ella Ranette Miller ................Greenville, SC
Claude Philippe Richebourg & Anne Chastain
Gaillard, Thomas Wesley ......................... Atlanta, GA
Joachim Gaillard & Ester Paperel
Godbee, Charles Robert ....................... Rockmart, GA
Pierre Ogier & Jeanne Bernardin
Godbee, Grayson Walker ......................... Aragon, GA
Pierre Ogier & Jeanne Bernardin
Godbee, Robert Lewis ............................. Aragon, GA
Pierre Ogier & Jeanne Bernardin
Godbee, Summer Anise ........................... Aragon, GA
Pierre Ogier & Jeanne Bernardin
Huger, Margaret Bentley ...................... Richmond, VA
Daniel Huger & Marguerite Perdriau
Kaylo, Janet Lipscomb Ware ...................Leander, TX
William Mellichamp
Largess, Abbie Leland........................... Charlotte, NC
Daniel Tresevant & Susanne Maulard
Largess, Jack Leland ............................. Charlotte, NC
Antoine Bonneau & Catherine de Bloys
Leland, Edward Clayton ...................... Lexington, VA
Antoine Bonneau & Catherine de Bloys
Leland, Isabella Monnier ........................Paris, France
Daniel Tresevant & Susanne Maulard
LeRoy, Edmund Walter, Jr. ..................Charleston, SC
Pierre Michel LeRoy & Marie Michelle LeBrun
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McAllister, Thomas Edwin, Jr. ......... Washington, DC
Lazare Cauvin & Anne Rocquemore
Molony-Buonanno, Elizabeth ...........Mt. Pleasant, SC
Pierre Bacot & Jacquine Mercier
Ravenel, Melissa Lovejoy ...............St. Petersburg, FL
René Ravenel & Charlotte de St. Julien
Ravenel, Stephen DeVeaux ..................Clearwater, FL
René Ravenel & Charlotte de St. Julien
Rembert, Judith Caroline ........................ Durham, NC
André Rembert & Anne Bresson
Rogers, Mills LeRoy ............................. Plantation, FL
Isaac Garnier
Trout, Elaine Foster Kelly ................. Spartanburg, SC
Thomas Lenoir
Walker, Edwin Saunders .................. Summerville, SC
Nicholas Lanier
Wall, Walter Barnes, Jr. .................McClellanville, SC
Antoine Bonneau & Catherine de Bloys
Watson, Nancy Dee Bentley .............San Antonio, TX
Jean Bouchillon & Marie Anne LeRoy
Woods, Pamela Medeiros ..................... Columbia, NC
Pierre Guerri & Jeanne Broussard
New (to this Society) Ancestors
As the Society inches into the 21st century
with technological advances, we are also continuing
our research efforts. In addition to wanting to provide
brief sketches of each ancestor, we are also interested
in finding “new” ancestors. Some of these have been
identified by other Huguenot Societies, but never
claimed by members of this Society and some have
not been claimed by any Society to this point.
The following have been approved as
ancestors: Pierre Bernard and his wife Jeanne
Person, Theodore Verdety and his wife Elizabeth
Porcher and Jean Souillet and his wife Susanne des
Jardins. More information about them is available
at the Society and brief sketches will be added to the
Herald and to the website as time and space permits.

Notice to the Membership Regarding Proposed Amendments
to the Society’s Constitution.
Several amendments to the current Constitution (adopted
24 October 2004) have been proposed by the Board and are
recommended to the membership. The Constitution may be
amended by at least a two-thirds (2/3) vote at any general
meeting of the Society; provided that the proposed
amendment(s) shall have been presented to the membership by
written notice not less than ten (10) days prior to the meeting.
Please review the amendments proposed below. These
amendments will be voted on at the April 14, 2012 Annual
Meeting.
Article III, Section 1 currently reads:
The membership of this Society shall be as follows:
Firstly, All descendants in the direct male or female lines
of the French Huguenot families which emigrated from
France prior to the promulgation of the Edict of Toleration,
November 28, 1787.
Secondly, Descendants of Huguenots from other countries
whose profession of the Protestant Faith was prior to the
promulgation of the Edict of Toleration, November 28, 1787.
Thirdly, Descendants of pastors who led the French Huguenot
congregations in South Carolina prior to 1787.
Recommend amending Article III, Section 1 to:
Firstly, All descendants in the direct male or female lines of
the Huguenot families which emigrated from France prior to
the promulgation of the Edict of Toleration, November 28,
1787. [Removes the word “French” as current scholarship
uses the terms Huguenot or French Protestant.]
Secondly, Representatives of other French families and
descendants of Huguenots from other countries whose
profession of the Protestant faith was prior to the promulgation
of the Edict of Toleration, Nov. 28th 1787.” [The original
Constitution read “Representatives of other French families
whose profession of the Protestant faith is anterior to the
promulgation of the Edict of Toleration, Nov. 28th 1787.”
The proposed amendment combines the two wordings and
is more inclusive.]
Thirdly, Descendants of pastors who led the Huguenot
congregations in South Carolina prior to 1787.” [See Firstly
above.]
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Article IV, Section 1 currently reads:
TREASURER The Treasurer shall collect, hold and disburse
all funds of the Society. The Treasurer shall keep detailed
accounts of all monies received and expended and shall
render an annual report or receipts and disbursements at the
Annual Meeting. At the meeting of the Board immediately
prior to the annual meeting, the Treasurer shall submit a
budget of the Society’s estimated expenses and income for
the ensuing year. An annual audit of the Treasurer’s account
shall be made for each calendar year by a Certified Public
Accountant. The Treasurer shall deposit all monies of the
Society in financial institutions within the city of Charleston
as approved by the Board. Disbursements shall be made
only upon authorization by the Board. All checks shall be
signed by one of the following: President, a Vice-President,
Secretary, Treasurer, or Executive Director, except if the
dispersement is in excess of $1,000, in which case two of
these must sign.
Recommend Amending Article IV, Section 1 to:
TREASURER The Treasurer shall collect, hold and disburse
all funds of the Society. The Treasurer shall keep detailed
accounts of all monies received and expended and shall
render an annual report or receipts and disbursements at the
Annual Meeting. At the meeting of the Board immediately
prior to the annual meeting, the Treasurer shall submit a
budget of the Society’s estimated expenses and income
for the ensuing year. An annual review of the Treasurer’s
account shall be made for each calendar year. This review
may be performed by an Audit Committee established by
the Board or an independent Certified Public Accountant,
at the discretion of the Board. The Treasurer shall deposit
all monies of the Society in financial institutions within the
city of Charleston as approved by the Board. Disbursements
shall be made only upon authorization by the Board. All
checks shall be signed by one of the following: President, a
Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, or Executive Director,
except if the dispersement is in excess of $2,000, in which
case two of these must sign.
Recommend amending the By-Laws to add a Section 6:
If any member neglects or refuses to pay his or her annual
fee for two consecutive years, the Treasurer shall report his
or her name to the Executive Committee, who may remove
his or her name from the roll of membership. [This was
included in earlier by-laws but was omitted in 2004.]

The Huguenot Society of SC
138 Logan Street
Charleston, SC 29401
Address Service Requested
News from the French Protestant
(Huguenot) Church of Charleston
Did you know that the French Protestant (Huguenot)
Church offers Associate Memberships? Associate
Members are persons who are and remain registered
members of another church who may be received as
Associate Members of the Congregation, provided they
request the Board to join and agree to provide an annual
contribution for the upkeep of the Church. Please contact
the church office at postmaster@frenchchurch.org for
more information.
The church has also recently started an e-mail
newsletter, “Huguenotes.” If you would like to receive
the newsletter and learn about the latest news from the
church, please send your e-mail address to postmaster@
frenchchurch.org.
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage Paid
Charleston, SC
Permit No. 1140
Annual French Service
French Protestant (Huguenot)
Church
The Annual French Service of the French Protestant
(Huguenot) Church of Charleston will be held on
Sunday, April 15 at 10:30 a.m. A collation will follow.