Anne Boucelaire (abt. 1645 - abt. 1696)

Born about 1645 in France

Wife of Isaac Gill — married 29 Nov 1665 in Druex, France

Descendants

Died about 1696 at about age 51 in Virginia

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Anne Boucelaire was a Huguenot emigrant (1540-1790).

Biography

Isaac and Anna (Boucelaire) Guille, 1st Generation

On October 18, 1685 Louis XIV of France revoked the Edict of Nantes which had granted the Huguenots their religious and political freedom. As a result of this action, 250,000 Protestants fled the country. But, even before the revoking of the edict, dragoons of the kings soldiers were sent out to various parts of France to force the heretics (Huguenots) to convert to the Catholic faith. From 1681 to 1685 these dragoons were allowed to force their way into a Protestants home and lodge until their host converted or until the food ran out. These evil savages had various means of torture which they not only applied to the householder, but also to his wife and children. Although they had previously had altercations with the Catholic Church, Isaac Guille and his wife Anna were one step ahead of this unpopular dispensation. By September 16, 1685, Isaac and Anna along with their children Magdelene, John, Peter, Stephen, and Joseph were on the Lord Mayor's Waiting Book in London, 1684-6, Vol. 14, p. 404, and bound to one Augustine Boullay in Virginia.

Initially, a group of Guilles was made by Sue Gill in the Church of St. Pierre in Dreux, France (just west of Paris). In November of 1685, two months after Isaac Guille and his family fled to London, a list of abjurations (recantings) at this church revealed the names of Huguenots who had recanted to avoid a charge of heresy being placed on them. On this list was Isaac Guille and his wife Jaqueline Debeu, Jacquette Basemont widow of Estienne (Stephen) Guille, Madeleine Guille widow of Daniel Preleur, and Jean (John) Guille. It is not known how these Guilles were related to Isaac, but their names were the same as those of himself and his children. They were possibly close kin to Isaac and his family

Because of a recent discovery by the author , the records of Isaac Guille and his family were found in the Huguenot Church at Fontaine sous Premont in the commune (local political district) of Ouerre and in the arrondissement (primary political district) of Dreux, France.In the marriage records of the church, the following was found:

November 29, 1665-Guille, Isaac married Boucelaire, Anne

In the baptismal records of the church, the following children and their baptismal dates were given:

2.

Madelaine Gilles, December 20, 1666; or possibly Magdeleine Guille, January 11, 1673 Jean (John) Guille, February 27, 1668 Pierre (Peter) Guille, December 1669 Estienne (Stephen) Guille, September 20, 1676 Unfortunately, Joseph Guille was left out of the records.

Although there are a few inconsistencies, when the above baptismal records are compared with the following records in Virginia, there is little doubt that this is the identical family who lived in France and who later lived in Henrico Co., Virginia.

When they arrived in Virginia, Isaac Guille and his wife Anna were bound for 4 years servitude each. Their children were bound as follows:

1. Magdelene Guille, bound for 5 years 2. John Guille, bound for 5 years 3. Peter Guille, bound to Gilbert Elam, Senr. For 7 years. On 1 February 1686 he was adjudged to be 12 years of age. Born 1674. 4. Stephen Guille was bound to John Steward, Junr. For 7 years and adjudged to be 10 years old on 1 February 1686. Born 1676. 5. Joseph Guille was bound to Thomas Pouldon for a period of 11 years and was adjudged to be 9 years of age on 1 June 1686. Born 1677.

In the year 1705 Joseph, John and Stephen Guil were on a long list of people naturalized in Virginia indicating they were not British subjects. The Guils and others were said to be, “Born in France and Other Foreign Countrys”. However, most of those on the list were of French origin.

Shortly after the Guille sons were naturalized, the family anglicized their name to “Gill”. Nothing is known of the death date of Isaac and Anna; however, it is believed that Isaac was born ca. 1644.

Sources

• Category: Huguenot Migration

http://sciway3.net/clark/gill/HuegenotGill.html - Some Descendants of Isaac and Anna (Boucelaire) Guille/Gill a Huguenot Family Researched by Benjamin C. Toney

• Ben Toney