America’s
DeBaufre family
This article
on the DeBaufre Family is to recognize my second great-grandmother, Harriet
DeBaufre Sower.
In the early
19th Century, the DeBaufre surname is found in Maryland and
Pennsylvania. To this day, many DeBaufre names are common in the Baltimore area
relative to the population. The general assumption in this blog is that
the Baltimore DeBaufre descendants originated with the French Huguenots who emigrated to England in the late 1600’s. As Huguenots were Protestant,
the DeBaufre baptism and marriage records are registered in Church of England
parishes. Due the lack of corroborating vital records to link America's
DeBaufre to the English family, I have relied on references in birth records for the second generation
of siblings born between 1818 and 1837.
England DeBaufre References
The British History Online website[1] explains that many French Protestants settled in London’s West End in the later 17th Century. Among these were a family of skilled French clock makers, named de Beaufre (DeBaufre). There is a reference for Peter (Pierre) DeBaufre (1675 Paris - 1730 London)[2] being admitted into the Clockmaker’s Company in 1689 and receiving a patent with his son, Jacob DeBaufre[3] for the application of jewels to the pivot holes of watches and clocks in 1704.
The
Ancestry.com on-line database: "England, Select Births and Christenings,
1538-1975", has several records for baptisms for Jacob and Mary DeBaufre, one being another Peter, on July 3, 1711. There is a James DeBaufre, Jacob’s brother, of Church Street, Soho, who was admitted to the Clockmakers Company in 1712 and
carried on the business until 1750. Another James, son of a Richard was
indentured as an apprentice to a clockmaker in 1765. Further research may
result in linking all the DeBaufre names and dates into a reliable tree.
There is a
James Debaufre and Ann Wood Marriage Banns in Martin in the Fields, Middlesex
for May 1, 1776 in the presence of James and Mary Wood, assumed parents of the
bride. This couple were likely born about 1752-1755, thus unlikely to be
parents of the first Baltimore sibling group explained below. If related, this
couple could reasonably be grandparents. It is possible that the James who was married to Ann is the
individual in the 1797 Philadelphia immigration record or the son of this
couple. Another
marriage bond was made between James Debaufre, widower and Elizabeth Hunt,
spinster, July 7, 1794 in Parish of Saint George, Surrey, Southwark, England.
Is this the same James who earlier married Ann Wood? Were there children with
Ann? If the same or another James, did he emigrate to Pennsylvania in
1797?
There are many on-line trees and databases with partial relationships. For example, the Genealogieonline.com site links Jacob (17?-1761) his son Peter (1711-?) to James (1770-?) who immigrated to Philadelphia and married Elizabeth Hunt. This seems too convenient and without adequate facts. Peter would have been 59 years old to have James as a son. There could reasonably be another generation between these two individuals or even another family line. Some Ancestry trees show James and Elizabeth as parents of the second generation siblings detailed below but this assumption doesn’t match with other facts. There are also references (1780’s) to a Joseph and Richard Debaufre, connected to the Hospital for Poor French Protestants in London.[4] These two individuals are not yet genealogically connected to the watchmakers, although one book footnoted states they are descended from them. Note that Richard is the father in the indenture for apprentice above. There is also a Mr. Debaufre, Solicitor often mentioned in the press of the day.[5]
First
Generation of DeBaufre in the United States
The first
evidence of the surname in America are two 1797 records for immigration and
naturalization for James DeBaufre in the city of Philadelphia. It could be the
same James DeBaufre who is listed as Assignee in several War Bounty land grants[6],
1798-1800 from the War Department for veterans from the “last war”, assumed to
be the 1775-1783 War of independence. The veterans James was representing are
from the ‘Maryland Line’. Perhaps James was a notary or lawyer representing the
veterans. Perhaps he was the same solicitor mentioned in the London newspapers
during the 1780’s.
James may
have arrived in 1797 in Philadelphia with a young family, as there is another
James DeBaufre born about 1797 who is thought to be the father of a group
of 6 children for which there are more complete records. The James that
arrived in Philadelphia in 1797 may have been the same who married Elizabeth
Hunt in England in 1794.Thus James and Elizabeth may have been the first
arrivals with children. Some of these may have been older as from an earlier
marriage between James and Ann Wood, since James was a widower when he married
Elizabeth, who was a spinster. Census and baptismal records from Philadelphia
prior to 1840 suggest that there could have been at least 3 children with James
and Elizabeth.
The three are: James (b. 1797), William (b. ?) and Ann b. about
1795. William
married Maria Sullender who died in 1844.[7]
William is mentioned in several Philadelphia papers during the 1830 to 1850
period in a hotel business with Brook Watson Sower (Sr) [8].
He as also involved with a rowing club, railroad and restaurant. That William’s
niece, Harriet DeBaufre, married Brook Watson Sower Jr. could be coincidence or
further circumstantial evidence linking the two generations. William’s death
date is unknown. Ann married William Chemenver in Philadelphia 8 Jan 1823.[9]
Both these couples likely spent most of their lives in Philadelphia, although
no other records have been found for Ann and her husband.
James is
assumed to be the father of the second Baltimore generation. Some genealogies
show his birth as 24 Mar 1797 in Middlesex, England and the James death
reported in the Baltimore Sun (Index) for 6 Nov 1837 could be for him as well.
James could have been the carriage maker described in the an 1828 parade as part
of the history of Baltimore coach and railroad history. His wife Ann was
reported in the newspapers as a prominent contributor to many public causes.
Her death was in 1854.
Second
DeBaufre Generation in Baltimore
The records
for this second 19th C. generation of DeBaufre siblings provide the
best clues as to their parents. Although the parental generation are shown in
several public family trees, very little evidence is available to prove the
proposed connections. Sometimes an Ann Wood is described as the mother,
sometimes just Ann and on other trees Elizabeth Hunt. This group of siblings
were born between 1818 and 1837, so it is doubtful that the Ann Wood from the
1770 England marriage is the mother. However, five of the possible six siblings
list James DeBaufre and Ann ______ as parents on Baptismal records.
Record details of the six siblings are related below. It is noteworthy that
Harriet (now Sower), James M., Anne, and William H. are listed together in a
Baltimore 1847 court case over a suit for real estate from a trustee sale.[10]
This generation includes:
Harriet
Elvina, b. 1818 d. 1895; Baptismal record[11]
has James and Ann as parents; the 1880 Census shows father from France, mother
from Ireland[12].
Harriet married Brook Watson Sower Jr. 21 Dec 1837 and had two girls, Virginia
and Emma. Harriet died in Atlantic City 28 Oct 1895. There is a family held
ceremony book listing her as a guest at the 1894 Minneapolis marriage of her
grandson William Tomlinson. Her daughter Emma has many descendants in Canada
and the U.S.A., including the author of this blog site.
James M. b.
1821 d. 1850; Baptismal at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church[13];
parents James and Ann. James died in New York, presumably on business or at
school and unmarried. James’ obituary[14]
describes him as a “young man, in the full bloom of manhood, 30th
year of age.... leaving an ageing mother, one brother and three sisters”. This
description fits with the rest of the sibling group.
William H.
b. 1823 d. 1894? Baptismal at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church[15];
(same day as James) parents James and Ann. the 1880 Census shows father from
France, mother from Ireland. William married Sarah Ann Lee (when?) and had
eight children. Many of his descendents live in the Baltimore area presently,
some of whom have corresponded on family history.
Anna Maria
b. 1825 d.?; Baptismal at Christ Church Parish[16];
parents James and Ann; no later Census. Anna married Charles Robinson Jackson
and had one girl, Ella. Anna and her husband are not found in later records and
descendents are unknown. There is a record of burial for Charles and Ella in
Ohio, but not for Anna.
Correspondence
with several descendants has produced some unique historical family held
photos. These are shown here: left to right, Harriet, Emma and Anna
[3] Proceedings of the Huguenot Society of Great
Britain & Ireland, Volume 26, Issues 1-4; Huguenot Society of Great Britain and Ireland,
The Society, 1997
[4] The Charter and By-laws of the Corporation of the
Governor and Directors of the Hospital for Poor French Protestants and
Their Descendants Residing in Great Britain
[6] Ancestry.com. U.S. War Bounty Land Warrants,
1789-1858 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc,
2007.
[9] Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania; Collection Name: Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records;
Reel: 240
[12] Year: 1880; Census Place: Baltimore, Baltimore
(Independent City), Maryland; Roll: 504; Family History Film: 1254504; Page:
590C; Enumeration District: 178; Image: 0201
