Rev. Elias Prioleau

Rev Samuel PRIOLEAU (1615 - 1683) was Pastor at Jonzac in 1637, Niort in

1642, and followed JeanConstans as Pastor at Pons, France, from 1654 to

1683. In 1660, he was for a brief time Pastor at La Rochelle. In Pons, he

defended the faith with superhuman courage in the dark days when Louis XIV

was being pressed by the Jesuits and clergy to strip the Reformed Churches

of the rights granted by the Edict of Nantes. In 1667, Samuel Prioleau was

Moderator at the Synod of Pons, where Reformed Church leaders tried to rally

support. Later, the title of pastor was denied and they were prohibited from

wearing clerical robes. There were many other restrictions imposed. Pastor

Prioleau preached boldly in his pulpit against these restrictions. His words

were taken down and serious charges were prepared against him by a Father

Mayac. In spite of efforts by prominent citizens of Pons, he was condemned,

imprisoned for a year, and ordered to pay a fine of 600 pounds to the

catholic priests so that they might "pray for the extirpation of heresy". In

1677, he gave "A Huguenot Exhortation" which is reprinted in French and

translated into English in the Transactions # 26 of the SC Huguenot Society

in 1921. The last years of his life were full of distress. For a short time,

he was assisted by his son Elias, just returned from theological studies in

Geneva. When he died in 1683, Elias was called to be his successor.(1)



Rev Elias PRIOLEAU (1659 - 1699) studied theology at Geneva and was Pastor

at La Mothe - SaintHeraye after 1678. In 1683, he followed his father as

minister at Pons and was subject to the same persecutions. In Feb 1684,

DuVigier, Councillor of the Parliament at Bordeaux, charged with looking

into religious infractions, came to Pons with 2 monks and demanded all the

church papers. One monk, La Roussie, made extracts of all of the Prioleau

sermons, distorted them and gave them to the Deputy Commissary. The other,

Mayan, who had persecuted the pastor's father, formulated 16 charges against

him. These were finally dismissed, but persecutions increased. On 22 Oct

1685, the Edict of Nantes was revoked, protestant churches were ordered

destroyed, ministers were ordered to leave France in 15 days, and parents

were ordered to present their children for catholic baptism under penalty of

a 500 pound fine. Prioleau did not leave at once and organized secret

assemblies. On April 15, 1686, his church was battered by a mob and burned

to the ground. He escaped to England and stayed there for over a year. He

obtained rights of denization to Carolina on April 15, 1687. Having been

granted 8 pounds by the King to defray the costs, he sailed for Charles Town

with his wife and daughter.(1)



...

Elisee Prioleau was the son of Elisee, minister of Niort,

1639-1650. He was minister of Exoudun, Poitou, 1649-1663.--(Lievre,

Hist. des prot. et des eglises ref. du Poitou,

III., 288, 306.) Samuel, a younger son of the pastor of

Niort, was minister of Pons in Saintonge, from 1650 to 1683.

He was succeeded in that charge by his son Elie Prioleau,

who came after the Revocation with some members of his

flock to Charleston, S. C. (2)



...

Mr. Prioleau, his wife Jane, and their two children, Jane and Elias, 

were denizened April 9, 1687, in London. There is a possibility

of their having gone to Carolina before that date, for after

having taken the oath of allegiance, papers of denization

could have been issued to them in absentia on the above date.

Mr. Prioleau was not naturalized in Carolina until June 14,

1697. (2)

See Letters of Denization, page 190.



Thus we see the greater part of a congregation, forsaking

Pons, in France, emigrating by way of Great Britain, where

they were presented with letters of denization, and being

transported as a church organization led by its minister, to

continue its life in South Carolina. Mr. Prioleau there was

associated with the Rev. Philippe Trouillard. This church

represents the principles of the Reformed Church of France

in its purest period. These people came as the professors of

its faith. They brought over and established its worship in

Carolina. (2)





"List of French and Swiss Protestants Settled in Charleston"

by Daniel Ravenel as published by Theodore Gaillard Thomas

New York, Feb 18, 1888.



The present publication is made from a volume of the

City Gazette in the Treasury Office of Charleston,

kindly lent me for the purpose by the Hon. P.

C. GAILLARD, Mayor.



The names with an asterisk (*) have the word

"Fridenizons" or "Fridenize" in the margin of

the manuscript. Opposite the name of I. CAILLABEUF,

the note is "Fridenize 2 fois."



These notes refer, no doubt, to grants of civil

privileges from the Lords Proprietors, or from the

King. One of the names with the asterisk is that

of the Rev. ELIAS PRIOLEAU. I am in possession

of a notarial certificate of "Letters Patent of Denzation"

granted to him and his family on the 15th

of April, in the third year of James II. It is dated

"London, 25 April, 1687." As the document be

longs to the history of the Colony at that period a

copy is added in an appendix.





Liste





   Des Francois Et Suisses Refugiez En Caroline Qui

       Souhaittent D'etre Naturalizes Anglois.





  1. *ELIAS PRIOLEAU, fils de Samuel Prioleau et

       de Jeanne Merlat, ne a en Xaintonge

       en France.

     Jeanne Burgeaud, sa femme, ne en L'isle de Re.

     Jeanne, leur fille, nee a St. Jean D'Angely.

     Samuel, Marie, et Ester, leurs enfans nez en

       Caroline.

...





Appendix



 A Certificate of the Denization of Elias Prioleau

             His Wife and Children.



I, Nicholas Hayward, Notary & Tabellion Public

dwelling in London, admitted & sworn, do hereby

certify and attest unto all whom it may concern,

That I have seen & perused certain Letters Patents

of Denization, granted by our Soveraign Lord King

JAMES the Second, under the Broad Seal of

England, dated the Fifteenth day of April, in the

Third year of his said Majesties Reign; Wherein,

amongst others, is inserted the Names of Elias

Prioleau, Clerk, Jane his wife, Elias and Jane their

children, who, though born beyond seas, are made

His Majesties Liege Subjects, and to us held,

reported, and taken as subjects born in this Kingdom

of England; and may, as such, purchase, buy,

sell and dispose of Lands, Tenements, and Hereditaments

in this Kingdom, or any other of his Majesties

dominions, as freely peaceably & entirely as

any subject born in this Kingdom; and that the

said Elias Prioleau, Clerk, Jane his Wife, Elias and

Jane their Children, by Virtue of the said Letters

Patents, are to pay Custom and Duties for their

Goods and Merchandise only as Natives do and

ought to do and to enjoy all Liberties, Privileges

and Franchises of Subjects born in this Kingdom,

without any disturbance, impediment or molestation,

as by the said Patent, relation being thereunto had,

may more at large appear. Of all which, Act being

required of me, the said Notary, I have granted

these Presents to serve and avail the said Elias

Prioleau, Clerk, Jane his Wife, Elias and Jane their

Children, in time & place convenient.



London, the 25th day of Aprill Anno Dom. 1687.





          In Testimonium Veritatis, signo meo

             Manuali solito sigavi & Tabellionatus

 [SEAL.]     mei Sigillum apposui rogatus.



                NICo. HAYWARD, No. Pub.





           Certe Naturalization, Elias Prioleau, Minister of

                       Ye Gospel. 1697 Carolina.





             The Rt Honble JOSEPH BLAKE,

           Esqr One of the true & absolute Lords

 [SEAL.]   and Proprietors of Carolina, Commander

           in Chief, Vice-Admiral and Governor

           Genl of South Carolina.





To all Judges, Justices, Magistrates, Ministers

and Officers Ecclesiastical and Civil and to all

persons whatsoever, to whom this shall come to be

seen, heard, read or known, Greeting.

Know ye that Elias Prioleau, Minister of ye Gospel,

and Janne his daughter, born under the allegiance

of the King of France, hath taken the Oath

of allegiance to our most Royal Sovereign William

the Third, over England, Scotland, France, and

Ireland King, Defender of the faith, and hath done

every other thing which by Act of Assembly made

at Charlestown, in the ninth year of the Reign of

our Sovereign Lord King William, Anno Dom.

One Thousand Six hundred & Ninety Six and

Seven, entitled An Act to make Aliens free of this

part of this Province and for giving Liberty of

Conscience to all Protestants, he was required to

do, and fully & effectualy, to all intents, constructions

& purposes qualified and capacitated to have,

use and enjoy all the privileges, Powers and Immunity

of any person born in the Kingdom of

England, to certify which I have hereunto sett my

hand and fixed the public Seal of the province att

Charlestown this Third day of June Anno 1697,





                           JOSEPH BLAKE.





Recorded in the Secretary's Office, June the 4th

1697, pr me



                              JA. MOORE,

                                   Secretary.





Memorials of the Hugenots In America, with Special Reference To Their

Emigration To Pennsylvania, Chapter IV, Huguenot Settlements in

America by Rev. A. Stapleton, Life Member of the Pennsylvania Historical

Society, 1901. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 64-19753



Postscript - An comparison of the Pons Huguenot Church registry 1648-1680

to the list of families denized on the same day as Rev. Prioleau does not

support the assertion that many of the Pons Church members went with the

pastor to England and then to Charleston.  Ray Timmons 3-Jan-2004 



(1) Personal email from Horry Frost Prioleau, 22 May 2003.



(2)The Huguenots of Colonial South Carolina, 

By Arthur Henry Hirsch, Professor of History In Ohio Wesleyan 

University, 1928, Duke University Press, Chapter III, Page 5.



(3)Happy Heritage, By Lyndon Lee Cannon