Page:Protestant Exiles from France Agnew vol 1.djvu/292

 

“To two poor learned French preachers” Robert Nowell extended his bounty at the St. Bartholomew period. I have no information regarding them. Here is the entry in his “Spending of the Money”:—

Too towe poor larned prechers frenche one m$r.$ sexton, the other sengreins, the viij$o.$ of Martche A$o.$ 1573. . . Xs.

[Perhaps the name of the former was Sacristain or Secretan.]  

An English clergyman, being a French Protestant by birth, was, along with Jane, his wife, naturalized at Westminster on 4th April 1685, namely, John Du Charol. This was evidently the true spelling of his surname, although in order to obtain a true pronunciation he anglicized it into Sharoll. In his Will the name is spelt Sharole, but this may be a mistake of the copying clerk. In Westminster Abbey there is “a grave-stone of grey marble” with this epitaph:—

Anthony a Wood gives us his incorporation in the University of Oxford on 9th June 1684:— “John Chrysostom du Charoll, M.A. of Avignon (who had taken that degree there in 1669), was incorporated by virtue of the (Duke of Ormond) Chancellor’s letters, which say that he had served in his Maj. Chap. Royal as one of the daily chaplains for seven or eight years past.” He had been sworn in as a Gentleman of the Chapel-Royal on 26th October 1676. In his Will, dated 23d July 1687, he gives the additional information that he was the Chaplain of the Earl of Arran’s regiment of horse, and one of the four Minor Canons of Westminster Abbey. In the Cheque Book of the Chapel-Royal he is called “Mr. John Chrissostome Dusharoll” on his admission, and “Mr. John Sharole” when he “departed this life the 5 day of August 1687.” His Will was entirely in favour of his wife, Jane, except a legacy of £100 to Elizabeth, daughter of Simon Beranger of London, merchant.  

There is another family of this name in the Canterbury registers. I may here remark that the final x being mute, and the two letters s and i alone being pronounced, like the English word see, this surname was liable to be spelt in a great variety of ways. Anthoine Sys was an elder in Canterbury, and died there on 26th June 1603; he is described, according to my correspondent, as sel ancien — perhaps the registrar meant to write feu ancien (late elder). Anthoine’s son, Thomas Six, is described in the Canterbury French Church register as a native of Nauville; he was twice married, and by his second wife, Marie Lecallette, had a son, Samuel, who was baptized in Threadneedle Street, London, on 28th April 1639. Samuel Six married Francoise Flecher, and their son Jean was baptized in Threadneedle Street on 6th March 1664 (n.s.). Jean Six married Marie Morillon, and was buried at Thorp-le-Soken in Essex, 4th April 1705. There we have to leave the record of his death, and the persons of his widow and his two surviving children, Ester-Marie and Jean (born 1700).  

Benjamin de Rohan, Seigneur de Soubise, was the brother of the famous Henri, Due de Rohan. He was born in 1583, and presented for baptism by four magistrates of La Rochelle. He aided the Duke in his war with Louis XIII. and Richelieu; but was more engaged in diplomacy and collateral military and naval projects than in fighting along with the main body. He served brilliantly both by land and by sea. He came on an unsuccessful mission to England in 1622, but Louis XIII. having proclaimed him guilty of high treason, he did not dare to return to France till the end of 1623. Again, in 1625, he distinguished himself both as a General and an Admiral, but had to retreat with twenty-two of his ships to England. In 1627 he visited England again as a Huguenot envoy, and obtained permission to levy men and ships for the defence of La Rochelle, and came back in