Varnado, Leonard (b. 1717, d. 1795)

Note: The Ancestry of Leonard Vernedeau

by W.W.Varnedoe, Jr.

5 October 1999

The first hard, documented fact we know about Leonard Vernedeau is that he was granted a license to trade on the Savannah River by the British Crown Colony of South Carolina on 9 April 1736. From that time on he left a broad trail which is well documented. We know whom he married and who his descendants are down to today.

But where was he born? When? These are questions that have eluded us. Here is what we know

There is a line of Varnedores in South Carolina who trace themselves to an Adam Varnedore. There is also a book, The Mobley’s, Their Connections by W.W.Dixon, which tells a wild tale of an Adam Varnedore accompanying a Mobley from Ireland to Pennsylvania, then to South Carolina. This fits none of our known facts and Adam is, no doubt, just another descendant of our Leonard Vernadeau.

One member of our family, John Varnedoe, who was descended from Henry Varnedore, one of Leonard’s sons, had an oral tradition in his family that Leonard was born in 1717 and Leonard’s father born in 1682; his father in 1657 and his father in 1628, all without names or places. Actually, the 1717 date for Leonard’s birth seems quite reasonable since he must have been at least 16 years old to obtain that trading license, yet he married in 1742 and fathered children well into the 1750s. John’s tradition had Leonard and his father as the only members of the family escaping a massacre in the Vivarais Province of France.

I once corresponded with a Varnado (one of the western branch of the family) who had letters from a British genealogist showing Leonard and his father in London, England. It seems that there was a tombstone with Vernedeau carved on it which this person claimed to have seen. However, after paying this genealogist(?) to document the find, he claimed the cemetery had been destroyed and was no longer visible, but only after getting more fees from our family member. I believe he was robbed, and that no such tombstone ever existed. It is true that some Huguenots did migrate to England and some then move on to America, but this is pretty thin evidence for our Leonard.

I have several letters from a French Lawyer named Pierre Vernadeau who lived in Paris, France. Now deceased, he thought he was the last of the French Vernadeaus. He wrote that he had traced his family back as far as the French Revolution in 1795. Unfortunately, this is not far enough to get back to our Leonard, who was already in America by then. Pierre claimed the revolution had destroyed the parish records. He wrote that his family came from the Limousine District of France, and that the name Leonard
was a frequent one in his family, being named for a famous Limousine Saint. He stated that a fragment of data listed a Vernhaudi in the Bishopric of Limoges. ( the "di" could well be a Latin grammatical ending for "do" or "du.") Limoges is in the Limousine.

Pierre also concurred that the name derives from the root VERNE, an old French word for an Alder tree. This leads to Vernet(e) as meaning an Alder grove. Add "de eau" (by water) to distinguish which Alder grove, then put it all together and get VERNED’EAU meaning "An Alder Grove by the Water."

In the Dictionaire etymologique des noms de lieux en France there is a city called Vernet-les-Bains in the Rousillon district, derived from the name Verneto. Bear in mind that Old French, like Old English spelled phonetically. Thus, "Verneto" sounds exactly like "Vernedeau" in French. Its mayor has written me that Vernet-les-Bains is indeed a " villedeau," although there is no one with the name Vernedeau living there now. However, it is very close to the Spanish border in the Pyrenees mountains. I have corresponded with some Verneda families in Barcelona who say they came from the Pyrenees area. Verneda in Catalan, the language of Barcelona, means, " An Alder Grove by Water." This is confirmed by their Coat of Arms (which they sent me) which shows two trees by a band of water. However, these arms were granted too late (1756) to be ancestral to our branch. Nor were the Vernedas able to trace themselves back into the early 1700s. This lead also ended.

In Reitstap’s Memorial, there is a Coat of Arms listed for the Verneto name in Vaud. Vaud is now in Switzerland, but may have been in France onc

Despite Pierre Vernadeau’s idea that all parish registers were destroyed, he was obviously mistaken because the Parish Registers of St. Maurice La Souterraine, Dept. of Creuse (part of the Limousine) list Gabriel Vernadaud (1685), Francis Vernadaud (1691), Pierre Vernadaud (1695), Leonard Vernadaud ( La Terrade 1699), Marguerite Vernadaud (1695), then that Francis Vernadaud married Jean Ducet (1687) and Francis Vernadaud married Simon Poujaud. These odd spellings could well be merely phonetic versions, (after all, look how the Rev. Geissendanner spelled our name!) "La Terrade" is a location near La Souterrain. I have been told that Vernadaud is a legitimate way to pronounce "Vernadeau" in French. If this Leonard is our Leonard, using John Varnedoe’s dates, we might be able to stretch back our ancestors’ names two more generations. Note that this parish date of 1699 will fit the American record but not John’s oral tradition. However, these could be death not birth dates, in which case, this Leonard could be our Leonard’s father. Somewhere along the line a belief arose among the Varnados that Leonard’s father was named Henri. I do not know the source of this.

Recently, a story has surfaced from John C. Varnadoe who put me in contact with Bill Hutto. Bill in tracing Sarah Hutto's husband, our Leonard Vernadeau, had him born near Limoges, in the Limousine in 1717, died 1794 in Orangeburg, South Carolina. He gives Leonard’s father's name as Jean Vernadeau, born 1682 near Limoges, Married Anna ? and died 1735 in London. He tells me he has no references. This sounds like a composite of what I had written in my early book, "Leonard Varnedeau and Sarah Hutto, Three Generations," except for the "Jean and Anna," which are new. Much of this has been written, piece-meal, in the newsletter, "Varnado Genealogist," when it was published by Harrell Varnado.

I would guess that the family could have arisen in Vernet-les-Bains, then split up during the religious wars, part crossing the Pyrenees, others going to the Limousine. From there some, the Huguenots, came to America, some, perhaps Catholic, stayed in France.

So there we are today. I sure would like to see the actual Parish registers in France. But where?

Vernet-les Bains, as pointed by the linguistic evidence and as the Catalans think, Vivarais as in John’s oral tradition, or St. Maurice La Souterraine in the Limousine, as the one record seems to indicate along with Pierre Vernadeaus belief, or elsewhere? And did he come directly to America or briefly stop in England?

Note: [Pg70.FTW]

Jan 4 1777 Elizabeth Strickland was wife of David Strickland
Henry Strickland deed to Joseph Strickland for land given him by David S. 1799
deed to Henry Strickland 1795 12/20 (1790c 3 2 5 0 0)

Note: In. 1812 BRADFORD SETTLED ON THE DRY PRONG OF SILVER CREEK. HE PURCHASED PROPERTY FROM WILLIAM G. AND MARTHA WHEAT In. 1812.
MOVED FROM MISS. In. 1816 TO WASHINGTON Parish WHERE HE SERVED AS JUSTICE OF THE PEACE Ca.. 1830'S. LISTED In. THE 1820 WASH. P. CENSUS.

Note: DRUSILLA IS LIVING WITH HER SON, WILLIAM, In. THE 1850 WASH. P. CENSUS.

Note: [Pg70.FTW]

THOMAS MARSHALL, of Westmoreland County, Va., b. 1655; will probated 31st May, 1704; m. Martha SHERWOOD (dau. of Philip Sherwood
This information is from, Colonial families of the United States of America: Volume 1

Note: [Pg70.FTW]

Simeon's son Jefferson A. Boyd born 1832 and died in a hospital in
Okolona, Ms. on 26 Apr 1862. He was serving with the 38th Mississippi Calvary
CSA when he died. He was buried in the Wiley Elliott Cemetery, Lawrence Co,
Ms

Note: [Pg70.FTW]

Andrew Boyd 1770-1856 And His Descendants
Published 1993. Compiled and Collected by Tempe Fenn Crosby, Vjirginia
Redmond Kerr, Judy Young Killingsworth and Pearl Boyd Young.

According to the 1850 Pike Co, Ms census, Andrew Boyd was born ca 1770 in
Ireland. He died 11 Jan 1856 in Pike Co, Ms. and is believed to be buried in
the Bogue Chitto Baptist Church Cemetery in Pike Co, Ms. He was living in the
household of his son Anderson when this census was taken. According to the
census he was a teacher.

Simeon Boyd was his 3rd son born 20 May 1811 Jefferson Co, Ga and died 5 Feb 873 at his home in Lawrence Co, Ms. He is buried in the Bogue Chitto Baptist hurch cemetery in Pike Co, Ms.

Simeon's son Jefferson A. Boyd born 1832 and died in a hospital in
Okolona, Ms. on 26 Apr 1862. He was serving with the 38th Mississippi Calvary
CSA when he died. He was buried in the Wiley Elliott Cemetery, Lawrence Co,
Ms.

Information courtesy of Mr. Harry Boyd

Note: [Permace.FTW]

1.James/Jeams 2.Quaker recs North Carolina & Va 3.Berley,North Carolina births, deaths & marriages 4.deeds & land recs 5.wills 6.07 Jun 1699 marriage bann: James Newby of Little River proposed intention of marriage to Sarah Nicholson of Pacqumance [Perquimans]

Note: Samuel was a Veteran of the Civil War serving with Company K, 39th Mississippi Infantry. His grave marker gives neither date of birth nor death. He is buried in the Varnado-Fendalson Cemetery, Washington Parish, La..

Note: [Strahan Family Reunion .FTW]

STRAHAN, HENRY WILSON, b. 9-2-1904, d. 9-21-1987, buried next to
Frances Ficklin

Strahan Cemetery, Washington Parish, Louisiana
LOCATED: In Ward 3, Washington Parish, La.., 0.1 mile of
Poplarhead Rd., South of Franklinton-Bogalusa Hwy., T3S, R11E.
Source: Cemetery Records: Louisiana, Vol. III, page 33