The History of the French Huguenots at the Cape of Good Hope

Although the group of French Huguenots that came to South Africa were relative small many South Africans descend from this group. According to one source about 279 French Huguenots lived in the Cape by 1729. 

The first Huguenote Francois Villion (today spelled Viljoen) arrived at the Cape of Good Hope in October 1771.  In 1785 Jean de Long (today spelled De Lange) and his family arrived at the Cape.  In 1786 year the brothers Francois and Guillaume du Toit arrived at the Cape.

After the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1785 the stream of French Huguenots increased and the biggest groups arrived during 1788 and 1789.  The first ship with Huguenots that landed at Table Bay was the Oosterland that arrived on 28 April 1688.  Another ship the Oosterland also already entered Saldanha Bay.  Other ships followed like the Borssenburg, De Schelde, the Berg China, the Zuid-Beveland and the Wapen van Alkmaar.  After 1689 smaller groups of Huguenots continue to arrive at the Cape.

The following is a list of some of these Huguenots that arrived in the Cape:

Abraham de Villiers x Susanna Gardiol
Abraham le Clercq (le Clerc, de Clercq, de Klerk), x Magdalena Mouton
Abraham Vivier, x Jacquemine du Preez
André Gauch (Gaucher, Gous, Gouws), x Jacqueline Decre xx Jean de Clercq,
Antoine Faure, x Rachel de Villliers
Charles Marais, x Catherine Taboureux
Daniel Hugot (Hugod, Hugo) x Anne Rousseau
Daniel Nourtier (Nortier, Nortjé), x Marie Vitu
David Senecal /Sénécal (Senechal, Senekal), x Marie Madeleine du Puys
Engelbertus Costeux (Caucheteux), x Elisabeth Clinquermeur
Estienne Bruére (Bruwer), x Ester de(s) Ruelles; xx Suzanne du Puis (Susanna du Puys)
Estienne Terreblanche (Terreblanque, Terblanche, Terblans), x Marthe le Fèvre
François Bastiaans (Bastiaanse); x Anna Maria de Leeuw
François du Toit, x Susanna Seugnet
François Guilliaumé (Gilliomee), x Claudine Eloy
François le Sueur x Johanna Swellengrebel
François Retif (Retief), x Marie Mouy
Francois Villion (Viljoen), x Cornelia Campenaar
Gideon Malherbe, x Marie Grillion
Guillaume du Toit x Sara Cochet
Guillaume Néel (Nel), x Jeanne la Batte
Hercule des Prez (des Près, des Pres, du Pré, du Preez), x Cecilia d’Atis
Ignace Maré, x Susanna van Vuuren
Isaac Taillefert (Taillefer), x Suzanne Briet
Jacques Bisseux (Bisseau), x Marie le Fèbvre, xx Isabeaux Pochox
Jacques de Savoye and Madeleine le Clercq
Jacques de Villiers x Marguerite Gardiol
Jacques Delporte (de la Porte, Delport), x Sara Vitu
Jacques Malan, x Isabeau (le) Longue
Jacques Mouton, x Katherine L’Hermite, xx Marie de Villiers
Jacques Naudé, x Susanne Taillefert
Jacques Pinard (Pienaar), x Esther Foucher, xx Marthe le Fèbre
Jacques Therond (Theron), x Marie-Jeanne des Pres
Jean Blignault (Blignaut, Blignout), x Anne Rousseau
Jean de Buis (de Buys; de Bus) x Sara Jacobs
Jean Durand, x Anna Vermeulen
Jean Jourdan (Jourdanne, Jordaan), x Elisabeth le Long
Jean le Long (de Lange), x Maria Coche
Jean le Roux, x Marie de Haas
Jean Meinard (Mesnard, Minnaar), x Louise Courbonne
Jean Prieur du Plessis, x Madeleine Menanteau, xx Marie Buisset
Josue Cellier (Celliers, Cillié, Cilliers, Sellier), x Isabeau Couvret.
Louis Cordier (Cortje), x Francoise Martinet
Louis Fourié (Fourie), x Suzanne Cordier, xx Anne Jourdan
Louis le Riche, x Suzanne Fouché
Nicolas de Lanoy (de la Noy, Lanoy), x Marguerite de France
Paul Roux, x Claudine Seugnet
Philippe Foucher (Fouché), x Anne Souchay
Pierre Cronier (Crosnier, Cronjé), x Suzanne Taillefert
Pierre de Villiers, x Marie Elisabeth Taillefert
Pierre Grange (la Grange, le Grange), x Margaretha Kohl/Kool
Pierre Jacob (Jacobs, Jacobse), x Suzanne de Vos
Pierre Joubert, x Suzanne Reyne, xx Isabeau Richarde
Pierre Labuscaigne (Labuschagne, Labuscagne, Labuschaigne) x Anna Maria Bacat
Pierre Lombard (Lombaard) x Marie Couteau
Pierre Meyer x Aletta de Savoye
Pierre Rousseau (Rossouw, Roussouw, Russaar, Rossar), x Anne Retief, xx Gertruida du Toit

Most of these names and surnames can still be found in South Africa of today.

The French Settlers were given farm land and were expect to stay for at least 5 years.  Most of these farms were in the area of today’s Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl and Wellington.  The early years were difficult but with the visit of a missionary group from France a hundred years later the French areas were some of the best areas at the Cape with no debt.  No big decisions were made without consulting an elder and the French area’s had the best food and farming land.  The French language were lost within two generations as the Dutch placed the French in between Dutch farms and prevented the use of French in schools or at church.  The French in many cases married the Dutch as their religious conviction was the same and formed the earliest foundation for today’s Afrikaner.

The French influence in the areas of religion, freedom of belief, culture and agriculture still can be experienced today.   Probably the first literary and theological was the rhyming of a number of Psalms by Pierre Simond. It was published in Amsterdam in 1704 under the title ‘Les Veilles Afriquaines ou les Pseaumes de David mis en vers Francois’ (The Africa night watches or the Psalms of Dawid in French verse form).

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