Dubose ancestors were French Huguenots

Published 12:00 am Saturday, December 5, 2009

A third line of the DuBose families who had descendants to reside in Covington County will be featured in today’s column. Members of this family have done extensive research on their DuBose heritage. The earliest ancestor to be identified is Gueffin Dubose (Dubosc) who was born in 1432 in Roen, France, and died in 1519 in Coquereaumont, France. He was married to a young French lady named Isabelle.

The Dubose ancestors were among the French Huguenots who left France seeking religious freedom. A later descendant of Gueffin DuBose, Isaac DuBose Sr., left France circa 1685 and migrated to Charles Towne in the Carolina province. He settled along the Santee River and was eventually residing in the French Santee community near Charleston, S.C. This means the Duboses would have been some of the earliest families to settle in that area. They thrived and received many land grants and plats from the government. Isaac Sr.’s will was dated in 1714.

Isaac DuBose was the son of Louis Du Bose, born in Dieppe, Normandy, France. Louis was married to d’Anne Du Bose who was born ca 1656 in France as well. The names of their other children were not found in the available genealogy on this family.

Isaac DuBose was born circa 1665 in France and was married in 1688, soon after he arrived in this country, to Susanne Couillandeau, daughter of Pierre Couillandeau, Jr. He died in 1721 in the French Santee community.

Isaac Sr. and Susanne reared the following children: Elizabeth, b. ca 1691, d. 1736; Isaac Jr., b. ca 1693, d. 1742; Daniel, b. ca 1695, d. ca 1755; Stephen, b. ca 1701; Peter, b. ca 1705; John, b. ca 1706, d. 1778; Andrew, b. 1712, d. ca 1787; Martha, b. ca 1723; Rebecca, b. ca 1725; and Mary, b. ca 1727.

The son, Andrew DuBose Sr. and his wife, ? Carter, d/o George Sinclair, had at least the following children: Andrew Jr, b. ca 1750, d. 1806, m Elizabeth (Betsy) Mims; Peter, b. 1755, d. 1846, m. Elaine Worthington; Elisha; Elizabeth, m. Zachariah Norwood, and possibly two unnamed females.

Andrew Sr.’s son, Andrew DuBose Jr., and his wife, Betsy (Mims), lived and died in South Carolina. They reared the following children in that state: Genetta, b. 1771, m. (1) Jehu Mixon II (2) John Hurst; Penelope; Rhoda, m. Allan Grooms (2) ? Locklier; Peter Jr. , b. ca 1774, d. 1850, m. Elizabeth ?; John, b. ca 1784, d. ca 1860, m. Mary Polk; Sinclair C., b. ca 1790, d. 1869, m. Rebeckah Hudson; and Jenetta, b. ca 1798.

Andrew Jr.’s son, John DuBose, was born in South Carolina, but he later moved his family to Union, Fla. He was married to Mary Polk, daughter of Thomas and Lucy (Moore) Polk. They reared at least the following three children: Ezekiel Dossy, b. 1825, d. 1900, m. Cassandra Ann Perniece; Sarah Ann Elizabeth, b. 1827, d. 1883, m. Wesley Clark; and Allefare (Allaphaire), b. 1829, d. 1903, m. John Milligan. All three children died and were buried in Florida.

Andrew Jr.’s son, Sinclair C. DuBose, was first married to Mary Rebecca Hudson (1795-1842). They had the following children: Henry James, b. 1820, d. 1859; William “K.,” b. 1821, d. 1860; Joshua Thomas, b. 1822, d. 1858; Benjamin C., b. 1826, d. 1880; Sewel Wesley, b. 1826, d. 1888, m. 1848 Elizabeth Brockinton; Gehue Columbus, b. 1827, d. 1899; Francis A., b. 1830, d. 1868; Eliza A., b. 1831; John C., b. 1837, d. 1900; and Mary, b. 1839, d. 1871.

Sinclair C. DuBose and his second wife, Elizabeth “Eliza” Ann (Huggins), reared the following three children: Robert S., b. 1841; Andrew E., b. 1843; and Herbert S., b. 1845. Sinclair was married a third time to Adeline Huggins, but they did not have any children.

Another son of Sinclair, Benjamin C. DuBose, was married in South Carolina circa 1845 to Elizabeth ?. They had the following children: John Wesley, b. 1844, d. 1908, m. 1871 Lucy Ann Hamilton (1857-1908); Easter, b. ca 1846; Ellen, b. ca 1848; James, b. ca. 1850; George, b. ca 1852; and Emily E., b. 1848. Benjamin C. later was married to ? Vess or Wilson, and they moved to Georgia and reared a family there.

Sinclair’s son, Sewel Wesley DuBose, was married in 1848 in Cypress of Lee County, South Carolina, to Elizabeth Ann Gwynn Jenkins (1833-1909), daughter of Samuel Dupre and Helen Elizabeth (Brockinton) Jenkins. She was the granddaughter of James Jenkins, a pioneer Methodist minister.

Sewel Wesley and Elizabeth DuBose reared the following children: Martha DuPre, b. 1849, d. 1918, m. 1865 Francis Marion Large (1843-1874) CSA veteran; Mary Henrietta, b. 1851, d. 1897, m. 1868 Alexander S. McKenzie; Helen Rebecca Elizabeth, b. 1853, d. in infancy; James Joshua, b. 1855, d. 1895, m. 1880 Aletha Hill (1861-1896); Lela Carentine, b. 1859, d. 1881, m. 1875 Lemuel B. Jordan (1859-1910); Samuel Wesley P., b. 1861, d. 1927, m. (1) 1881 Annie Parham (2) 1900 Maggie Parham; William Brockinton, b. 1863, m. (1) 1885 Henrietta Eavely (2) 1888 Mattie Parham (3) 1899 Janie Parham (4) 1905 Edna Earl Scarborough; Robert McKendree, b. 1866, d. 1921, m. 1893 Esther A. DuBose; Walter Jenkins, b. 1868, m. 1888 Leila Alexander; Edward Benton, b. 1870, m. 1890 Armeda Butler; Sallie Jenkins, b. 1873, d. 1896, single; Charles Bunyan, b. 1875, d. 1956, m. 1909 Martha Parnell (1888-1945); and Toland Duncan, b. 1877, d. 1896, single.

Sinclair’s son, Jehu or Gehue Columbus DuBose, was born in 1827 in South Carolina and was married there in Kershaw to Nancy Welch. They left the state during the 1850s to Vernon and Crossville, Ala. They returned to South Carolina during the 1890s, and Jehu died there in 1900.

Jehu and Nancy DuBose reared the following children: Martha, m. ? Galloway; Elizabeth, m. ? Wilson; Huger; John; Peter; Gilbey, m. Alice Devine; Samuel Sinkler, b. 1860, d. 1935, m. Medorea Ellen Corbett; Mollie, m. ? Devine; Mary; Monroe, m. Hattie Joye.

Sinclair’s son, Francis A. DuBose, was married in 1853 in South Carolina to Mary Elizabeth Bailey. They chose to move to Chilton County, Ala., and made that their home. He served in the War Between the States and returned home, but he died soon afterwards. He was buried in the Jemison Cemetery, near Clanton. His widow, Mary Elizabeth, later made her home in Fayette County, Ala.

Francis and Mary Elizabeth reared the following children: Rebecca, m. Joe Dobbs; Mary Margaret, b. 1860, d. 1951, m. 1883 James Ben Cunningham (1857-1942; Elizabeth Della, b. 1873, d. 1960, m. (1) Poet V. Nuchols (1875-1918) (2) ? McCrory; Frank, d. from a horse kicking him; and William Jackson, m. Mary Frances Corbett.

In next week’s column, an additional son of Sinclair DuBose, William K. DuBose, will be featured. A number of his descendants have lived in the Andalusia area and throughout Covington and surrounding counties.

The source for this writing includes the family records of William “Bill” DuBose of Pensacola, Fla. Appreciation is expressed to him for making these available for today’s column.

Anyone who might have a correction to the above genealogy or additional information on this DuBose family is requested to contact this writer by writing to Curtis Thomasson, at 20357 Blake Pruitt Road, Andalusia, AL 36420; calling 334-222-6467; or e-mailing cthomasson@centurytel.net.