Sometimes things happen that make researching old documents interesting, exciting and fun. Such was the case with newly-approved ancestors Daniel Thibaut and Marie Magdelaine Foy.

We became acquainted with their names when a prospective member brought in his copy of the book Tebeau. A History & Genealogy of Daniel Thibaut, His Descendants and Related Families by Joyce Tebeau Long. He asked if we could determine whether or not Daniel Thibaut and his wife Marie Madelaine Foy would be accepted as ancestors by the Huguenot Society of South Caorlina. They were among the first settlers who immigrated to Georgia with Oglethorpe, leaving Gravesend 6 Nov 1732 on board the Ann with 35 other families, 114 people, plus crew. Joyce Long did a masterful job of research, both on the Thibaut family and on their voyage to Georgia and their life there. We were able to document the lineage for five generations using her references and information.

Ms. Long had not been able to find any definitive proof that the Thibault family was Huguenot, and there was a question as to whether they were English or French. The entry for them in the list of settlers made no mention of their nationality, but Daniel Thibaut was listed as “knows vines” and “vintager.” He was believed to have been about 50 years of age and his wife 40. They were listed with two children, James, aged 12, and Diana, aged 7. With this information and the searchable files of the French churches in London (the Quarto volumes published by the Huguenot Society of Great Britain and Ireland) and the Indices to those files (compiled by researchers of the Huguenot Society of Australia) and with a bit of luck and some knowledge of French, I found the following:

On 20 Feb 1683/4 Daniel Tibaud and his son, from Niort, Poitou, France, received aid from the Relief Fund of the French Church of London, Threadneedle Street. We cannot be certain at this point whether or not this was the ancestor Daniel, who would have been a very young child, and his father or if it were someone else.
(Quarto 49: 181)

On 17 Jun 1705 Daniel Tebaut witnessed the marriage of Sieur Jacques Thebaut of Poitou and Mary Sergeant of London. It is possible this was Daniel Thebault who came to Georgia, but we cannot be certain. If it was, then it is also possible that he and Jacques Thebaut were brothers or at least close cousins. Jacques could also have been his father or uncle.
(Quarto 45: 52, #1107)

 On 25 Jun 1721 at the Threadneedle Street Church, the baptism of Jacques Tebault, son of Daniel Tebault and Marie Magdelaine, his wife, was witnessed by Jacques Tebault and Francoise Larchais. Again, it is not known what their relationship was, but it is likely that Jacques Tebault was a close relative of Daniel Tebault.
(Quarto 23: 67m)

On 5 Aug 1722 Samuel Tabaut (sic), born 13 Aug, son of Daniel T[abaut] and Marie Madeleine Foy was baptized at the same church, with witnesses Samuel La Fosse and Marie Tabau.  
(Quarto 23: 76b)

On 21 Jul 1723 Pierre Thebault, born 6 Jul, son of Daniel T[hebault] and Marie Madelaine Foy, was baptized at the Threadneedle Street church, witnessed by Jean Pierre DuPuis and Marie Jeanne la Fosse.
(Quarto 23: 83k)

On 2 Jan 1726 Dinna Tibot, born 16 Dec 1725, daughter of Daniel T[ibot] & Marie Magdelaine, his wife, was baptized at the same church, with Etienne Saugé and Dinna La Fosse as witnesses.
Quarto 23: 103j)

From the entries listed above, we now know that Daniel Thebault married Marie Magdelaine Foy possibly by c. 1716 and that they had four children, two of whom, Samuel and Pierre, died before the family left for Georgia in 1732. We can surmise that Daniel Thebault was in England, possibly by 1683/4 or 1705. The relationship with the other witnesses at the baptisms has not been explored. Since witnesses were often family or close friends, more information may be found. Also unexplored are the Departmental Archives in Niort, France which may contain more information about the family and the flight from France.

Of course, sometimes information which “muddies the water” turns up. The following entries were also found.

On 8 May 1715 Isaac, born 5 May the son of Jean Bonneau and Marie Madelaine Foy, was born. His godfather was Isaac Foy and his godmother Francoise Bonneau, living in Her Street.  Quarto 11: 81. It is possible that Jean Bonneau and his son Isaac died and that Marie Madelaine Foy then married a second time. It is also possible that this was a completely different person from the wife of Daniel Thebault.

On 5 Aug 1716 Marie Thibault witnessed the baptism of Jaques Le Doux, son of Jaques le Doux and his wife Marie. Jean le Feau was the other witness. The identity of Marie Thibault is not known, but usually (not always), women were identified by their maiden names, so it is likely that she was a Thibault.
(Quarto 23: 32w)]

The following entry doesn’t shed any light, but does indicate that there was a link between the Bonneau and Tebaut families. On 12 Jul 1696 the banns between Anne Bonneau, daughter of deceased Jacques Bonneau and deceased Marie Tebaut, native of Fontenay in Poitou, and Michel Angelier, widower, native of the city of Mer were published in the French Church in Canterbury.
(Quarto 5: 545)

We welcome comments and/or additions to the information we have about Daniel Thebault and Marie Magdelaine Foy.