Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 243, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 October 1910 — Flournoy Family [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Flournoy Family

Every Flournoy in America Is descended from Laurent Foumoy and his wife Gabrielle Mellin. Laurent fled from the Champagne, France, to Geneva, Switzerland, after the Duke of Guise massacred the Protestants at Lassy, in 1662; thus the Flournoys were early sufferers for their religion. His wife Gabrielle was born in Lyons. They had two sons, Jean, born 1674, and Gideon. Jean married Frances Mussard, and they had Jacques, born 1608. He married Judith Puerari, or Puesary. Their son Jacques, born 1657, married Julia Eyrand. , It is interesting to note that “Julia” is a name, which Joined to “Elizabeth,” has been perpetuated to the present day. In every .generation there is an Elizabeth Julia. Laurent was a lapidary, and his sons followed the same trade. The son of Jacques and Julia was Jean Jacques, born November 17, 1666. He Is one of the progenitors of the American branch of Flournoys. Jean Jacques married in Virginia June 23, 1720, Elizabeth, daughter of James Williams and his wife, Elizabeth Buckner, and widow of Orlando Jones. Jean Jacques, immigrant, and Elizabeth had ten children —sons and daughters. The sixth son and youngest child was Colonel Thomas, an ancestor to anchor by. He is a wise descendant who claims him—if he can! Colonel Thomas held offices of various kinds. He was born November 20, 1738. These dates are given for the purpose of filling up aching voids on family charts. He married Anne Martin, who survived him, dying June 1814. Their children were David, Jean Jacques, Elizabeth Julia, Mary, Anne, Lucy Paris and Marcia Martin. Colonel Thomas led the strenuous life. That he usually spelled his name rather laboriously Flowrnoury is neither here nor there. He was under sheriff of Prince Edward county, and later high Bheriff; in 1780 he was member of the house of delegates; in 1777 he was captain of militia and in 1783 commander-in-chief of militia of Prince Edward county. It is an unreasonable grandchild who demands more in the way of a career, from an ancestor. The same year that Jean Jacques came to Virginia or earlier, his uncle Jacob, born in 1663, came over with "sa famme, deux gareous et deux fllles," and made a home at Williamsburg. Jacob was son of Jacques, born 1608, and Judith Puerari. His two boys were named Francis and Jaotoes, and his girls Jane and Frances.

The name Flournoy is not common, either in this country or in Europe, but those who can claim Flournoy lineage, If not the name, are found probably In every state In the Union. From Virginia the family went farther south, to Kentucky and Tennessee, and now every state, without doubt, has its branch of the family, which 1 traces back to Jacques or to his uncle, Jacob. In Europe, there are some of the! name in Switzerland, and in Austrian A genealogy of the family was com-j plied by Gallffe, entitled “Some gen 4 ealogical accounts of Genevan fam-i tiles from earliest times Jto the pres-! ent day.” From the Gallffe book we learnj that Flournois, or Flournoy was a vll-i lage of 30 households, between JoiiH vllle and St. Dlzier, France. ' Altai-

court, Champagne, was fjaurent's home; his house and lands were soldi after his flight to Switzerland. He also had lands at Vassy and in three or four other jurisdictions, and he also owned land in the town of Flournoy, rfTso spelled Flornoy, Flowrnoy, Fleur- * noy and Flowrnois. A member of the Flournoy family at Geneva has a map and views of this old town, where one member of the family Is now living, an old lady, who was born Flournoy. The interesting part of the Flournby story, or one of the points to mention, is tiie derivtatien of the name. “The flower of the walnut*’ is the literal translation, and the name, first Fleurnolx went through several changes before becoming Flournoy. The arms are blazoned: Azure, a chevron argent, In chief, two chains of walnut flowers, in pale, a walnut of the same (same color, argent). Motto; Ex flore fructus—"From the flower, fruit."

FLOURNOY