AMBROISE SICARD, IBorn C1622, Mornac, Charente-Maritime, FranceDied C1710-1712, New Rochelle, Westchester Co., New York Research by Elva Sanghera (1934-2003), Don Secor and Maggie Parnall History Research by Joan Hapeman Somers The name of "Ambroise" is French. In English the name is "Ambrose" from the Greek name "Ambrosios" meaning "Immortal". Source: Babynamer.com |
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The name SICARD is very old and was noted in the 5th century in Languedoc, south France. The name is derived from SIGHARD. Most of the SICARDS, SECORDS, SEACORDS, SECORS, et al in North America are descended from the same patriarch - Ambroise. The others answering to this name were probable descendants of those who served under LaFayette and remained behind, or immigrated later. There is a coat of arms which depicts a Phoenix rising from its ashes to a silver cross located between 2 gold stars on a blue background. Mornac is near Marennes, south of La Rochelle. This a small village on the Atlantic coast. His family had been there since the 14th century. Any further search for his ancestors has proved futile. Probably because of his adherence to the Protestant faith, and in all likelihood the Catholic regime destroyed all Protestant records. He was a "saunier" i.e., a salt worker or salt farmer. Records indicate that he, his wife and 6 children fled their home in 1681. He left vineyards valued at 40 livres. He arrived in this country with no wife and 5 children. The wife and the sixth child may have died enroute or the original French listing of 6 children may have been an error. The family arrived in the Westchester County area, north of "Nouvelle" York before 1688 via England where they had been wards of a French church in Threadneedle St. in London. The church's refugee committee helped finance Ambroise's transport to the Colonies. He and his family were considered persons of "Middle Quality" and received about 40£ for this purpose. Ambroise was one of the founders of New Rochelle and is so honored by a Huguenot monument in New Rochelle. He purchased 95 acres of land there in 1696. He signed an oath of allegiance in 1689. Letters of naturalization were issued to him & his three sons in 1695. His name appears on the 1689 census without a wife and aged 67. Ambroise II married Jeanne Perron; Daniel I married Catharine Woertmann; Jacques (James) married Ann Terrier; Marie married Guillaume Landrin; Sylvie married Francois Coquillet. Other information is available on the Westchester County New York GenWeb. Visit http://www.rootsweb.com/~nywestch/ Search for 'Sicard' and 'Secord'. Early France Louis XIV (1638-1715), king of France (1643-1715), known as the Sun King, imposed absolute rule on France and fought a series of wars trying to dominate Europe. His reign, the longest in European history, was marked by a great flowering of French culture. Louis was born 5 Sep 1638, at Saint-Germain-en-Laye. His parents, King Louis XIII (1601-1643), (son of Henry IV) and Anne of Austria (1601-1666), (daughter of Philip III, King of Spain) grateful for an heir after 20 barren years of marriage, christened him Louis Dieudonné. Literally, the "gift of God". ref: Microsoft Encarta 2000 |
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© 1 November 2001
8th Great-Granddaughter Joan Hapeman Somers
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