Horton House Historic Site
the French Emigre'
By the end of the 18th century, William
Horton's small farm had become a large and
prosperous plantation. After Horton's death, the
island had several owners prior to the arrival
of Christophe Anne Poulain du Bignon in 1791.
Christophe du Bignon was born in Brittany,
France in 1739 to a poor noble family. His life
was forever changed when his family sent him
to sea at age 10 to work for the French India
Company. Life at sea is not easy for a young boy,
but Christophe grew up learning a trade that
would provide great returns for him in this
adult life.
Christophe stayed with the French India
Company until it was disbanded in 1769. He
continued with this profession and joined the
merchant marines as a captain. This position
took du Bignon around the world, but most
importantly to the island of Mauritius, a
French colony off the coast of Africa. There
he met and married Marguerite Anne Lossieux
Du Jong de Boisquenay in 1778.
(Center text)
Leaving life at sea in 1784, the du Bignon
family settled into a comfortable life in France.
After working at sea for 35 years, at age 45,
Christophe had been able to accumulate a small
fortune, which bought the family their home, La
Grande Ville-Harvé, in Lamballe.
This happiness and settled life did not last long
however, as by 1789 the French Revolution was
under way. As part of the merchant nobility,
Christophe was not safe in France. Fortunately,
an encounter in 1790 with Francois Marie Loys
Dumoussay de la Vauve forever changed the du
Bignon family's history.
(Right text)
The Sapelo Company
Dumoussay was the man behind the organization
of the Sapelo Company. A group of Frenchman
were in the process of acquiring land in America
consisting of a large number of the islands off
the coast of Georgia. Du Bignon was very
excited about this opportunity and wasted
little time investing in this venture. It would
allow for du Bignon to move his family (a wife
and two young sons), to a safer country.
Within a few years the group of Frenchmen
began to quarrel, and before the venture
collapsed, du Bignon exchanged properties
and removed himself from any future disputes
in the seperation of properties. Christophe du
Bignon was the sole owner of Jekyll Island by
1800.
This family made everlasting changes to the
island for nearly the next century.
Marker is on Riverview Drive near Major Horton Road, on the left when traveling north.
Courtesy hmdb.org
