Weatherbee Family History
As compiled by Janet Clark
December 3, 2005
The origins of Mary Emily Maggenie Weatherbee Clark can be traced back eleven generations to a group of religious dissenters called Huguenots (spelled Heudouin in French) in the 1680's from Rouen, France. The Huguenots were French Protestants, most of whom eventually came to follow the teachings of John Calvin, and who, due to religious persecution, were forced to flee France to other countries in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Some remained, practicing their Faith in secret.
Huguenots, name given to the Protestants of France from about 1560 to 1629. Protestantism was introduced into France between 1520 and 1523, and its principles were accepted by many members of the nobility, the intellectual classes, and the middle class. At first the new religious group enjoyed royal protection, notably from Queen Margaret of Navarre and her brother, King Francis I of France. Toward the end of his reign, however, Francis persecuted the Protestants; his successor, Henry II, followed his example. Nevertheless, the French Protestants increased in number. At their first national synod (1559), or council, 15 churches were represented. At the next, held two years later, more than 2000 churches sent representatives.
The Protestant Reformation began by Martin Luther in Germany about 1517, spread rapidly in France, especially among those having grievances against the established order of government. As Protestantism grew and developed in France it generally abandoned the Lutheran form, and took the shape of Calvinism. The new "Reformed religion" practiced by many members of the French nobility and social middle-class, based on a belief in salvation through individual faith without the need for the intercession of a church hierarchy and on the belief in an individual's right to interpret scriptures for themselves, placed these French Protestants in direct theological conflict with both the Catholic Church and the King of France in the theocratic system which prevailed at that time. Followers of this new Protestantism were soon accused of heresy against the Catholic government and the established religion of France, and a General Edict urging extermination of these heretics (Huguenots) was issued in 1536. Nevertheless, Protestantism continued to spread and grow, and about 1555 the first Huguenot church was founded in a home in Paris based upon the teachings of John Calvin. The number and influence of the French Reformers (Huguenots) continued to increase after this event, leading to an escalation in hostility and conflict between the Catholic Church/State and the Huguenots. Finally, in 1562, some 1200 Huguenots were slain at Vassey, France, thus igniting the French Wars of Religion which would devastate France for the next thirty-five years.
The Edict of Nantes, signed by Henry IV in April, 1598, ended the Wars of Religion, and allowed the Huguenots some religious freedoms, including free exercise of their religion in 20 specified towns of France.
Under Henry IV the Huguenots then became a strong power in France. To break this power, which stood in the way of the absolutist type of government that the next two kings of France, Louis XIII and, particularly, Louis XIV, wished to impose on the country, both monarchs instigated new persecutions of the Huguenots, and new civil wars took place. The French statesman and cardinal Richelieu caused the political downfall of the Huguenots with the capture in 1628, after a long siege, of their principal stronghold, La Rochelle. Thereafter, he sought to conciliate the Protestants. Louis XIV, however, persecuted them mercilessly, and on October 18, 1685, he revoked the Edict of Nantes. Finding life in France intolerable under the ensuing persecutions and evaporation of religious liberty, hundreds of thousands of Huguenots fled to England, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the English colonies in North America, including Massachusetts, Virginia, New York, and South Carolina. The total emigration is believed to have been about 200,000, with about 1 million Protestants remaining in France.
When Mark Hardin (the first generation of Genie Weatherbee Clark) was 25 years old, Louis XIV, revoked the Edict of Nantes in October, 1685. This began a new persecution of the Huguenots, and Mark Hardin's family along with hundreds of thousands of Huguenots fled France to other countries. The Promulgation of the Edict of Toleration in November, 1787, partially restored the civil and religious rights of Huguenots in France. Since the Huguenots of France were in large part artisans, craftsmen, and professional people, they were usually well-received in the countries to which they fled for refuge when religious discrimination or overt persecution caused them to leave France. Most of them went initially to Germany, the Netherlands, and England, although some found their way eventually to places as remote as South Africa. Considerable numbers of Huguenots migrated to British North America, especially to the Carolinas, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York. Their character and talents in the arts, sciences, and industry were such that they are generally felt to have been a substantial loss to the French society from which they had been forced to withdraw, and a corresponding gain to the communities and nations into which they settled.
Generation 1: Mark Hardin
Mark Hardin was the earliest ascendant who was born or October 20, 1660 in Rouen and died May1, 1735 in Prince William County, Virginia. His family emigrated to England or Wales, then onto Canada and would end up in Prince William County, Virginia in 1706. He would live there until his death in 1735. Mark was married to Mary Hogue in 1707 in Stafford, Virginia. Mary was born in 1665 in Bretagne Province, France and died in 1735 in Stafford, Virginia.
The following quote is from Pigsby Historic Georgia Families, Chapter VIII, pg 65-66.
“When [Mark Hardin] was about 25 years of age, Louis XIV issued the edict of Restoration, October 20, 1685, which had the affect of revoking the edict of Nantes. Mark Hardin was a Huguenot and immediately fled from France, settling either in England or Wales. He married Mary Hogue, also spelled Hoge, but whether the marriage occurred before or after he fled France is uncertain. Residing a short while in England or Wales, he later move to Canada with his family, but because of the rigid winters, came South and settled in Virginia about 1706, where he resided in Prince William County until his death in 1734. (His will was probated on May 1, 1735. Therefore, he probably died in 1735).
Generation 2: Henry Hardin
Mark and Mary had a son they named Henry who was born in 1710 in Prince William County, Virginia and died on May 26, 1796 in Warren County, Georgia. Henry married Judith Lynch in 1730, in Prince William County, Virginia. Judith died around 1800 in Pittsylvania Pittsylvania, Virginia. Henry and Judith had a son named for his grandfather Mark Hardin.
Generation 3: Mark Hardin
This Mark was born in 1735 in Pittsylvania County,Virginia and died November 1817 in Warren County, Georgia. He married Mary Hester Hunter in 1736 in Pittsylvania Pittsylvania, Virginia. After she died in 1781, he married Frances Newsome in Georgia and moved then from Virginia to North Carolina and finally to Georgia.
Generation 4: John Henry Hardin
John Henry, son of Mark and Mary, was born April 12, 1761 in Johnson County North Carolina and died November 12, 1843 in Walton County, Georgia. John married Sara Cook February 1781 in Johnson County, North Carolina. Sara was the daughter of Benjamin Cook, a Baptist preacher. Sara was born June 11, 1763 in North Carolina and died June 1 or 7, 1835 in Monroe Walton County, Georgia. She was the mother of all of John's children. John would later marry Matilda Jones. John Henry was a Second Lieutenant in the Revolutionary War. He and his wife are buried in Monroe, Georgia. The Daughter's of the American Revolution (DAR) marked his grave (DAR#120459), see McCall, Roster of Revolutionary Soldiers of Georgia, pg 84. Also see Rigsby's Historic Georgia Families, pg 65-66.
John Henry and Sara had eight children. The fifth child was Benjamin Cook Hardin.
Generation 5: Benjamin Cook Hardin
Benjamin was born November 16, 1792 in Walton County, Georgia and married Elizabeth Hearne on December 7, 1815 in Putnam County, Georgia. To this union was born Rhoda Ann Hardin. Benjamin died December 10, 1847 in Walker County, Georgia. Elizabeth was born January 29, 1799 in Hancock County, Georgia and died in 1859 in Walker County, Georgia. If there was a Will for Benjamin it was lost in the Walker County, Georgia fire.
Generation 6: Rhoda Ann Hardin
Rhoda was born March 5, 1828 in Walker County, Georgia. She died April 8, 1886 in Fannin County, Texas. She married William Patterson Shaw on April 18, 1844 in Walker County, Georgia. He was born on November 11, 1819 in Morgan Calhoun County, Georgia and died on April 13, 1886 in Franklin Red Bay County, Alabama. To their union was born sixteen children (12 sons, 4 daughters). Fourteen of the 16 children migrated to Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma.
Generation 7: Almeda Elizabeth Jane Shaw
Almeda was one of the four daughters born to Rhoda Hardin. Almeda was born February 9, 1854 in Lafayette Walker County, Georgia and died March 31, 1929 in Ector Fannin County, Texas. She married Woodward Alexander Weatherbee on November 15, 1875.
Generation 8: Mary Emily Maggenie Weatherbee
Genie was born June 18, 1883 in Franklin, Macon County, Alabama. She died August 6, 1965 in Pharr Hidalgo County, Texas while living with her youngest son Don Kenneth Clark. Genie married Luther Green Clark on October 25, 1903 in Fannin County, Texas. Luther was born September 15, 1878 in Trenton Fannin County, Texas. He died on August 25, 1954 in Mangum Greer County, Oklahoma.
Generation 9: Bernice, Elton, Bess, Othal Ralph (Jack), Oran Stanley (OS), Mary Lou, Gordon (Dell), Geraldine (Jerry), Don
Generation 10: Billie Sue, Peggy, Bobby, Tommy, Mary Beth, Caroline, Clark, Jerry, Patricia, Gary, Tim, Danny, David, Larry, Terry, Janet, Donald, Jackie, Carol, David, Kay, Mark, Patti, Rena, Cary, Chris, Charles, Johnny, Kenneth, Thomas and Mary Sue
