Jacques Pineau (say 1665 – 1727), later Anglicized as James Pineo (/'pɪn/-), was my 7th-great-grandfather and a French Huguenot (or possibly Waldensian; see below) who fled his native country and eventually immigrated to America. His parents are uncertain, although there are claims about their identities. His wife was Dorothy Badcock (* 1685-01-19), and they were the parents of my ancestor Peter Pineo, as the great-grandparents of Sarah Pineo, wife of Henry Gesner.
There is some variation in the spelling of both surnames, particularly that the n is sometimes doubled.
The Edict of Nantes, which had guaranteed freedom of religion in France, was revoked by Louis XIV on 1685-10-22, unleashing a wave of persecution of Protestants, in particular the numerous French Huguenots. As a result, many fled France for other countries. This represented a substantial “brain drain”, as Huguenots were a disproportionately skilled and educated class.
James seems to have lived in Lyon (see below), which had been the site of past religious violence: during the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre in 1572, an estimated 500 to 1000 Huguenots were killed there. A history of Maine said that James “had escaped from Lyons, France, when the King’s troops were hanging many of his contemporaries.”ref
A variety of middle-quality sources claim he migrated from Lyon, France (also called Lyons). Several sources identify his parents as Laurence and Jeanne du Pinneau, but they do not seem credible.
Early books suggest he may have been Waldensian, or of a Waldensian family, but the National Huguenot Society accepts him as a Huguenot ancestor.ref In any case, he certainly faced substantial danger in France.
James and his friend Jean Soulard (later John Sullard) fled France on a ship for England soon after the revocation. They lacked the money to pay for passage, and so the captain sold them into a term of indentured servitude. They served their term (which was supposedly shortened due to their good behavior) and remained in England for about 15 years, living mostly in Bristol. They became naturalized English citizens in London on 1689-01-05.ref
Around 1700, they made their way for the American colonies. They arrived first in Plymouth, Massachusetts, but soon moved to Bristol, Rhode Island, where James married Dorothy. They later settled in Lebanon, Connecticut, where James lived out the rest of his life.
James married Dorothy (1685-01-19 – 1737?), daughter of Return Badcock and Sarah Deneson, on 1706-05-09, and had nine children: James (died young), Elizabeth, James, Sarah, Daniel (died young), Submit, Joseph, Peter, and Dorothy.
His youngest son and my ancestor Peter (1723-05-04 – c.1810) moved away to Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, the only one to do so, with his wife Elizabeth Sampson, great-granddaughter of Henry Samson. Peter had the nickname Old Chunk due to his dark complexion and large stature. His son David Pineo and David’s wife Rebecca, daughter of Stephen West, were the parents of Sarah Pineo, wife of Henry Gesner.
No death record for James has been found. His will was administered 1727-10-10 in Lebanon, CT, so presumably he died not long before then.