THROUGH
MOUNTAIN MISTS
Early Settlers of
Their
Descendants...Their Stories...Their Achievements
Lifting the
Mists of History on Their Way of Life
By: Ethelene Dyer Jones
Labor Day weekend has come and
gone, with
its stormy weather, tornadoes in a corridor area emanating from
Tropical Storm
Lee, more rain than we’ve had in months, a death in my family, and
attendance
at the Pierre Chastain Family Association Reunion in Helen to which I
was
invited to be “on-site historian” and keynote speaker.
Where do I begin this column after
that introductory paragraph? If you read
this, and are among those who sustained damages from any of the storms
attendant upon Lee’s widespread catastrophe, you have my deepest
concern. May you find shelter, comfort and
redirection. For those who received
much-needed rain without flooding and damages, be most grateful as I am. This morning my dry lawn, shrubs and flowers
seem to have hope renewed.
As to the death of my nephew,
Christopher Fortenberry, age 37, dear son of my sister Linda, we are
all
diminished and saddened by his death.
Linda and Claxton, Chris’s parents, will read this, as will
Chris’s
brothers, James and David. Be assured
that many people love you and are praying for you.
You are strong people; you will never forget,
and will wonder why Chris died so suddenly.
But the God of all comfort will sustain you.
Look up and take courage.
And now to the major subject of this
article, Pierre Chastain, “The Immigrant” the first-generation Chastain
to
America and his continuing influence.
The gathering in Helen was such a happy occasion (despite my
sadness
over my nephew Chris’s death). I had
done much research to prepare for the speaking engagements with those
gathered
from various states to hold this annual PCFA (Pierre Chastain Family
Association) Reunion. I had spoken at
the 1998 Reunion in Hiawassee/Young Harris, GA.
James Chastain, host and program planner for this reunion, had
read
several of my Chastain articles. Those
provided the springboard for my invitation back to this notable
gathering as
keynote speaker. I felt humbled, indeed,
for this “repeat” invitation to speak. I
was honored, indeed, when, by action of the Association, they “adopted”
me into
the PCFA toward the end of the meeting and presented me with the
official
Chastain coat-of-arms. So now I have
another loving family, one that has made a significant impact in
American life
from 1700 to the present. Because many
requested that I publish the remarks I made at the reunion, I will
attempt to
do so. It will take more than one
column; please bear with me for the next few weeks as I proceed with
LEARNING FROM THE PAST ~ SHAPING
THE FUTURE
An
Address
Before the Pierre Chastain Family Association
Helen,
Georgia ~ September 3, 2011
From the pen of the inimitable
American
poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, came these words that seem to apply
appropriately to the life of Pierre Chastain, “The Immigrant,” and his
descendants
to the present day:
“Lives of great men all
remind us
We can make our lives
sublime,
And departing, leave behind
us
Footprints on the sands of
time.”
We
learn from the past; these lessons
shape our future.
Let us
remember some of these great men and women of note in
the Chastain line who have carved out monumental differences and left
footprints in the sands of time. What
can we learn from them to shape our present and future in these trying
times?
We will consider and give emphasis to
four areas these forebears impacted:
(1)
How they sought to improve living conditions;
(2)
How they led innovations in religious life;
(3)
How they impacted politics and government; and
(4)
How they improved agriculture and the economy.
Who better than the first generation
Chastain in this line, known to us as Pierre “the Immigrant” Chastain
(ca
1659-1728) as a representative of all four areas of impact on American
life? We will recall briefly highlights
from his story:
Conditions in Europe were atrocious at
the time of his childhood, youth and young adulthood.
Briefly, his ancestors were living in
Bourges, Central France, at the time of the terrible massacre on St.
Bartholomew’s Day, August 24, 1572. This was almost a century before
Pierre’s
birth. Look this up in history; you will
have an account of the religious persecution that brought death and
hardships. The Chastains, along with
others, fled to Charost, France, and later crossed the Jura Mountains
to
Switzerland. These protesters, called
Huguenots,
seeking religious freedom, were greatly influenced by the preaching of
John
Calvin (1507-1564). Persecution
grew. Dr. Pierre Chastain (for he was a
medical doctor by then) and his family left Switzerland and went to
Holland for
refuge. There they learned of groups
sailing to America, the new land of promise.
They went to England and he and his family boarded the ship Mary and Ann, one of four ships headed
for America. Enduring the hardships and crowded conditions on the ship,
they
landed in Virginia. In “History of the
Huguenot Emigration,” Volume II, this notation was made about Pierre
Chastain
in August, 1700 to the City Chamberlain of London:
“The Bearer, Monsiur Castayne, is going out
surgeon to ye French now departing for Virginia. He
wants twenty pounds to make up his chest
of drugs and instruments.”
Settling in Manakin Town, Virginia,
Dr. Pierre Chastain began to make his “footprints in the sands of time”
that
have extended to the present age.
[Next: Continuing the
story of Chastains of various generations in America.
Resources:
Pierre Chastain and His
Descendants, Volume I. PCFA,
1995. Jason Coward Chastain
and His Family. Jason Coward Chastain
Historical Society and M. A. McGraw, 1976]
[Ethelene Dyer
Jones is a retired educator,
freelance writer, poet, and historian. She may be reached at
e-mail edj0513@windstream.net;
phone 478-453-8751; or mail 1708 Cedarwood Road, Milledgeville, GA
31061-2411.]
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