Origins
This family originated in St Ouen, in the north-west of Jersey, for which baptism records are not available before 1600, and not before 1611 for the Jean family. Many online trees show three generations of the Jean family before then, all very clearly copied from each other, or a single source, because the same errors are to be found in every tree.
The head of the family is mysteriously named as Pierre Lavalleaunerve (1530-1565), married to Marguerite Le Breton (1545-1578). The name Lavalleaunerve is unknown in Jersey records - indeed, we have been able to find no trace of it anywhere. We have come to the conclusion that it is a corruption of Ville au Neveu, a district of St Ouen where the Jean family is known to have lived. Other trees - see Descendants of Herbert Le Breton - show that Marguerite Le Breton was married to Pierre Le Rossignol.
Although the Jean and Le Rossignol families are joined by marriage three generations down, it seems hardly credible that Abraham Jean's father was Pierre Le Rossignol.
Pierre's wife (Abraham's suggested mother) is widely shown as Marie Minit Mahier (1565-1590). This is also highly suspicious because Minit is not known as a surname or forename in Jersey, or in France, or anywhere else, as far as we are aware, and Jersey people invariably had two names, forename and surname in the 16th century, and for a long time after.
Further evidence, if any were needed, of how little trust should be placed in these American versions of early Jersey families, is given by the entry for Abraham in the Ancestry tree which appears to be the source for many of the others:
- Abram Jean Gustine, 1565-1636
- Birth 1565, St Ouens, Isle Jersey, Channel Islands, France
- Death 1636, Le Tacq, SO, English Channel, Isle of Man
In fact, Abraham was born and died at l'Etacq, St Ouen, Jersey, and had no connection either with France or the Isle of Man. His name was Abraham Jean. The Gustine element added to his name here did not emerge until nearly a century later in the USA.
Another tree shows his son Edmond as Edmond Jean De La Tacque Gustine, born at Stowens Isle Jersey Channel Islands, Eng. He was Edmond Jean, born at l'Etacq, St Ouen, Jersey. Neither De la Tacque or Gustine ever formed part of his name.
Another tree, by a researcher living in Jersey, shows Pierre and Marie, who were both dead by 1590, having sons Augustin Jean (1597–1674) and Edmond Jean (1597–1674).
Ancestry tree copying
It used to be possible to move from tree to tree in Ancestry and establish with a reasonable degree of certainty which trees were copied from which, in what order. There are now no fewer than 2,289 of these trees, all showing the same mistakes.
One tree submitted to us some time ago, and rejected for inclusion in Jerripedia because of the errors it contained, referenced 26 other Ancestry trees among its sources.
Some trees show Augustine Jean (aka John Gustin) and his wife Esther Makepeace Browne having 11 children, or even more if duplicates are counted, and one dying at the age of 109. But the family history - Capt Augustine Jean, which has been present on Jerripedia since 2014, shows only the five we have included in the tree below.
- 1 Abraham Jean (1565-1636) m Marie Mahier (1565-1590)
- 2 Edmond Jean (1597-1674) m (1638, St O) Esther Le Rossignol (1612-1672) d of Jean, of l'Etacq [1]
- 3 Jeanne Jean (1638- )
- 3 Edmond Jean (1640-1676) [2]
- 3 Catherine Jean (1642-1712)
- 3 Jean Jean (1644- )
- 3 Augustin Jean (1647-1719) (Jersey) [3] m (1678, Salem, Mass) Elizabeth Makepeace Browne (1657-1720), daughter of John (1631-1697) and Esther Makepeace (1634-1685)
- 4 John Hugh Gustin (1691-1777)
- 4 Abigail Gustin (1693- )
- 4 Ebenezer Gustin (1696- )
- 4 Thomas Gustin (1699- )
- 4 David Gustin (1703- )
- 3 Marguerite Jean (1650-1730)
- 2 Edmond Jean (1597-1674) m (1638, St O) Esther Le Rossignol (1612-1672) d of Jean, of l'Etacq [1]
Because of the uncertainty over the children of Augustine Jean and Elizabeth Makepeace Brown, we have not attempted to take this tree beyond the fourth generation.
