1743, Andre De Mercier, Huguenot Minister, Boston, Mass; marriages done, signed

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1743, Andre De Mercier, Huguenot Minister, Boston, Mass; marriages done, signed:
$12.01

This item is a wonderful,original document, being an oath signed by Andre De Mercier as pastor of the French Church in Boston, relating to two marriages he performed....signed at lower right by De Mercier...5x8, mounted at edges to larger sheet, overall very good condition.

Le Mercier, André(1692-31 Mar. 1764), French Reformed (Huguenot) minister, was born in Caen, Normandy. Details of his early life are sketchy because Protestantism had been outlawed in France since 1685. He studied for the ministry at the Geneva Academy (currently the University of Geneva), founded by John Calvin and other reformers in 1559. At the behest of André Faneuil, a prosperous Boston lawyer and fellow Huguenot, he came to Boston in 1716 to serve as pastor of the French Church.

Le Mercier\'s influence extended beyond the Huguenot community in Boston. In 1729 he collaborated with thirteen other New England ministers, most of whom were Scotch-Irish Presbyterians, to found the Presbytery of Londonderry--a cooperative ecclesiastical body for disciplining church members and ordaining ministers. Presbytery members occasionally preached in one another\'s churches. He was the only Huguenot minister in colonial America to create a presbytery, and he remained active in it throughout his life.

Le Mercier was also a driving force behind attempts to create a settlement on Sable Island, Nova Scotia. Directly in the path of cargo ships and other vessels, the island was frequently shrouded by fog or beset by violent and unpredictable currents, causing many shipwrecks. Previously, France had unsuccessfully attempted to plant a colony on Sable Island in the early seventeenth century. Beginning in 1729 Le Mercier petitioned several governors for a 5,000-acre grant for a French Protestant colony and a shelter for shipwrecked mariners on the island. His plan for a Huguenot settlement did not materialize because he balked at paying the annual quitrent, arguing that the land quality was poor. Still, he stocked the island with cattle, sheep, and pigs, and built a cabin with provisions. Unfortunately, many of the animals and supplies were stolen, prompting Le Mercier to offer rewards for the apprehension of the thieves. By the time his request for land was granted, he had abandoned plans to relocate there, and he advertised the land for sale in theBoston Weeklyin February 1753. But his efforts had saved lives and, by some accounts, the progeny of his animals remained into the nineteenth century.

Le Mercier\'s intelligence and community spirit did not translate into success in the pulpit, however, as the French congregation dwindled to seven families by 1748--a pattern found in many American Huguenot churches. This prompted the sale of the French Church, after which Le Mercier ministered to the remaining members at the South Grammar School in Boston.

Le Mercier died at his farm in Roxbury, Massachusetts, where he had purchased land in 1722. Reportedly he was buried in Boston\'s Granary, near the Franklin monument

Please view the other historical and Civil War related documents I\'ll be listing this week.SEE SCAN.I now accept PAYPAL but PREFER other forms of traditional paper payment. Buyer pays shipping(usually FREE within the US and $12 for International),payment must be received within 5 days.