Gabriel was a rich merchant in France, whose zeal for the Protestant cause, resulted in his imprisonment for about two years. In 1685 the Edict of Nantes was revoked, which prompted his release from prison in 1686. Gabriel quickly collected many other Huguenots in and around La Rochelle, with the plan of getting they and their money out of France. He took temporary refuge in England, and arranged his emmigration to the new world, purchasing a 750-acre tract in Oxford, MA as a haven for Huguenot refugees. In July of 1688, accompanied by about forty other refugees, Gabriel and Esther left England aboard the "Dolphin" and arrived in Boston. Most of them settled in Oxford, where Gabriel built a house/fortress for the townspeople's protection. He spent much of his time in Boston, where he became a successful merchant. The settlement of Oxford was abandoned after the Indians became too much of a threat, and in 1697 the family moved to Newport, RI. Gabriel started a mercantile business in Newport and was the first person to sign a petition for an Episcopal church in 1699. After Esther's death, Gabriel moved across the Narragansett Bay to North Kingstown. He purchased several tracts of land there and was elected one of the vestrymen of St. Paul's in 1718. In 1720 he moved to Providence, RI where he founded the original chapel of the Cathedral of Saint John.
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~Son of:
Andre Bernon &
Suzanne Guillemand.
~Son-in-law of:
Thomas Harris &
Elnathan Tew
~Husband of:
[1] Esther LeRoy Bernon: m. 23 Aug 1673
[2] Mary Harris.
~Children with Esther:
Marie Bernon
+ sp: Abraham Tourtellot
Esther Bernon [1678-1746]
+ sp: Adam Powell [1674-1725]
Sarah Bernon
+ sp: Benjamin Whipple Jr.
~Children with Mary:
Gabriel Bernon Jr.
Susannah Bernon
+ sp: Joseph Crawford Sr.
Mary Bernon
+ sp: Gideon Crawford Sr.
Eve Bernon
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