218 



THE FRENCH BLOOD IN AMERICA 



names of all who came, but in the following pages will be 

 found a brief record of some of the refugees who estab- 

 lished homes here, founding a posterity which has given 

 to America many men of eminence and a multitude of 

 those citizens who, though less noted, go to make up the 

 bone and sinew of the nation. 

 The LeContes Guillaume Lc Conte, of Rouen, a descendant of the 

 barons of Nonaut on his mother's side, was one of these 

 refugees. By his first marriage he had a son, Guillaume, 

 and by his second marriage, a son, Pierre. Guillaume' s 

 descendants are to be found among the well-known Seton 

 and Baj^ley families, while the honoured name of Le 

 Conte survives through Peter's offspring. As the Bay- 

 - ards, the Dauas, and the Bowdoins have been publicists, 

 so the descendants of the elder Le Conte have been men 

 of science. Pierre was a noted sui-geon of his day. His 

 grandsons, Lewis and John LeConte, living together on 

 their large plantation in Georgia, devoted themselves to 

 the study of natural history, making contributious to our 

 knowledge of the Georgia flora and fauna. Of Lewis's 

 sons, John is among the front rank of American students 

 of physics, while Joseph is probably oiu- foremost geolo- 

 gist. John LeConte' s son, John Lawrence LeConte, who 

 died in 1883, was a brilliant naturalist, and is ranked as 

 the "greatest entomologist this country has yet pro- 

 duced." 



Of a different family were Pierre and Jean Le Conte, 

 who came to New York in 1687 and acquired an estate on 

 the western side of Staten Island. 



Gabriel MinvieUe, a native of Bordeaux, came to New 

 York by way of Amsterdam in 1673. He took a high 

 station in the province at once, being elected alderman 

 within two years after his arrival. In 1684 he was mayor 

 of the city, and served under four administrations. He 

 was married to Judith Van Beack in 1674 but liad uo 

 issue ; the family name was perpetuated, however, by the 

 children of his brother Pierre. 



Minvielle 

 Mayor 



