CONCORDANCE AND COLLECTIONS OF

MARY GASTON McCLURE'S ANCESTRY

In 1767 Rev. Hugh Gaston came to this country, and brought to each of his sisters the following Concordance and Collection of the Gaston family: Duke of Navarre or Count de Renti, with his son Duke of Orleans, emigrated from France to Scotland on the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in the reign of Louis XIV on account of their religion.

They belonged to the Burbon family. Soon after their arrival in Scotland, Count de Renti or Duke of Navarre died. His son, Duke of Orleans, remained in Scotland, and, when about forty years old, married a Miss Olive of Scotland, a lady of renowned ability and beauty. When only twenty-four years old, she died, leaving two sons, John and William. After her death, which he deeply deplored and mourned, always speaking of her with a great deal of pride, he became concerned in all State Civils (?)-finally in 1652 he was banished and his property confiscated. When a perfect calm succeeded the tumults of the Fronde, his son, William, received in 1670 the title of Grand Duke of Tuscany, which continued in his family until the death of his nephew, Gion Gaston de Medici, who died July 9th, 1737, and the dynasty of that family became extinct. His second son. John, or Gaston de Foix, Duke of Newcons, married when only 18, Agnes, daughter of Phillipe III, King of Navarre. He was the heroic member of the family.

Owing to the great beauty of his person, he was called Phoebus, and was noted for his knightly love of liberty and military splendor.

Gaston de Foix ran a militant career in arms, and fell at the Battle of Ruvenna, full of honors. On his tombstone was engraved: "The farther of his people and the deliverer of his country."

To Gion de Medici, (Gaston de Foix)-1429-1512-and Agnes, were born three sons, Gion de Medici, Medici Comeo, and William. Medici Comeo and Gion de Medici died in Scotland. William married Miss Olivet Lemon, of Scotland, and, in after years, migrated to the North of Ireland and settled in Cambeigh, Cloughwater."

He had five sons and four daughters: John, the King's Justice, Rev. Hugh, (author of Concordance and Collections of the Gaston family), Dr. Alexander, Robert, and William. His daughters were: Elizabeth, Martha, Jane, and Mary. Elizabeth married Knox; Jane married Strong; Martha married Alexander Rosborough, and Mary married James McClure, grandson of old King David, commonly called good King David, of Scotland.

William Gaston and his entire family, including sons and daughters, all lived in Cloughwater until his and his wife's deaths, when, in 1749, they all went to Pennsylvania and lived there till 1752, when they all came to South Carolina and settled in Chester County

The Gaston family had three marked peculiarities: one was that they named each generation after the other, and it was unknown to have any but family names. The other was their clannish habits. When one member of the family moved from one country to another, the rest were sure to follow. The next: With few exceptions, they were married early in life, especially their men

Their clannish habits were more marked than any. Their desires was never to be far separated

Mary Gaston McClure's husband died just as the Revolutionary War broke out, leaving his widow with a large family of sons and daughters. Her sons were: Matthew, a signer of the (Mecklenburg, North Carolina) Declaration of Independence, Dr. Williams, surgeon in the Revolution, James and Hugh were captains, and Col. John, the brave and gallant hero of the war, who struck the first blow toward rescuing his beloved country, South Carolina, from the British