Jasper Lillard (abt. 1615 - 1702)

Born about 1615 in Angers, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire, France

Husband of Unknown (Isaacs) Lillard — married 1635 in Angers,,,,FRANCE, Maine-et-Loire,Pays de la Loire

Descendants

Died 1702 at about age 87 in Angers,,,,FRANCE, Maine-et-Loire,Pays de la Loire

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Jasper Lillard was a Huguenot.

Research Notes

Traditions on Lillard Family Origins

In 1928, Ephraim Stout Lillard published a book called “Lillard: A Family of Colonial Virginia.” Though Stout Lillard’s work is something of a watershed in the Revolutionary and post-Revolutionary history of the Lillard family (and he deserves great credit as the “grandfather” of Lillard genealogy), his work suffers from a paucity of authentic sources, especially in the colonial period and earlier. It has been criticized, as David H. Lillard, Jr., author of the second edition has pointed out:

“by professional genealogists on several grounds. . . there is a general paucity of documentation to authoritative sources. . . {and} generally fails to adequately distinguish between statements or conclusions which are based exclusively on family tradition and those based on documented primary sources or authoritative secondary sources.” [1]

In preparing his second edition of the book, David Lillard went to a great deal of effort to examine the records to try to confirm Stout Lillard’s conclusions regarding the relationships of the Colonial Lillards in Culpeper County, Virginia, and the two alternative pedigrees that the original edition discusses. In fact, many subsequent researchers have accepted only one of the two pedigrees – the one regarding the medieval Welsh and French Huguenot ancestry. The other was that the family was English in origins, and begins with a John Lillard who emigrated directly from England to Virginia. Although there are a number of records in England and Scotland of the surname Lillard or Lilliard, there are actually none yet found for the surname in France.[2]

Regarding the Colonial Virginia pedigree, David was unable to find any reference in the extant records of a Benjamin Lillard who married Elizabeth Lightfoot. In my own researches so far, I was unable to find any record of a Benjamin Lillard of the right time period at all. Ephraim Stout Lillard’s conclusions regarding Benjamin and Elizabeth (Lightfoot) Lillard, and their parentage of the Culpeper County Lillards is based solely on various family traditions. In fact, though some sort of familial relationship can be guessed at, there is no primary or authentic secondary source to justify that all of the colonial Culpeper Lillards were even siblings.

David Lillard discusses the extant records of the Lillards in Prince William, Essex, Fairfax, and Orange counties, and is behooves Lillard researchers to read this chapter of his book carefully. It is his conclusion that a John Lillard of Orange County recorded in the 1720s and 1730s is the likeliest candidate for the progenitor of the Culpeper Lillards, but he specifically states that it cannot be proved unless further records are found. It cannot even be proved at this time that all the Culpeper County Lillards were even siblings, which is why David chose to present the family as separate branches, with each branch beginning with a specific Culpeper Lillard ancestor.

Biography

Lillard was a wine grower. In 1687 he was living in Angers. Lillard was a Huguenot.

Birth date estimate of 1615 is based on family structure from general sources and estimated date of Moise Lillard's birth, which, in turn based on the approximate birth date of John Lillard.

Notes from Joan James: The first reference of the Lollard (Lillard) name came under King Henry V of England when Thomas Lollard was knighted for his gallant bravery in the Battle of Agincourt 1415. During the English invasion of France 1420 Sir Thomas Lollard was supposed to have met a French lady of genteel birth, this romance led to marriage, as a result Sir Thomas Lollard decided not to return to Britain and gave up his knightly rights as well as changing his name to Lillard. Thomas Lillard lived in the town of Samur on the Loire River. There is about 4 generations between Thomas Lillard and his direct descendant Jasper Lillard.

Jasper Lillard was a vine grower and in addition to tending vines owned and operated a line of boats up and down the Loire River, from Angers to Nantes, and from Angers to Tours. Miss Isaacs gave up her religion to marry Jasper as he was a devout Huguenot.

• Fact: census (1687) Angers,, Pays de la Loire, France
• Fact: Occupation OWNED BOAT LINE ALONG THE LOIRE
• Fact: Occupation vine grower Angers,, Pays de la Loire, France
• Fact: Religion a devout Heugonot

Sources

• http://www.genealogy.com/users/j/a/m/Joan-James-Alton/FILE/0014text.txt

• Lillards, 1415-1928 by Jacques Lillard

• Ancestral File (TM) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Publication: July 1996 (c), data as of 2 January 1996

• Source: Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com: https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/28139944/family