WILLIAM HENRY ROUSSEAU

"A Great Pioneer and Statesman"

(1818-1870)

The current study of our ROUSSEAU ancestry takes us to a port on the James River, near Manakin, Virginia. The year is 1701 Theodore Rousseau and his son 25 year old son, Hilliare, both French Hugenots, have just arrived from the port of London England aboard the ship Peter & Anthony which set sail on September 20, 1700. (300 YEARS AGO TODAY!)

Hillaire will eventually marry Elizabeth Lynton the daughter of William Lynton and Johanna Lewis. They will have at least one child. This child, a son named William will marry Priscilla Mauzey and relocate to Fauqier County, Virginia. Their marriage will produce six children. A son, Henry, born in 1765 would be the next ROUSSEAU in our lineage. Henry will relocate to Putnam County, Georgia prior to 1790.

Henry will marry Sarah (last name unknown) and they will have at least one child, a son, John Lewis Rousseau* born in Putnam County, Georgia in 1791. The middle name Lewis was a family surname that originated with John Lewis Rousseau's Great grandmother Johanna Lewis born in 1676 in Richmond County, Virginia.

* (We believe this is the only weak link in our study. We have proved the lineage just prior to this link and immediately after this link).

In 1817 John Lewis Rousseau will marry Mary Clemments, the daughter of John Clemments and Nancy Wilson in Richmond County, Georgia. On March 9, 1818 a son, our ancestor William Henry Rousseau will be born. During the brief 51 years 10 months and 15 days of his life, William Henry Rousseau managed to accomplish many great things and leave his mark on early Florida and the world in which we live.

Today the descendants of William Henry Rousseau are spread throughout the world and each of them is a living tribute to this great man and the ideals and standards for which he stood. No man ever loved his country and family, more than William Henry. This is evidenced by, the rich oral history and fond memories passed down to his descendants by those that knew and loved him.

At the age of seven due to unknown circumstances, William Henry and his Mother became separated from his Father John Lewis Rousseau. Young William Henry assumed the role as "Man of the house" and in about 1825 he and his Mother migrated to Alachua County, Florida settling near the William Carver family in an area which later became known as Wellborn, Florida. According to our family history, William Henry was delivering mail on horseback as early as 1826 at the age of eight in an area of Alachua County in the Florida Territory before it became Columbia County, Florida.

In 1835 at the age of seventeen, William Henry enlisted in the Florida Mounted Militia to help combat and control the Indian uprisings in the early days of Territorial Florida. An excellent horseman, this early Florida Pioneer enlisted in the Florida Militia a second time in 1840. Upon enlistment he became a member of McClellan's Company, in Dancy's 2^nd Florida Mounted Militia. He emerged quickly as a leader and was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. This area of Territorial Florida was ravaged by the Alachua Seminoles and became known as one of the bloodiest corridors of the war.

In May of 1841 William Henry married Mary Ann Dean, daughter of Micajah Dean and Rhoda Hinson in Columbia County, Florida. To this union were born a total of twelve children. His two oldest sons, Robert Raymond Rousseau and Henry Winfield Rousseau both enlisted, fought and died in the Civil War in 1863. A younger son John Lewis Rousseau who enlisted and served in the 5^th Florida Cavalry, Company "G" from 1864 through the end of the war in 1865 managed to come away unscathed.

Throughout his life, William Henry was a civic-minded individual and spent a great deal of time in public service. In 1839 he was one of the original petitioners that helped establish the first land office in Alachua County, Florida. That same year he founded the first Masonic Lodge in Columbia County, Florida (Mackey Lodge).

When Florida became a state in 1845, William Henry was one of the first supervisors of elections for Columbia County. In 1852 he was elected to public office and served as a representative to the Florida State General Assembly. In November 1852 he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, Sixth Session. During this session he received and presented a petition to the House that would eventually divide and reapportion Columbia County.

On December 21, 1858 Columbia County was divided and Suwannee County was formed. William Henry was one of the four men elected to serve as the first Commissioners for the newly created county.

Just prior to the beginning of the Civil War in 1861, a newly constructed railroad, which connected the port of Jacksonville, Florida and the state Capitol Tallahassee, was completed.

In 1864 a junction with this railroad from Du Pont, Georgia was created, a new station established and William Henry Rousseau was appointed it's first stationmaster. Legend has it, that an old Live Oak tree growing nearby, at William Henry's suggestion, provided the name for the station and the town of present day Live Oak, Florida. When the Proclamation of Emancipation and was issued and the slaves granted their freedom, William Henry held an informal meeting amongst his slaves. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the fact that all slaves were proclaimed Free. It is said that William Henry drew a line in the sand at his feet and encouraged any of the slaves that felt they had ever been mistreated and or wanted to leave for any reason, to step across the line. Allegedly, only one person stepped across the line and left.

Because of his military experience as a Sergeant in the Florida Mounted Militia, during the Seminole Indian wars and his first hand knowledge of the Florida Territory, William Henry was

given a commission and served as a Lieutenant in the Cavalry of the C.S.A. (Confederate States of America) Army, during the Civil War in North Florida. He was later promoted to Captain.

After the war was over in 1865 William Henry was elected as the first State Senator from Suwannee County. In addition to holding numerous positions in public office William Henry, because of his reputation as a fair and honest man, was called on frequently to settle disputes of a civil nature including the administration of estates and the disposition of property.

In the late 1860's his health began to decline and his doctors' urged him to relocate farther south to a warmer climate. In the summer of 1869, with my 3 year old Great Grandmother, Ida Viola Rousseau Harn riding in the foot of an ox-drawn wagon, the entire Rousseau family moved south and settled at Clear Water Harbor, Florida in what was then, Hillsborough County. They obtained land just west of the Henry Harn property near Allen's Creek and built their new home.

Unfortunately the change in climate did little to improve his health and William Henry Rousseau died on January 24, 1870. At his request he was laid to rest beneath a cluster of Live Oaks at the northeast corner of his property. William Henry Rousseau was the first person to be buried on this property. On June 19, 1890, a few months before her death, Mary Ann Dean Rousseau, the widow of William Henry, deeded this property over to a Family Trust to be established as a permanent Family Cemetery for the survivors and descendants of William Henry Rousseau.

Today the Rousseau Cemetery located on South Hercules Avenue in Clearwater, Florida is one of the oldest active cemeteries in Pinellas County and is the final, resting place for more than 100 people. Many of these people are descendants of the great Florida Pioneer and Statesman, William Henry Rousseau, for whom it is named. The cemetery is preserved and maintained, by a trust fund, which was established in 1978 by a group of the descendants of William Henry Rousseau.

In the Spring and Fall each year, many of these descendants get together at the cemetery to landscape and restore the grounds. This informal gathering provides us with the opportunity to preserve a part of our heritage and exchange stories and memories of those that have gone on before us. We all wonder what William Henry Rousseau, the man, was really like. We do know that his life has provided us with the inspiration and pride of knowing that we are all descended from a truly great individual. For this we are eternally grateful.

Please note that this information while based on fact is the work

, of several different individuals. Most of the information from about 1825 forward has been documented and proved by the authors. Certain facts regarding Theodore, Hillaire, William and Henry have been documented and proved as well by other researchers.It is not the intent of the authors to misrepresent or mislead the reader. Our information may contain errors and omissions. We welcome your comments, suggestions and criticisms. Any information or input you would be willing to share will be greatly appreciated.

FURTHER NOTE: If there is a missing link, we believe it exists between Henry Rousseau (1765-1800?) and his son, John Rousseau. We believe this individual is John Lewis Rousseau (1791-1865?), our ancestor. A proven connection between these two individuals has not yet been established. We are continuing to research data with the hope of making that connection and solving the missing link in our lineage.

Updated September 20, 2000.
 By Aliene Harn and Ron Harn