Scholarship Awarded to Clemson Student
In April 2026, the Mary Mouzon Darby Scholarship was awarded to Mills Bates, a student at Clemson University in South Carolina. Miss Bates joined the Society in 2017.
Millisa (Mills) Arden Bates
Joachim Gaillard, by Mills Bates
I have been a member of the Huguenot Society of South Carolina for several years, but I did not understand my family’s place in history before I decided to apply for the Mary Mouzon Darby Scholarship. My brother was able to share information on our family lineage that he obtained from HSSC for a college class. What I have learned is a small band of French Huguenots came for religious tolerance, but along with their economic potential, found that Carolina gave them many more opportunities than had existed in their former European society.
In a predominantly Catholic country, the Huguenots faced severe persecution in France. Many of them fled to other countries, including the United States, in search of religious freedom. Charleston became a key area for the Huguenots to settle. One of these Huguenots who emigrated from France to the Province of Carolina (today’s South Carolina) is my ancestor, Joachim Gaillard. Joachim was born July 19, 1625, in Montpellier France. He was the son of Jean Gaillard and Marie Vincens. In 1664, Joachim married Esther Paparel. By 1666 Joachim Gaillard and his family had moved to Annonay in the Ardeche in southeast France. With the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, Joachim and his family moved to Lyons, France and helped assist other Huguenots who were escaping France to Geneva. In 1686, Joachim and Esther would flee France, traveling through Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands before stopping in England. Their sons came the next year. On October 10, 1687, while in England, Joachim purchased six hundred acres of land in the area known as French Santee. The family probably arrived in French Santee later in 1687. In 1697, Joachim, Esther, and their children are listed as French inhabitants in the area of French Santee.
French Santee was the largest French settlement outside of Charles Town. Around 80 French families would settle in French Santee and by 1706 there were one hundred French families living there. Joachim Gaillard was a notable Huguenot living there and would play a crucial role in establishing this Huguenot community in South Carolina. His descendants would continue to play a role including his children, Bartholomew, Jean (John), and Pierre, who became prominent figures. French Santee was a significant center for Huguenot influence and culture in the Carolina province.
The French refugees settled on plantations and primarily worked in agriculture. The Gaillard family was among the more prosperous of the Huguenots who lived in the Santee community. The Gaillards were large landowners and leaders among their Huguenot neighbors. Dawshee, one of the St. John's Berkeley plantations, was purchased by the Gaillards from the Gignilliat family. Today this land is buried under Lake Marion. By 1696, the Gaillard name appeared in “Liste des François et Suisses” , the list of French and Swiss who desired to be naturalized in Carolina.
What I found most interesting was the ability of the Huguenots to adapt to the new colony. Though small in number, they were a smart and hard-working group which helped them compete for survival in this young colony. Their skills and talents also made them wealthy and helped them become a force in Carolina. They blended in with other settlers while still holding on to parts of their French culture. The Gaillards’ contributions added to the success of South Carolina and their success is reflected today by The French Protestant (Huguenot) Church in Charleston, the only active Huguenot congregation in the United States. As I move towards college and prepare for my future, it is empowering to think about the courage and adaptability of my French ancestors. I am proud to be a Huguenot descendant of Joachim Gaillard.