Thomas Mustain (m'Estain, Muston, The Musteen, Mestain, Mestaine, Musson) b. 30 September 1713 d. 21 November 1791

From Rodovid EN

Events

30 September 1713 birth, Westmorland, Virginia

child birth, ♀ # Leudy Mustain [Mustain]

child birth, ♂ Thomas Mustain [Mustain]

1750 child birth, Gretna, Pittsylvania, Virginia, USA, ♂ Jesse Mustain [Mustain] b. 1750 d. 1794

26 February 1756 child birth, Camden Parish, Pittsylvania, Virginia, USA, ♂ Avery Mustain [Mustain] b. 26 February 1756 d. 31 August 1833

21 November 1791 death, Pittsylvania, Virginia

Notes

The Young Thomas

This Thomas is called Thomas the Immigrant and is the ancestor of most of the Mustain, Mustaine, Musteen, and Muston families in the United States. My records indicate that although he was likely born in Virginia, he lived spent a good portion of his youth living with his Grandfather in England where he studied law, becoming a court clerk prior to before returning to settle in the Halifax/Pittsylvania area of Virginia.

Ancestral Origins

Thomas' ancestry was most certainly French Huguenot from the area of Province France. The family had been displaced by the French religious wars with various branches of the family living in England, Holland, Ireland, and the Channel Islands for nearly 100 years prior to Thomas' arrival in Virginia. Thomas was the great nephew of Thomas and Ann Moustine who emigrated from Calais France to Maryland in 1670 and who eventually settled in Westmoreland VA where they are mentioned in the diaries of some of the area residents as being fond patrons of the arts who were fond of hosting social cotillions and soires where the families of the founding fathers were in attendance.

Origin of the name

As a play on his paternal name Estaine, Messr. Thomas was nicknamed "the Musteen" (meaning Quadroon) indicating a possible mixed race ancestry. Given that the family had spent nearly 3 generations in active trade between England, and the West and East Indies prior to 1670, it is highly likely that Thomas' father was the product of a mixed race marriage between a Frenchman and an East Indian woman.

From grandparents to grandchildren