Pelletreau family

The Pelletreau family originated from France and arrived in Massachusetts with twelve other Huguenot families in 1686. Francis Pelletreau (b. 1697) moved to Southampton in 1728. Francis married Jane Osburne in 1721 and had two children: Elias (b. 1726) and Mary (b. 1723). Francis was involved in the whaling industry as well as a merchant; it has been cited that he was a business partner of Hugh Gelston. Francis died in London, where he was undergoing a surgical operation in 1737.

Francis and Jane's son Elias (b. 1726) was ten years old when Francis perished. Soon after, Elias was sent to the boarding school of John Proctor in New York City, and after completion he apprenticed with silversmith Simeon Soumain for almost eight years. He then returned to Southampton and married Sarah Gelston in 1748. They had five children: Jane, Francis (b. 1752), John (b. 1755), Elias (b. 1757) and Hugh (b. 1762). In Southampton, Elias turned a portion of his home into a shop where he crafted various silver and gold objects for sale. His work became very popular, attracting customers from New York City and other distant areas, many of which were repeat customers with large accounts. Elias was also a farmer, owning a great deal of property in the surrounding area. His son John (b. 1755) was greatly involved in his silversmith work, and aided as a salesman for the work he crafted.

Upon the early stages of the American Revolution, Elias Pelletreau (b. 1726) was commissioned as a captain in the Suffolk County militia in 1761 and in 1775 he was one of the first individuals to sign the Articles of Association. He gave financial support to the revolutionary government and was active in community efforts to guard against British invasion. With the British occupation as a result of the battle of Long Island (1776), Captain Pelletreau and his family, along with many other prominent families, fled to Connecticut. He eventually returned to his home after the war and continued to work in his shop as a silversmith until his death in 1810.

The son of Elias, John Pelletreau (b. 1755) continued the silversmith business established by his father in the town of Southampton. John's work also drew great attention and popularity. John occupied the position as silversmith until his death in 1822 when his son William Smith Pelletreau (b. 1786) continued the legacy. John Pelletreau married Mary Smith, daughter of William Smith in 1785 and had five children; William Smith (b. 1786), Nathaniel (b. 1787), Charles (b. 1791), Edwin (b. 1795) and John Smith (b. 1804).

Like himself, John Pelletreau's son William Smith was actively involved in the family business and studied to become a silversmith. He maintained the shop upon the death of John and continued to prosper as a talented and respected silversmith in the community and greater New York area. He resided and owned property in Southampton. William married Nancy Mackie and had nine children. Upon the passing of his first wife, he married Elizabeth Wells and had three children: Helen Elizabeth, William Smith (b. 1840) and George Wells.

William Smith Pelletreau (b. 1786) is the father of William Smith Pelletreau, Jr. (b. 1840), an author and family historian, whose specific focus was genealogical history and the history of Southampton. He was an active member of the Long Island Historical Society and New-York Historical Society in his lifetime. The papers in this collection were part of the estate of William Smith Pelletreau, Jr. and were believed to have been used for research of his publications concerning Southampton and the Pelletreau family.

From the guide to the Pelletreau family papers, 1662-1921, (Brooklyn Historical Society)