Dibert Family

     Charles Frederick Debart (surname has also been listed in records as Debar, Debolt, Deburt, de Burt, Dilbert, , Diver, Divert, Dybird and other variations) traveled from France to Manakintown, Virginia in 1699 with Pastor Phillip de Roucheville on “Ye First Ship”.  He was a French Huguenot  (Protestants who mostly followed the teachings of John Calvin, whose religious beliefs were outlawed in France in 1685 during the reign of Louis XIV) that fled with many others from the religious prosecution in France (the Huguenot records in Virginia only have the Surname “Debart”, with no first name listed, and only show one person of this surname as arriving with the Huguenot refugees).  He left with some of the Huguenots and went to South Carolina for a time, but due to some issues between de Roucheville and Pierre Roberts, he returned to Manakintown.  Charles was born around 1660 and died in 1707 at sea (I have yet to find the actual records listing this as fact, however).  His wife, Magdalena (or Margaret), was born around 1661 and died in 1720.  They had the following children who were probably born in France (I’ve seen no official record listing them as being born elsewhere):

1.     John, born about 1685, died in 1732 in Dutch Corner, PA, married Mary Seaworth.

2.    David

3.    Henry

4.    Mary

     John’s wife Mary Seaworth, was the daughter of Martin Chartier (son of Rene Chartier and Madalene Ranger) and his Indian wife Sewatha.  Martin Chartier had come to American with Rene Robert La Salle around 1675.  He supposedly followed La Salle throughout several expeditions, but ended up staying with the Shawnee and marrying Sewatha.  They had at least four children (that have been documented):  Mary Seaworth (some have her Indian name as Sewatha Straight Tail) who married John Dibert, Jacqueline Chartier, and Pierre Chartier who was a noted Indian trader and interpreter.

     John and his wife Mary traveled up Indian Paths to what is now known as the Dutch Corner area of Bedford County, PA (then it was Indian land and was illegal for non-Indians to settle on), and built their home, known as “Fort Wingwan” (also known as For Wingam, Wingawn and other variations) in 1710.  They had twelve children between 1710 and 1732.  However, in 1732, the Diberts were attacked and John, Mary and seven of their children were killed.  A daughter who was about 16 years old led the other surviving children, including Charles Christopher, back to Virginia to family that they had there (one reference says that she led them to Jamestown to where an Uncle lived, another reference says that she led them to family near Manakintown).

     John Dibert and Mary Seaworth’s son Charles Christopher returned to the area in 1740 with his wife, Eve Margaret Nei, and young son Michael, to re-settle on the land that had once been his home. 

    To see some descendants of Charles Christopher Dibert, click here:  Descendants of Charles Frederick Christopher Debart.

Information on the Diberts can be found in:

“Proceedings of the Huguenot Society of PA”, Volume XXVII in 1955; (click HERE to see an example)

“300 Years of Dibert Family History” author unknown;  

Indian Blood by Richard Pangburn;

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