Boy did I goof.

Previously I wrote that Landon Bell's 1927 account of the three brothers from Toulon were taken verbatin from the story published in 1887 by Willimam Perry.

I got that information from secondary sources without verifying it.

I just found on the internet excerpts from Perrin's 1887 book that discusses the Caldwell geneaological history.

It appears Perrin made no mention of Cold Well in France or any linkage of these three brothers with the Waldenses and Albigenses. That was added by Bell.

Here is an excerpt from William Perrin, Kentucky: A History of the State, Battle, Perrin, & Kniffin, 4th ed., 1887, Boyle Co.

"CHARLES CALDWELL. The name of Caldwell is an honorable one in American annals. No family made a brighter record for patriotism and bravery during the war of the Revolution and in the trying pioneer times, when the States were coming into shape on new soil. From Rhode Island to
Florida and as far west as Texas, this family extends to-day, growing out of the parent stock described in this sketch. Stanch defenders of Presbyterianism they have been friends of education, influential in politics and useful members of society. The earliest record of the
Caldwell family relates to three brothers, John, Alexander and Oliver, who were seamen on the Mediterranean in the latter part of the fourteenth century under two men named Barbarossa. The influence of the latter was ended by the governor of Aran, after about twenty years, and those connected with them scattered over the world. The three
brothers returned to Toulon, in France, where they had been born, and settled near by, at Mount Arid. Earning the enmity of Francis I, of France, after his escape from imprisonment under Charles V, of Germany, the brothers were again forced to change their location. Going to Scotland they purchased, near Solway Firth, the estate of a bishop
named Douglass, with the consent of James I, on condition that the said brothers, John, Alexander and Oliver, late of Mount Arid, should have their estate known as "Cauldwell," and when the king should require they should each send a son with twenty men of sound limbs to aid in the wars of the king. An heirloom is a cup, from which it is seen that
the estate took its name from a watering-place. The cup represents a chieftain and twenty mounted men, all armed, and a fire burning on a hill over the words "Mount Arid," and a vessel surrounded by high waves. Joseph, John Alexander, Daniel, David and Andrew, of Cauldwell, went with Oliver Cromwell (whose grand-mother was Ann of Cauldwell) to Ireland, of which he was the lord governor. After his promotion to the protectorate of England they remained in his interest in Ireland until the restoration of Charles II, when John, David and Andrew fled to America. Joseph died in Ireland and Daniel continued there, but several of their children immigrated to America, settling on James River, Va., and elsewhere. Another account renders it improbable that the last John, mentioned above, came to America. His son, John Caldwell (as the name had come to be spelled), married Margaret Phillips in County Derry, Ireland, where several children were born to them. December 10, 1727, they landed at Newcastle, Del., going thence to Lancaster County, Penn., and about 1742 in Lunenburg (now Charlotte) County, Va. Here they were joined by relatives, forming what was known as the "Caldwell Settlement" for many years. John Caldwell was the first justice of the peace, and his son, William, the first militia officer commissioned by George II for that section. He died and was buried by the side of his wife in 1750. Their children were William, Thomas, David, Margaret, John, Robert and James. Each of these men
contributed some things to American history. James Caldwell, D.D., the seventh child, one of the founders of Princeton College, was murdered by British soldiers at Elizabethtown, N.J., and his descendants received, by way of pensions, clerkships at Washington for many years. Two of his sons led in founding the Liberia colonization scheme, and gave name to Caldwell, Liberia. Martha, daughter of William Caldwell, became the mother of John Caldwell Calhoun, the statesman. The whole family was distinguished for patriotism during the war of the Revolution. One son, John, died while lieutenant-governor; was buried at Frankfort, and honored with a monument at public expense. He gave name to Caldwell County, of which he was an early settler. Samuel was a major-general in the war of 1812, and the first clerk of Logan County court. Both were members of the Legislature frequently, as was Robert, who presided in the House when the famous resolutions of 1708 were
adopted. The latter's daughter, Eliza, became the wife of O.H. Browning, Lincoln's Secretary of the Interior. Mary, daughter of Robert, married Dr. R.C. Palmer. David Caldwell was buried in the oldchurchyard in Lunenburg County, and his widow with her children settled at the point marked "Caldwell's Station" (near Danville) on Filson's map of Kentucky of 1784. One of the sons was John, who married Dicey Mann, having descendants David, William, Beverly, Polly and Phoebe. Robert moved from Virginia in 1781 and settled where William L. Caldwell now resides, near Danville. He took up several thousand acres of land at that point and was identified with the Pioneer life and early settlement of what was then Mercer County. He married Mary Loganand had a large family of children, who have occupied various positions of responsibility and trust in Kentucky. He led a plain and unostentatious life; was early identified with the Presbyterian Church at its first development in his locality and many of the early religious meetings of that body were held in his primitive, yet substantial dwelling. This ancient building, which was probably erected
soon after his first settlement, is still standing on the farm of his grandson, William L. Caldwell, and is now used as a barn. It was a large building constructed of hewn logs, sealed with cherry plank sawed by hand and joined by hand-made nails. Robert Caldwell died in 1806, and his remains were interred upon the farm where he had passed
the greater part of his industrious life. William Caldwell, one of his sons, married a Miss Wickliffe, a sister of Gov. Wickliffe; was an extensive farmer, and in his business and social relations commanded the respect and confidence of a large circle of friends. He had but two children, Lydia, who married a Mr. McCord of Washington County, and the late Charles Caldwell of Boyle County. The latter, whose name
appears at the head of this sketch, received a good English education in his youth, and upon attaining manhood married Elizabeth, daughter ofJeremiah Clemens of Danville, and shortly after settled on the farm where his grandson, Jeremiah C. Caldwell, now resides. He was one of
the most prominent and successful farmers Boyle County has ever had, and became widely known as one of the largest and most extensivecattle raisers and cattle feeders for the markets of the East. He also speculated extensively in pork, at one time buying and packing large quantities. He was a man of decidedly methodical and systematic turn of mind, industrious, frugal and thrifty, of undoubted integrity and
uprightness of character, an elder in the Danville Presbyterian Church, a trustee of Centre College, and a prompt and liberal supporter of all worthy evangelical and charitable objects. He died in the possession
of a large estate accumulated by the exercise of these virtues, which all admire but few emulate, and by the provision of his will left liberal bequests to the Caldwell Female College of Danville, and the Theological Seminary of that place. His only son, Jeremiah Caldwell, married Margaret Wilson of Bardstown, and spent his life in agricultural pursuits on his father's farm. He had two children: Charles, who died in boyhood, and Jeremiah C. Caldwell who passed away at the age of twelve years. The larger portion of the estate of Charles Caldwell was
devised to his grandson, Jeremiah C. Caldwell. He received a thorough English education at Centre College, Danville, but being designed by his grandfather to engage in farming operations, did not pursue the entire curriculum, He was early inured to a life of industry, and under the careful and judicious guardianship of William Logan Caldwell
developed such a stability of character and such a decided capacity for the intelligent transaction of business, that the trustees of his father's estate put him in possession of it nine years before they were compelled to do so, and he is to-day one of the largest and most successful farmers in Boyle County, a large handler of cattle for the Eastern markets and a prominent business man. He has inherited many of the characteristics of his grandfather, takes a lively interest in church and educational matters, and is the president of the Farmer's National Bank of Danville. He occupies his grandfather's farm, and is the seventh in line of descent from John Caldwell, who immigrated to
this country in 1727. The line of descent is as follows: John, William, Robert, William Charles, Jeremiah, Jeremiah C. Caldwell. ...."

Compadre Plunkett Caldwell might be of help here. Perrin wrote: "Joseph, John Alexander, Daniel, David and Andrew, of Cauldwell, went with Oliver Cromwell (whose grand-mother was Ann of Cauldwell) to Ireland, of which he was the lord governor. After his promotion to the protectorate of England they remained in his interest in Ireland until the restoration of Charles II, when John, David and Andrew fled to America."

I encourage Plunkett to assess whether any of this can be corroborated or refuted.

Regards,

David Andrew Caldwell