Descendants of the DeVoor/ DeVaux Family
of County Artois, Spanish Netherlands

DeVoor/Devore

Generation #2

Nicholas (1Nicholas) DeVeaux of New Amsterdam

Research Note: A preponderance of information on the early DeVeaux family was gleaned from the "Genealogy of the DeVeaux Family" by Thos. F. DeVoe dtd 1885 and the "Revised History of Harlem" by James Riker dtd 1904.

Nicholas DeVeaux was born in about 1620 in County Artois, the Spanish Netherlands during an extensive period of religious and political wars. And as a French Huguenot, life was perilous. [French Huguenots in the Spanish Netherlands]

There is an ongoing discussion about the dates of birth for Nicholas' many children. From the few records available, it appears that Nicholas had children born in the 1640s with a twelve year break and then children born in the 1660s. I propose that Nicholas had two spouses, of whom Susanne Francois was the last. Reasonable conjecture leads to the belief that in about 1640 in County Artois, the Spanish Netherlands, Nicholas married an unknown spouse with whom he had Nicholas, Frederick, Jacques, and Susanne.

Our DeVeaux family survives to this day because they fled to relative safety under the protection of the Protestant Elector of the Palatinate of the Rhine, settling at Manheim. 

When the small party left their home they made a rapid flight for several days and nights, and supposed they had a good start unknown to the authorities; then, by traveling through the forests as opportunity offered in the daytime, and the fields and bypaths at night, they had great hopes of having eluded any troops which might have been sent after them. . .and they safely arrived in the town of Manheim, Germany, where they found some of the earlier fugitives of the family who had escaped at various periods before.

    DeVoe, Thos. F., "Genealogy of the DeVeaux Family," 1885, p. 50-51.

The previous narrative comes from family oral history which was corroborated by many of son Frederick's descendants. Evidently, Frederick, who lived to about 98 years old,  had an amazing memory; as he recounted facts about the family flight from the Spanish Netherlands to the Palatinate of the Rhine to several generations.

The family migration route may have paralleled the Sy family, who, after leaving the same general area along the French border, resided first in Mutterstadt in 1655 and then in Friesenheim in 1657 before arriving sometime before 1666 at Manheim, Palatinate of the Rhine, where they lived under the protection of the Protestant rulers.

Did Nicholas loose his first wife during their daring dash to freedom or during their sojourn prior to settling in Manheim? In about 1660, Nicholas married Susanne Francois b. c. 1640 somewhere between County Artois and Manheim. With Susanne, Nicholas had his second group of children which included Daniel and Jacob. And like his parents, Nicholas and Susanne's lives were also perilous due to the ongoing warfare which rolled back and forth through the counties on the French border and in the Palatinate of the Rhine.

In any case, Nicholas and family arrived in Mannheim by 1667 where Nicolas appears in the "Registry of Fathers," and his oldest son, Nicolas, married Marie Sy.

Nicholas had four sons who immigrated to New Amsterdam/ New York. And, each son had his own migration story. However, their circumstances were most similar. As French Huguenots fleeing persecution and open warfare in lands along the ill-defined border between France and the Spanish Netherlands, they fled to the Palatinate of the Rhine and the protection of the Elector. Their eventual destination was the New World and religious freedom. Whether arriving in New Amsterdam, Dutch America, before 1664 or Manhattan, New York, after 1664, our Huguenot ancestors were afforded the same religious freedom by both colonial powers.

Reportedly, Nicholas and Susanne were killed in one of the many assaults on Manheim by the French Army.

Registry of the Father of the Families composing the French Church of Mannheim::
1667. Nicolas de Veau [Sr.] is listed as the 78th father living in the First Quarter of the City.

    Children

Note the many permutations of the family name: DeVaux, DeVoor, DeVoe, and DuFour.

        Children with the first spouse

    1. Nicholas DeVaux

Registry of the Father of the Families composing the French Church of Mannheim::
1667. Nicolas de Veau [Sr.] is listed as the 78th father living in the First Quarter of the City.
The French Church, Manheim, Palatinate of the Rhine:
Nicolas de Vaus j. home natif de Fest Hubert pa'is d'Artois et Marie Sy veve de Jaquest Petilion resident a Mannheim ont ete maries en cette Eglise le 10 Juille 1667.
Nicolas de Vaux, young man, native of Festubert, country of Artois and Marie Sy, widow of Jacques Petilion, resident at Mannheim, have been married in this church the 10 July, 1667.
The French Church, Manheim, Palatinate of the Rhine:
Nicolas de Vaux, et Marie Sy habitans de cete ville, ont fair baptiser leur fils Abraham le 14e Juin ne le 11e dito 1668, et a eu pour parain Philippe Mane jeune home et pour maraine Marie Petilon jeune fille.
Nicholas de Vaux, and Marie Sy, habitants of this city have had baptized their son Abraham the 14th June born the 11th dicto (June) 1668, and had for Godfather Philippe Mane, young man and for Godmother Marie Petillon, young woman.

    2. Frederick DeVaux

Registry of the Father of the Families composing the French Church of Mannheim::
1667. Nicolas de Veau [Sr.] is listed as the 78th father living in the First Quarter of the City.

The French Church, Manheim, Palatinate of the Rhine:
Frederick de Vaux, y. man, native of St. Hubert in Artois, son of Nicolas de Vaux, habitant at Manheim, and Margueritte Bonde, y. woman, daughter of Jean Bond, bourgeois at Manheim, have been married in this Church the 12 of February 1668.

We, President, Mayor, Burgomaster and Council of the Electoral Pfalztown Manheim Do make known and proclaim herewith, that the bearer of this, Frederick de Veaux has been a citizen of this Town, and intends now to travel in Holland and then further to England: therefore We request, according to custom, to let the said Frederick de Veaux pass, free, safe and unmolested at all places, and also to insure him all good Will and help. We shall do the same in return, according to his rank, to all persons. 
In Witness hereof we have put Our customary Seal.
Done Manheim, this 23rd February Syl. Vet. Anno, One thousand six hundred and seventy-five.

    Riker, James, "Revised History of Harlem," 1904, p. 330.
Still the settlers at Harlem were on the alert. On March 2d [1675] the Night Watch was reorganized. . .and the following new ones appear: Rarent Waldron, Alichiel Bastiaensen, Reyer Michielsen, Hendrick Kierson,' Frederick de Vaux. The last of these persons, born in the Walloon country, had lately left the Lower Palatinate, with many other French, on account of the troubles there; De Vaux coming via England to join his brother Nicholas in this country. He was now a widower, but a little later married a daughter of Daniel Tourneur deceased, from which union sprang the respectable De Voe family in the lower sections of Westchester County, first seated at DeVoe's Point, near which, Frederick obtained by his wife a fine property.

    Riker, James, "Revised History of Harlem," 1904, p. 329.
Dutch Reformed Church of Manhattan NY Marriages:
1677 24 Jun; Frederick de Vou, wid, uyt Walslandt;
Hester Tourneurs, jd van N. Haerlem
1677 24 Jun; Frederick DeVos widower from the Walloon country;
Hester Tourneurs, maiden of North Harlem.
Westchester Co NY Abstracts of Wills v.  III (1730-1744), pp. 417 & 418:
January 23, 1741. I, FREDERICK DE VOORSE, SR., of Westchester.
I leave to my eldest son Frederick, œ10. To my son Joseph, œ15, to be paid by my son Abel, out of the money due to me from him on mortgage. I leave to my grand son, John De Voorse, œ20, to be paid by my son Abel. I leave to my son Abel, all that my 100 acres of land at New Rochelle, and he is to pay to my executors œ135. I leave to my daughter Judith, my French Psalm Book. All the rest of my personal estate I leave to my daughters, Rachel, wife of Johanes Dyckman, Susanah, wife of Andrew Nodine, Esther, wife of Laury Vincent, Leah, widow of Nathaniel Bayley, Dinah, late wife of Tobias Conckling. . .Judith, wife of Johanes Barhite, And to the children of my daughter Mary, wife of Joshua Bishop. . .I make my sons Frederick and Daniel, and my friend Abraham Morthing, executors.
Witnesses, Gerardus Wilse, James Collard, Roger Barton. Proved, December 8, 1743.

    3. Jacques DeVeaux

Registry of the Father of the Families composing the French Church of Mannheim::
1667. Nicolas de Veau [Sr.] is listed as the 78th father living in the First Quarter of the City.

    4. Susanne DeVeaux

Registry of the Father of the Families composing the French Church of Mannheim::
1667. Nicolas de Veau [Sr.] is listed as the 78th father living in the First Quarter of the City.

        Children with Susanne Francois

    5. Daniel DeVoor b. c. 1660 Palatinate of the Rhine

    6. Jacob Deveaux

Registry of the Father of the Families composing the French Church of Mannheim::
1667. Nicolas de Veau [Sr.] is listed as the 78th father living in the First Quarter of the City.

    x. David DeVoor (son of David DuFour)

Dutch Reformed Church of Manhattan NY Marriages:
1689 25 Aug; David Befoor, jm van N. Yorck;
Lysbeth Jans, jd van de Zuydrivier beyde wonende op Manhatans E
Was Lysbeth Jans the sister of Margaret Jans who married Nicholas DeVaux?
NEW YORK CALENDAR OF WILLS, p. 97:
Septbr. 14, 1671. David Du Four, from Bergen [Mons, Belgium], and his wife Jannetje Frans from Guevrerin near Valeneyn [Belgium], living at Deudelbay [Turtle Bay, Manhattan] N.Y.
The survivor [surviving spouse], the sons David, Peter, and Claudeans; a son Jan by the first wife Maria  Boulyn. Real and personal property. The survivor [surviving spouse] to be executor.
Endorsed by Johannes Kipp, one of the witnesses, in May 1699.

Generation #3

Caveat
This site is provided for reference only. Except where specifically cited, information contained is conjecture and should not be considered as fact.
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