US Descendants of David and Marie Sohier desMarets

 

1. David Demarest, born in 1620 at Beauchamps, near Amiens, in the district of Cambray, France. He was the son of Jean and Margrieta deHerville desMarets.

 

David with his parents was forced to flee from France because of their Protestant religion. They moved, in 1642, to Middleburg, on the island of Walcheren off the west coast of Holland, where they joined a colony of Belgian and French refugees. A Protestant Church had been firmly established here, and the names of Jean desMarets and family appeared as members in 1643. In this Church David married Marie Sohier, whose family had taken refuge during the first Walloon migration. The term “Walloon” was used to refer to Belgian Protestants, while the term “Huguenot” denoted French back-ground. Due to the frequently shifting boundary lines between France and Belgium, an exact date must be known in order to determine nationalities, but most of the families here were French.

 

Marie Sohier was the daughter of Francois and Margrieta, and is believed to have been the grand-daughter of David Sohier, a native on Mons in Hainault, who married Feb. 12, 1585 at Amsterdam, Anne Crommelin from Donay. The Sohier family also originated from the land of Cambray and bore ‘ingules a fine pointed star, argent.” In the 16^th and

17^th centuries a branch of this family had memberships in the French Reformed Church in London, England.

 

The marriage of David desMarets and Marie Sohier is thus recorded: “1643, 4 Juillet, Assiste de Jean Marets et Francois Sohier, Marguerite deHerville et Marguerite Sohier; David desMarets, fils de Jean, natif de Beauchamps et Marie Sohier, fille de Francois, natif de Nieppe, et le 19 Juillet. Marie le 29 juliet.” These dates show first banns July 4, second banns July 19, marriage July 29, 1643.

 

Two of their children were baptized in the Walloon Chuch (Church misspelled in original document) at Middleburg: Jean, the eldest, Apr. 14, 1645, and David June 22, 1649. The latter died in infancy and a son born two years later was given the same name. The family moved next to Germany and in 1651 was living within the German Palatinate at Mannheim on the Rhine. French and Belgian Protestants from Holland and England were fleeing to this refuge, fearing a war between those two countries. They were drawn especially by assurances of protection and hope of religious freedom.

 

David desMarets and his associates had, by 1652, reorganized the French Church at Mannheim which had been inactive since 1623 due to a prolonged period of European wars. A church building was provided by the Elector Charles Lewis, son of Frederick V. Following the reorganization, David became an Elder and four of his children were baptized there:

 

David, Dec. 24, 1651; Samuel, Aug. 10, 1656; Marie, Apr. 10, 1659; Marie, May 19, 1662. It has been established definitely by official documents that both of the daughters died in infancy, one in Holland, the other in America.

 

Many of the refugee’s then living in Mannheim later joined the New French Settlement in America, established at Harlem, north of New Amsterdam. Among these appear DeVeaux, LeConte, and Van Oblinus, neighbors and friends of the desMarets family in both locations.

 

Soon the Palatinate was threatened with hostile invention by neighboring Catholic princes, and the desMarets, Van Oblinus, and a number of other French families left Mannheim, sailed down the Rhine, and after a short stay in Amsterdam embarked for the New Netherlands on the ship Bontekoe (The Spotted Cow), skipper Jan Bergen. The date Apr. 16, 1663 may have been that of departure from Holland, or arrival in America.

In the group were about 90 persons, men, women and children, the French comprising a third of the number.

 

On the passenger list were the names “David deMaire from Picardie, his wife and four children, the ages of the children being eighteen, eleven, six , and one years respectively. Each adult was charged 39 florins for passage and board, children of ten years and under (except infants) half price. The bill for the desMarets family was 175 florins, 10 stivers, an exorbitant amount for that period.

 

A voyage at that date was beset by many dangers. Piracy flourished upon the high seas, contagious diseases and ravages of fever were common. It often required some months for small vessels to make the crossing, and may of them were wrecked within sight of land, due to faulty maps and instruments.

 

The food consisted of a doled amount of salt meat (either pork or beef) with peas, beans or pudding. The portion for the week was measured and distributed each Monday morning. Passengers boiled their own food and the regulations provided “if at any time it shall happen that they are not willing the Kettle shall be boiled or by bad weather can not, in such case each passenger shall have 1 pound of cheese every such day.” Children were allowed fruit, sugar, butter and extra rations, and for the ill a supply of brandy, sugar, figs, raisins, and sugar biscuits was carried on the voyage.

 

The desMarets family made the voyage safely and upon arrival settled first in a Huguenot village on Staten Island where they remained for two years before moving to Harlem where the VanOblinus family had gone immediately upon reaching New Amsterdam.

 

David D’Amerex, as he was known on Staten Island, soon was appointed Senior Commisary of the local court opened on Staten Island by order of the Director General and Council of New Netherland. The appointment was as follows; “Ordinance of the Director General and Council of New Netherland erecting a Court of Justice on Staten Island, Passed 28 January 1664. The Director General and Council of New Netherland to all those who shall see these Presents or hear them read, Greetings, make known that they for public good, for the greater advancement and increase of the recently begun Village of Staten Island and for the more convenient administration fo Justice have considered it necessary to establish in the forenamed Commissaries to wit: David D’Amerex, Pierre Billiou, and Walraven Lutten before whom in the first instance shall be brought all Questions, Actions, and Differences arising in said Village between Lord and Vassal, Master and Servant, Man, Mistress and Maid, Neighbor and Neighbor, Burger (Buyer-?) and Seller, Lessor and Lessee, Master and Worman, and other such like; Item: all Criminal Actions, consisting of Deeds, Threats, Fighting or Wounding, whether moved or instituted by party or by the Senior Commissary who until further order shall represent the Sheriff in the place. And said Connissaries (spelling in book) shall do justice to the best of their knowledge between parties appearing before them, and may decree provision of Deposit, Dismissal or Definite condemnation as the Circumstance of the case shall authorize. But any party felling aggrieved may appeal to the Director General and Council of New Netherland, according to the custom here, from all judgments exceeding fifty guilders pronounced by said Commissaries. And said Commissaries are hereby specially commissioned and authorized to enact proper ordinances, that the Cornfields and Gardens be carefully fenced and kept enclosed, and the broken fences properly repaired. They hereby command all Inhabitants of the aforesaid Village who already are there, or who will hereafter come thither to respect and acknowledge the aforesaid Commissaries for such as there are hereby qualified and all that, until it be otherwise ordained by the Director General and Council aforesaid.”

 

Staten Island at that time was sparsely settled and open to constant danger from Indian attacks, as well as threats of English invasion. Due to these conditions, a meeting of delegates was held first at Flushing, Long Island, and on April 10, 1664, at New Amsterdam, where Staten Island was represented by David desMarets and Pierre Billiou, a French refugee of unusual ability, who took an important part in the affairs of the Colony.

 

At that period, according to a report made by Governor Stuyvesant, the only fortification was a small wooden block-house about 18 x 20 ft. square, in the center of the houses of the village, which were lightly constructed of straw and clap-board. The garrison consisted of six old soldiers, unfit to accompany the others against Indians. This dangerous condition was protested in vain by David desMarets and Pierre Billiou, and it probably was the unsettled condition and the constant threat of danger on Staten Island that caused the family to move to Harlem, on Manhattan Island, which they did, in 1665.

It is known that one of the first efforts of David desMarets while living on Staten Island was to organize a French Protestant Church, and the present Huguenot Church, at Huguenot Park, contains a tablet to his memory with the inscription:

 

“In memory of David Demarest

Staten Island 1663

Harlem 1665

The Hackensack 1667

Delegate from Staten Island to the

Provincial Assembly of New Netherland 1664

Founder of the Huguenot Colony on the Hackensack”

 

Immediately after the arrival of the family in Harlem, arrangements were completed for the purchase of a village property, as well as farm lands, “including the crops thereon.” The village had been in existence only a short time. The first patent granted the inhabitants by Governor Nicolls in May, 1666 was confirmed and extended Oct. 11, 1666, while the Dongan patent of March 7, 1686 confirmed the last patent of Governor Nicolls. The first free-holders numbered only five, Joost Oblinus being one of the original patentees. The arrangement was for twenty-five families to be established within three years time, and there was to be a ferry across the river to Westchester. A rowboat with two oars conveyed the passengers and horses, while mules and cattle had to swim behind the boat. The ferry, completed in 1669, was at the sight of the present First Avenue and 125th St., and was called “From the Island to the Main.” The population, consisting of Belgians, French, Dutch, Danes, Swedes and Germans found it difficult to live in harmony, and many quarrels arose. At this time Harlem was laid out in lots of narrow adjoining strips, the houses all being at the same end, with the fields in the rear, planted with different types of grain or produce in adjacent plots, so that the men might be near together while working, to guard against surprise attacks by the Indians. One section was to be exempt from any “after planting of buck-wheat, pumpkins, turnips, or any summer fruits that the cattle of the village after the crop was off the field might pasture there.” The other section was to be sown and planted with summer fruits and this arrangement was to alternate from year to year. The village was surrounded by a stockade and entered thru a gate.

 

David desMarets bought his land from John Montagne, and on October 9, 1666 Montagne brought suit against him, claiming payments had not been made according to the contract terms. The defense claimed an “arrest of money in another connection” of which Montagne professed ignorance, and David was ordered by the local court to give up the land with costs. He was dissatisfied with this decision and appealed within three days to the higher court at New Amsterdam. The higher court reviewed the case, reversed the decision of the lower court as unjust, and ruled that the sale of the property should stand. David was to repossess the land, and pay the second installment within fourteen days, according to contract. Three months later he was permitted to extend his lot “out the strand as far as possible.”

 

Daniel, the only child born to this family in this country, was baptized at “New Harlem” July 7, 1666. The baptism is recorded in the ‘Dutch Reformed Church at New York. The witness was Walraven Lutten, who had served as one of the commissaries with David on Staten Island.

 

From the first years of his residence there, David desMarets took and active interest in the affairs of Harlem, and joined in plans to improve the village. Fortunately, the original Town Records of Harlem have been preserved. An accurate translation of the original Dutch was made two hundred years later. The records are contained in four books entitled:

 

“Register en Protocol

Gebouden ten Durpe

Nieuw Haerlem

Door

Jan la Montagne

 

David desMarets was appointed to his first public office in Harlem, the position of Overseer, on August 6, 1667. He was reappointed to the same office Octoober 2, 1668, February 7, 1671, and again on Dec. 3, 1672. He was made schepen (magistrate) Aug. 23, 1673 and Constable Dec.8, 1674.

 

A real tragedy befell the family in January 1672. Their youngest son, Daniel, was killed accidentally when five years of age thru the carelessness of a child of Joost Oblinus. The nine or ten year old boy was riding a horse, drawing a sleigh, and rode over Daniel and killed him.

 

2. David Demarest, Dec. 24, 1651 married to Rachel Cresson in NYC

 

3. Benjamin Demarest married to Elizabeth De Groot in Hackensack, NJ (Kindermack)

 

4. David Demarest married to Marrityn Ackerman in Hackensack, NJ

 

5. Petrus Demarest, married to Sara

 

6. David Demarest,

 

7. Earl Orville Demarest married to Anna Maria Ackert in Redhook, NY

 

8. William Francis Demarest married to        1. Ida Savage in Fonda, NY

                                                                        2. Margret Rutt (Root) in Fonda, NY

 

9. Frank Lester Demarest married to Louisa Kirpins in Gloversville, NY

 

10. Harold Lester Demarest married to Katherine Thackery in Schenectady, NY

 

11. Robert Emmett Demarest Sr., Mar 31, 1934, married to Harriette Lakin in Colorado.

 

Children:

Robert Emmett Jr. 11 September 1959

Mark Allen 14 October 1960

Denise Anne 8 December 1961

Jeffery Edward 22 October 1963

Danielle Alise 3 March 1971

 

12. Robert Emmett Demarest Jr., Sep 11, 1959, married to Theresa Ritner in Toms River, NJ Aug 8, 1981.

 

13.       Shannon Eileen Demarest, other, Joshua Crate

            Matthew Robert Demarest married to Holly Sprague in Machiasport, ME

            Adam Paul Demarest married to Shannon Thompson

 

14. Shannon’s Children

            Aiden Rose Demarest

            Mya Jade Crate

            Lucas Gabriel Crate

 

      Matthew’s Children

            Paige McKenzie Demarest

 

      Adam’s Children

            Tyler Braidon Demarest

            Kaiden Christopher Demarest