Chrétien du Bois (abt. 1597 - bef. 1655)

Born about 1597 in Wicres, Flandres Lilloise, Nord, France [uncertain]

Ancestors

Descendants

Died before 10 Oct 1655 before about age 58 in Herlies, Flandres Lilloise, Nord, France [uncertain]

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Biography

Chrétien du Bois was a Huguenot who did not emigrate (1540-1790).

Chrétien du Bois is Notable.

This profile won Profile of the Week the Second week of March 2014.

Wikipedia maintains a biography of Chrétien du Bois.

The DuBois Family Association (DBFA) has represented this family since 1966, publishing the majority of the material on this family including the DBFA web site which contains significant information about this family and its place in the New Netherland settlements of Kingston and New Paltz.

Chrétien was a "bailli, lieutenant, greffier, et receveur de la Comté de Coupigny, notaire, homme de loi, laboureur et marchand"; that is, a bailiff, lieutenant, clerk, and receiver for the Count of Coupigny, notary, justice officer, laborer and cloth merchant. He lived in Wicres, southwest of Lille, then c.1627 moved less than 2 miles to Herlies. This area is called Lilloise Flanders. During Chrétien's lifetime it was part of the Spanish Netherlands, though it is now in the department of Nord, France.

Religion

Chrétien became a Calvinist Protestant. While he and his wife appear to have remained in Lilloise Flanders as religious persecution intensified, several of his children became refugees, and eventually New Netherland settlers.

Chrétien was a Walloon and spoke Picard. He lived near territory controlled by the King of France, but he lived in land controlled by the King of Spain, usually called the Spanish Netherlands. As he was never persecuted by the French power structure, he was not technically a Huguenot, though the National Huguenot Society makes an exception for him and the Huguenot Society of America includes his children Louis, Jacques, and Françoise (Du Bois) Billiou.^[1][2]

Death

Chrétien du Bois died before his son Louis was married on October 10, 1655.^[3]

Correct Identity of Chrétien du Bois

The correct identity of Chrétien du Bois, his wife, Françoise le Poivre, and parents, Antoine du Bois and Anne Cousin, was published by the DuBois Family Association in Horton, "The Memory of the Just Is Blessed", DuBois Family News^[4] in four parts "Beginnings", "The Crispell Connection", "Birthdates of Three Huguenot Children — A New Proposal", and "Inlaws — The Family JOIRE".

Correct Birth Order of Children

Though christening records of some of Chrétien's children were found in the 19th century, it is difficult to determine exactly which child is described by which record as they had been defaced, being records of a Protestant family. Part III of Horton, "The Memory of the Just is Blessed"^[4] begins with an extract from a document in the Archives du Nord, and commentary:

"Louis du Bois fils de feu Crestien de stil couturier dem(eurant) à Herlÿ ...at par ceste vendu cede et t(ran)sporte audict Franchois du Bois ... touttes tel part droict et action quil poeut ... avoir des suscessions et hoiries à luy venu ... par les trepas dudict Crestien son père et de Franchoise le Poivre sa mere ..." (2E3/3572-110 (August 12, 1643)).

On this day in 1643, our future Patentee sold his interest in his parents’ estate to his uncle "Franchois du Bois fils de feu Anthoine dem(eurant) à Wicre" (for 3,600 livres parisis). Ibid. Although he was already a 'dressmaker' by profession ("de still couturier"), he would have been on that date, according to our tradition, aged merely 16 years. The reader is justifiably struck by the singularity of this professional status and contractual capacity at such a tender age. There is no suggestion of record, for example, that he was operating under any tutelage or guardianship in this sale of his birth right. Nor does it indicate that Louis was merely a couturier’s “apprentice” or the like. When presented with the new evidence from Lille, readers will likely agree that American traditions regarding the birthdates of the three known Huguenot children of Chrétien du Bois — Louis, Françoise, and Jacques — should be revisited, and, perhaps, accordingly revised.

The article proposes the following revision of the birth order of Chrétien’s known children:
— 17 Jun 1622 at Wicres, Louis and Antoine (apparently twins),
— 13 Nov 1625 at Wicres, Philippe,
— 21 Oct 1626 at Wicres, Toussaint (previously thought to refer to Louis),
— c.1628 prob. at Herlies, Anne,
— c.1630–32 prob. at Herlies, Françoise,
— c.1633–35 prob. at Herlies, Jacques.

The WikiTree profiles for this family follow these revised dates for Louis, Antoine, Philippe, Toussaint and Françoise. But we accept that Jacques was christened 28 Oct 1628 at the Reformed Church at Lille (though we haven't seen the record — can you help?). And we believe that Anne was probably born in 1623 or 1624.

Genealogical Errors

Since the 19th century, researchers have struggled to identify Chrétien du Bois, his wife and parents. Several sets of erroneous identifications have been published. In the hope that it will help publicize the correct identity of Chrétien du Bois and aid researchers in correcting their material, the following has been compiled. Any additions and/or corrections will be gratefully received.

Erroneous Identifications

Son of Charles-Maximilien de Fiennes and Henriette de Regnier de Boisseleau

Christian-Maximilien de Fiennes, son of Charles-Maximilien de Fiennes and his wife Henriette de Regnier de Boisseleau, was erroneously called Chrétien Maximilien du Bois de Fiennes, and identified as Chrétien du Bois, father of the New Netherland immigrants, by M. le Turcq of the Genealogical Institute of Paris, while researching for Mrs. Anna Louise Thompson. This identification made its way into Mackenzie and Rhoades, Colonial Fams. of the U.S.A^[5], 4:40–42. From there it made its way into the genealogical records of many researchers.

Rev. W. Twyman Williams, Minister of College Church, Hampden-Sydney, Virginia, in "Report of European Research", 13 Dec 1935, revealed this fraud noting that this family is described in Chesnaye-Desbois and Badier, Dict. des Fams. Nobles^[6], 8:48 as:

"XXI. Charles-Maximilien, Marquis de Fiennes, né au mois de Septembre 1701, Capitaine de Cavalerie dans le Régiment de Cuirassiers, puis Mestre-de-Camp d’un Régiment de Cavalerie, ci-devant Cossé, en Juin 1735, fait Brigadier des Armées du Roi, le 15 Mars 1740, Maréchal-de-Camp, en Juin 1744, mort le 10 Février 1750, avoit épousé Henriette de Regnier de Boisseleau, sa cousine maternelle, morte à 32 ans, le 10 Décembre 1729, fille d’ Alexandre, Gouverneur de Charleroy, & de Françoise Choart, dont:

1. Christian-Maximilien [de Fiennes], Capitaine dans le Régiment de son père, & Mestre-de-Camp du même Régiment après lui, quand il a été fait Maréchal-de-Camp, & mort sans alliance à Paris, le 22 Avril 1747, âgé de 21 ans".

— a man over 125 years younger than the father of the New Netherland immigrants, who died without any surviving heirs.

Son of Pierre du Bois and Françoise Olivier (de Leuville)

This is another wildly inaccurate identification that has gained some acceptance.

In Matthew Hilt Murphy's 1980 presentation to the DuBois Family Association reunion, published in Heidgerd, American Descs. of Chretien du Bois,^[3] 18 (1981): i–vii, he stated, "There is no longer reason to doubt Chretien's father was Pierre DuBois who married Francoise Olivier de Leuville". However, Pierre and Françoise didn't marry until 1604, and their 12 children (1606–1622) are well documented. See their profiles for more details.

Son of Jean du Bois dit de Fiennes

Chrétien du Bois has been confused with Chrétien du Bois dit de Fiennes, son of Jean du Bois dit de Fiennes, who was erroneously identified as the father of the New Netherland immigrants in Matthew Hilt Murphy, The European Ancestry of Chretien Du Bois of Wicres, France, (Claverack, N.Y.: the author, 1987).

While this identification is wrong, this family did live in Lilloise Flanders, and may have been somehow distantly related to Chrétien du Bois, father of the New Netherland immigrants.

Son of Wallerand du Bois and Madeleine/Magdeléne de Croix

This family also lived in Lilloise Flanders. Through the Dennetières, Bacquehem and Beaufremez families, they were distantly connected to the last mentioned family, Jean du Bois dit de Fiennes. It's possible they may have been somehow distantly related to Chrétien du Bois, father of the New Netherland immigrants.

In his "Report of European Research", 13 Dec 1935, (published in Heidgerd, American Descs. of Chretien Du Bois^[3]), Rev. W. Twyman Williams, Minister of College Church, Hampden-Sydney, Virginia, identified Wallerand du Bois, "seigneur de la Bourse and de Beaufremez", and his wife, Madeleine/Magdeléne de Croix, as probable parents of Chrétien du Bois, father of the New Netherland immigrants, but the correct parentage of Chrétien du Bois has now been identified.

The idea that Chrétien du Bois, father of the New Netherland immigrants, was descended from the du Bois seigneurs de Bauffremez persists, even amongst those who have adopted some other ancestry for Chrétien than this family. The only du Bois seigneurs de Bauffremez were Antoine du Bois de Fiennes, in right of his wife, Philippe de Landas (whose ancestors were the seigneurs de Bauffremez), their son Wallerand du Bois, and his son Wallerand du Bois. In 1639, Jacqueline de Wasquehal, the younger Wallerand's widow, sold Bauffremez to Antoine Dennetières. Bauffremez was only in the hands of this du Bois family from c.1555 to 1639.

While Chrétien du Bois may well have been distantly related to this family, it's chronologically impossible for him to have been descended from any of these du Bois seigneurs de Bauffremez.

Son of Jacques Louis du Bois and Renée

No documentation whatsoever has been found for Jacques Louis du Bois, son of Wallerund du Bois and Antoinette de Coyne, and his wife, Renée. Can you help?

Erroneous Wives

The Fictitious Jeanne Masic Brunel

The wife of Chrétien du Bois, father of the New Netherland immigrants, was first named 'Jeanne Masic Brunel' in 1969 in Lainson, Some Magna Carta Barons^[7], 53A, but this error is now understood as a conflation of the names 'Jeanne le Blon' and 'Marie Brunel' ('Marie' mistranscribed as 'Masic'), the two wives of Chrétien's brother, François du Bois. Howard Swain, first to understand this error, published his analysis in three posts: "Re: Chretien's wife: Claudia or Jean?", 2 June 2002, "Jeanne Marie/Masic Brunel was not the wife of Chretien DuBois", 11 Jun 2005 and "Jeanne Marie/Masic Brunel — a Correction", 15 Jun 2005.

The Unrelated Cornelia du Bois

The wife of Chrétien du Bois, father of the New Netherland immigrants, was first named as 'Cornelia du Bois' in 1980 by Matthew Hilt Murphy in his presentation to the DuBois Family Association reunion (published in Heidgerd, American Descs. of Chretien du Bois,^[3] 18 (1981): i–vii), claiming that a 1646 Middlebourg, Zeeland, church membership record (transcribed as, "Bois/Cornelia du/vefve de Jen de Chrestien, native de Tournay") describes a woman who had married 1^st Jean du Bois, and 2^nd Chrétien du Bois, but, in fact, describes a woman named Cornelia du Bois, widow of Jean de Chrestien, with no known relationship to Chrétien du Bois.

The Fictitious Cornelia Brunel

The wife of Chrétien du Bois, father of the New Netherland immigrants, has also been called 'Cornelia Brunel' by some, but this name is fictitious, a conflation of the names 'Cornelia du Bois' and 'Jeanne Masic Brunel', the two other names some have believed described the wife of Chrétien du Bois.

Erroneous Children

Isaac du Bois

Isaac du Bois (1612–1670), of La Rochelle, France, has been thought by some to be a son of Chrétien du Bois, father of the New Netherland immigrants, in error.

Sources

1. ↑ Additional paragraph based on clarification provided by Kimball G. Everingham, Jan. 31, 2015 via private e-mail
2. ↑ See "D", Ancestors - The Huguenot Society of America (accessed 14 November 2021).
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} William Heidgerd, The American Descendants of Chretien Du Bois of Wicres, France, 20 vols. plus index (New Paltz, N.Y.: DuBois Family Association, 1968–1984)
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Monte Horton, ""The Memory of the Just Is Blessed": The Ancestry and Extended Family of Chrétien du Bois, bailli, lieutenant, greffier, et receveur de la Comté de Coupigny, notaire, homme de loi, laboureur et marchand; Resident of Wicres, then of Herlies. DuBois Family News, (June 2011 – Feb 2013): 5–7, Part I: "Beginnings"; 3–6, Part II: "The Crispell Connection"; 4–7, Part III: "Birthdates of Three Huguenot Children — A New Proposal"; 3–6, Part IV: "Inlaws — The Family JOIRE"
5. ↑ George Norbury Mackenzie and Nelson Osgood Rhoades, eds., Colonial Families of the United States of America: In Which Is Given the History, Genealogy and Armorial Bearings of Colonial Families Who Settled in the American Colonies from the Time of the Settlement of Jamestown, 13th May, 1607, to the Battle of Lexington, 19th April, 1775, 7 vols., (New York City; Boston, Mass.; Baltimore, Md.: Grafton Press; Seaforth Press, 1907–1920)
6. ↑ François-Alexandre Aubert de La Chesnaye-Desbois and Badier, Dictionnaire de la Noblesse Contenant les Généalogies, l'Histoire & la Chronologie des Familles Nobles de France, l'Explication de Leurs Armes & l'État des Grandes Terres du Royaume Possédées à Titre de Principautés, Duchés, Marquisats, Comtés, Viscomtés, Baronies, &c., par Création, Héritage, Alliances, Donations, Substitutions, Mutations, Achats ou Autrement: On a Joint à ce Dictionnaire le Tableau Généalogique, Historique, des Maisons Souveraines de l'Europe, & une Notice des Familles Étrangères, les plus Anciennes, les plus Nobles & les plus Illustres, 3rd edition, 19 vols., (Paris: Schlesinger frères, 1863–1877)
7. ↑ Dorothy Alice Sherman Lainson, Some Magna Carta Barons' and Other Royal Lineages, (Huntsville, Ark.: Century Enterprises, Genealogical Services, 1969 [i.e. 1970])