Ancestors Descendants Profile category is "Needs Validation" & "Needs Transcription" - Which means the uploading of a baptism image (if possible), properly cited so that it will not cause copyright issues, and the full transcription [not only from FamilySearch itself] of the the baptism entry with LNAB (LastNameAtBaptism) to prove the spelling. The project profile (wikitrees-cogh-stamouer-progenitorATgooglegroups.com) has been added to the trusted list of this progenitor profile [Privacy Tab] and then also activated as active manager (though this progenitor profile still has to be validated with a [transcription of a] baptism [image]), and this profile has been Project Profile Protected). The bio has been been integrated as best possible for the time being. Primary records will probably still be around in archives in Europe and in the Netherlands.

Contents 1 Biografie (Afrikaans) 2 Biography (English) 2.1 Name 2.2 Birth 2.3 Parents 2.4 Migration 2.5 Occupation 2.6 Events 2.7 Death 2.8 Sources

Biografie (Afrikaans)

Pierre was 'n Franse Hugenoot wat in 1689 op die Zion gekom het saam met sy broers Jacob en Abraham. Van La Rochelle is hulle per skip na die Hollandse hawe Texel in Zeeland waar hulle toestemming verkry om Kaap toe te gaan. Hulle vertrek op 8 Januarie 1689 met bykans geen besittings tussen hulle behalwe hulle klere en familie Bybels nie, ^[1]

Hy boer op La Rochelle saam met sy broers, dan later op Bourgogne asook op Picardie et La Brie. ^[1]

Die egpaar de Villiers is volgens Pama II ongetwyfeld begrawe in die begraafplaas van die Rietdakkerk in Paarl. ^[1]

Biography (English)

Pierre de Villiers lived at La Rochelle, France, a Huguenot. He emigrated to South Africa arriving on 6 May 1689. ^[1]

The three de Villiers brothers, Abraham, Pierre and Jacob arrived at the Cape of Good Hope on May 6, 1689 on the ship Zion. Originally from Burgundy, they were Huguenot refugees practicing viniculture in the La Rochelle region of France. The Zion belonged to the Chamber of Delft. It left the Netherlands on 8 Jan 1689 and arrived at the Cape on 6 May 1689. They arrived with very little possessions between them, except for their clothes and family bibles. ^[1]

A number of Huguenots were listed as experienced vineyard pruners. The De Villiers brothers in particular arrived at the Cape with a reputation for viticulture and oenology. In a dispatch from the Chamber of Delft, dated 16th Dec. 1688, and received by the Zion, special reference is made to these three brothers as possessing a good knowledge of the cultivation of the vine, and recommending the Governor to give them every assistance. In this dispatch the names are mentioned in the following order: (1) Pierre, (2) Abraham, and (3) Jacob, which may perhaps indicate the order of seniority. Through the years they planted more than 40,000 vines at the Cape. The Huguenots who settled at the Cape from April 1688 on wards were allotted farms in Drakenstein; the De Villiers moved from the original farm allocated to them (which they named "La Rochelle") on the Cape Town side of the Berg River to finally settle on individual allottments situated today in Franschhoek on the south-east of town, with the names "Bourgogne", "Champagne" and "La Brie" (they had became dissatisfied with the quality of the soil, and applied to Governor Simon van der Stel for permission to obtain better farms - he agreed to this and on 18 Oct 1694 nine farms were allocated to them in the Oliphantshoek area). In this way Pierre received the farm "Bourgogne", He later settled on the farm "Picardie" in Paarl. ^[1]

Abraham had only daughters. Pierre and Jacob are the progenitors of the De Villiers family of South Africa. Pierre married Elisabeth Taillefer, daughter of Izaak Taillefer, in 1694. They had 3 sons and 4 daughters. They first farmed La Rochelle in communion, and the farm Bourgogne in Franschhoek from 1694. He later also farmed Picardie et La Brie in Paarl, which his wife had inherited (it is probable that Pierre de Villiers had known his wife when her parents and family had left Monneaux in 1688 and gone to live at La Rochelle). ^[1]

Joannes Guilaume de Gravenbroek, Secretary to the Goverment during the days of Govenor Simon van der Stel, in his will dated 3rd Feb 1714, bequested to the French Refugee Pierre de Villier, living with his wife and children at the foot of the paarl mountain at Drakenstein, his gold ring set with garnets in aknowledgement of kindness received from his co-religionists in France. ^[1]

In the Distribution List 1690 we have Abraham DE VILLIERS with wife and two brothers, and among Drakenstein families 1692: Abraham DE VILLIERS with wife and two children, Jacob DE VILLIERS with wife and two children, and Pierre DE VILLIERS with wife and one child. Abraham married 1689 Susanne GARDIOL, and left nothing but daughters. Jacob married Marguerite GARDIOL, first baptismal entry 1693. Pierre Married Elizabeth TAILLEFER, first baptismal entry 1699. I have taken a good deal of trouble to find out the relative ages of these brothers, but have only succeeded in ascertaining Jacob's from a joint will executed 11th Jan. 1719, in which he gives his age as 58 years and describes himself as a native of Borgondien. His wife (Marguerite GARDIOL) is stated in the same document to have been born in Provence and to be 45 years old. ^[1]

The DE VILLIERS are at the present time the most numerous of the Huguenot families here, and are all descendants of Pierre and Jacob. A family tradition states that four brothers left their home, but the youngest (Paul) after having gone some distance became homesick, turned back, and was never heard of again. "Pierre, Abraham, Jacques, et Paul DE VILLIERS sortirent du royaume de France 1685. Ils etaient fils de Pierre DE VILLIERS." (Archives de La Rochelie.) ^[1]

Name

Pierre de Villiers ^{[2][1][3][4][5][6]}

Birth

Date: Pierre was born about Jan ^[1][3] 1657 ^{[1][3][4][5][6]}

Place: Temple de La Villeneuve, La Rochelle ^[1][3] (Champagne ^[4]), Aunis, France ^[1][3][6]

Parents

He was the son of Pierre de Villiers and Elizabeth Secault. ^[5] / He is the son of Jean de Villiers and Elizabeth Secault. ^[6]

Migration

Date: 9 JAN 1689 ^[4]

Place: Goree, Zeeland province, France ^[4]

Age: 32 ^[4]

Arrival: Cape town on 6 May 1689 on board ship Zion ^[4]

Occupation

Settled on the farm Bourgogne- Oliphantshoek ^[3] / Farmer, Church Deacon and Elder- Drakenstein ^[1]

Events

Between 1690 and 1724, 54 Huguenots signed documents. These signatures were published by Graham Botha in his book The French Refugees at the Cape and includes those of Louis de Berault, Pierre Simond, Jacques Delporte, Jean Durand, Jacques de Savoye, Jacques Nourtier, André Gauch, François Retif, Guillaume Néel, Paul Roux, Daniel Hùgo, David Senecal, Jean Prieur du Plessis, Guillaume du Toit, François du Toit, Jean le Roux (or Jean le Roux de Normandie?), Jacques Therond, Hercules des Prez, Abraham de Villiers, Jean Gardiol, Jacques de Villiers, Pierre de Villiers, Isaac Taillefert (or Isaac Taillefer-164)), Jean Taillefert, Jean Gardé, Claude Marais, Estienne Bruére, Daniel des Ruelles, Pierre Rousseau, Jacques Pinard, Estienne Cronje, Jacques Malan, Gabriel le Roux, David du Buisson, Daniel Nourtier, Estienne Niel, Philippe Fouché, Gideon le Grand, Pierre Cronjé, Paul Couvret, Paul le Febvre, Salomon de Gournay, Pierre Vivier, Pierre Jourdan, Estienne Viret, Esaias Engelbert Caucheteux and Jean de Buijs. ^[7] These signatures were almost certainly also some of those of the 240 burghers who signed the petition headed by Adam Tas ^[8] against corruption and cronyism by the Government of Willem Adriaan van der stel. ^[9]

Death

Date: He passed away 20 Jan ^[1][3] / 22 Jan 1720. ^[5][4] / in 1720. ^[6]

Place: Picardie ^[1][3][4][5] (et La Brie ^[4][5]), Paarl, [South Africa] ^{[1][3][4][5][6]}

Buried in unmarked grave at cemetery of the 'Rietdak' Church, Paarl, Cape [South Africa] ^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19} WikiTree profile De Villiers-206 created through the import of de Villiers.ged on Oct 3, 2012 (and merged into De Villiers-222 on 7 May 2014) by G Westbrook. Source:
   • Author: JOHAN BOONZAIER Title: Boonzaier Web Site Text: MyHeritage.com family tree Boonzaier Web Site: Boonzaier/Boonzaijer/Boonzaaier/Boonzajer/Boonzaayer Page: Pierre De Villiers
   • Author: Paul Mare Title: Mare/Maree Family in South Africa Text: MyHeritage.com family tree Page: Pierre de Villiers
2. ↑ WikiTree profile De Villiers-198 created through the import of John2Wiki.GED on Sep 24, 2012 by John Shipton. (Contained the following note: "Pierre de Villiers lived at La Rochelle, France, a Huguenot. He emigrated to South Africa arriving on 6 May 1689.") Source:
   • Title: JohnWiki.GED Repository : Reference: P388
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8} WikiTree profile De Villiers-461 created through the import of 0b4h32_47138643fag2b2g43q5k8p.ged on Sep 25, 2013 by Gardiol de Villiers. Source:
   • Title: WikiTree Publication: MyHeritage Page: http://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-10109/wikitree?s=176625262&itemId=39351836&action=showRecord&mid=342 Text: Pierre de VilliersGender: Male Birth: Jan 1657 - Temple de La Villeneuve, La Rochelle, Aunis, France Marriage: 1691 Death: Jan 20 1720 - Picardie, Paarl, Cape South Africa Father: Pierre de Villiers Mother: Elisabeth de Villiers (born Sicault) Spouses: de Villiers (born Taillefert) Maria Elisabeth Children: Pierre de Villiers Elizabeth de Villiers Jean de Villiers Madeleine & de Villiers Magdalena de Villiers de Villiers Izaak Susanna Siblings: Abraham de Villiers Paul de Villiers Jacques de Villiers Jacob
4. ↑ ^{4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10} WikiTree profile De Villiers-309 & De Villiers-310 created through the import of THE YELDS - 08052010.ged on Dec 8, 2012 by Lynette Oosthuizen. Source:
   • Title: De Villiers Family Vol 1+ 2 Publication: ancestry24.co.za
   • Author: Philip Theron Title: Theron\'s of Rusticana Web Site Text: MyHeritage.com family tree Page: Pierre de Villiers
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6} WikiTree profile De Villiers-569 created by Alistair Knox, Saturday, June 14, 2014.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5} WikiTree profile De Villiers-171 created by Mathilda van Zyl, Sep 3, 2012.
7. ↑ Entered by Pieter Meyer 25 April, 2013. Source: Colin Graham Botha, The French Refugees at the Cape (Cape Town: Cape Times Limited, 1921), p. 74. Also see Geni.com > French Huguenots who emigrated to South Africa.
8. ↑ Also see: Robertson, Delia. The First Fifty Years Project. http://www.e-family.co.za/ffy/ Page: Adam Tas & Adam Tas, Dagboek (eds. Leo Fouché, A.J. Böeseken, vert. J.P. Smuts). Van Riebeeck-Vereniging, Kaapstad 1970 2011 dbnl / erven Leo Fouché / A.J. Böeseken / J. Smuts. Seen and entered by Philip van der Walt Apr 3, 2017.
9. ↑ Willem Adriaan van der stel succeeded his father, Simon van der Stel, as Governor of the Cape in 1699; Willem van der Stel abused his official position to corner an over-supplied market in farm produce. Van der Stel was jealous of Adam Tas's wealth and easy going life, and in 1706 he used his legal powers to arrest and imprison him. Tas became a Stellenbosch legend when he had this petition drawn up against incumbent Governor W.A. van der Stel and other farming officials. Tas and his fellow free burghers were protesting against the corruption and extravagant lifestyle of Van der Stel and the fact that abuse of power by officials led to unfair competition with burghers. The Tas petition was submitted to the Lords Seventeen, the governing body of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), in Amsterdam. The petition was rejected and on Sunday, 28 February 1706 Magistrate Starrenburg arrested Adam Tas. From documents in the desk of Tas, Van der Stel established the nature of complaints against him and also the names of the dissatisfied burghers. Though several more burghers were arrested and punished, they were victorious at the end, when the Lords Seventeen in October 1706 categorically prohibited officials to own land or to trade. His wife Elizabeth van Brakel tried hard to get him released; when Adam Tas was finally freed after thirteen months, he named his farm 'Libertas' (liberty). Van der Stel was recalled to the Netherlands in 1707. Sources: http://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/adam-tas-arrested; http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/SOUTH-AFRICA/2005-05/1116668205 (seen and added by Philip van der Walt with the kind help of Maria Labuschagne on Apr 3, 2017.)