Louys Du Bois (1622 - bef. 1696)

Born 17 Jun 1622 in Wicres, Artois, Spanish Netherlands, Holy Roman Empire

Ancestors

Husband of Catherine (Blanchan) Cottin — married 10 Oct 1655 (to about 1697) in Mannheim, Kurfürstlich rheinische Pfalzgrafschaft (now Baden-Württemberg, Germany)

Descendants

Died before 26 Mar 1696 before age 73 in Kingston, Ulster County, Province of New York

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Louis Du Bois was a New Netherland settler. Join: New Netherland Settlers Project Discuss: new_netherland

Biography

Louis Du Bois was a Huguenot emigrant (1540-1790).

Louis Du Bois is Notable.

Note: In Europe, Louis's surname was generally spelled du Bois, but once in America, many variations can be found: du Booys, Duboi, du Boey, Duboeys, du Borry, etc.

Louis du Bois was born in the small town of Wicres, in what is now northern France, although at that time it was in the Spanish Netherlands. He was the son of Chrétien du Bois ^[1] and his wife Françoise le Poivre. His baptism likely took place on 17 June 1622 in Wicres, along with a twin brother, Antoine. ^[2]

Note: Louis du Bois' baptism has often been placed in Wicres on 21 October 1626. See the Research Notes at the bottom of the profile for more information.

After the birth of Louis's brother, Toussaint in 1626, Chrétien and Françoise moved their family from Wicres to the neighboring town of Herlies. ^[3]

Louis, along with other Huguenot refugees, later moved to Mannheim on the Rhine River. This area, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, was at that time in Kurfürstentum Pfalz or die Pfalz, one of the constituent states of the Heiligen Römischen Reichs, or the Holy Roman Empire. In English, die Pfalz is usually called the Palatinate. ^[4]

Louis du Bois married Catherine Blanchan, daughter of Mathieu Blanchan, on 10 October 1655 in the Franzoesisch Reformierte Gemeinde (French Reformed Church) in Mannheim. ^[1]

Emigration

Catherine's parents and her siblings emigrated to America aboard The Gilded Otter in April 1660, but Catherine and Louis chose to remain behind in Mannheim until after the birth of their third child, Isaac, who was baptized there on 20 May 1660. The exact date of their departure, and the ship that they sailed on, are unknown, but they arrived in Wiltwyck (now called Kingston), in what is now Ulster County, New York, sometime between 25 December 1660, when they were not in attendance at the small Christmas dinner held there, ^[5] and 9 October 1661, when their fourth child, Jacob, was baptized at Wiltwyck. ^[6]

It has been suggested that Louis and Catherine brought their family to America on the ship St. Jan Baptist, which departed Amsterdam on 9 May 1661 and arrived in New Amsterdam (now New York City) on 6 August 1661, ^[7] but a transcription of the passenger list doesn't include Louis or his family. On the other hand, Louis' brother-in-law, Pieter Bielliou, and his family do appear in the list. ^[8]

Children

Louis DuBois and Catherine Blanchan had the following children:

1. Abraham du Bois, b. 29 Sept. 1656, bapt. 9 Oct. 1656, Mannheim. Probably died young.
2. Abraham du Bois, b. 29 Dec. 1657, bapt. 3 Jan. 1658, Mannheim.
3. Isaac du Bois, b. 14 May 1660, bapt. 20 May 1660, Mannheim.
4. Jacob Duboi, bapt. 9 Oct. 1661, Kingston.
5. Sarah du Boey, bapt. 14 Sept. 1664, Kingston.
6. David Duboeys, bapt. 13 March 1667, Kingston.
7. Solomon du Bois, bapt. 3 Feb. 1669, New Amsterdam.
8. Rebecca du Booys, bapt. 18 June 1671, Kingston.
9. Ragel (Rachel) du Booys, bapt. April 1675, Kingston.
10. Louis DuBois, b. Hurley, NY.
11. Mattheus DuBois, b. Hurley, NY.
12. Magdalena du Borry, bapt. 12 May 1680, New Amsterdam.

The first three children were baptized in Mannheim, Germany. ^[9] Five others (Jacob, Sarah, David, Rebecca, and Rachel) were baptized in Kingston, Ulster County, New York. ^[10] The baptisms of two others (Solomon and Magdalena) were recorded at New Amsterdam (now New York City). ^[11] No birth or baptism records for the remaining two children (Louis and Mattheus) are known at this time, but their marriage records state that they were born in Hurley, Ulster County.

Louis and his family were living in Hurley, 4 miles west of Kingston, during the "Second Esopus War." On 7 June 1663, in retaliation for wrongs done to them, a group of Native Americans burned Hurley to the ground and took captives, including Louis' wife, Catherine, and three of their children. Three months later, on 5 September 1663, soldiers from Kingston were able to rescue the prisoners. ^[12]

In 1670, Louis gave consent for the marriage at Wiltwyck (now called Kingston) of his niece Marie Biljouw. The minutes of the Ordinary Session of the Wiltwyck Court on 3 June 1670 read: "Arendt Jansen Van Naerden and Maria Biljouw of Leyden were registered for marriage, being authorized by Lowies DuBooys, uncle of the aforesaid young woman." ^[13]

New Paltz Patentee

In May 1677, Louis DuBois was among 12 partners who purchased a large tract of land in Ulster County from the Esopus Indians. Four months later, they received a patent for the land from the colonial government, which had recently passed into the hands of the English. The twelve are often referred to as the Patentees. All were likely living in Hurley at the time of the purchase, and many were close relatives of Louis DuBois, including his sons, Abraham and Isaac, and his brother-in-law, Antoine Crespel. The following year, they began the construction of the village of New Paltz, named after the Pfalz, their home prior to emigrating. ^[14]

Death

Louis DuBois was alive on 22 February 1695/6 when he signed the codicil to his will. He was dead a month later, on 26 March 1696, when the codicil was proved. He was likely buried in Kingston, where he was living, but any trace of a gravestone is long gone. Several memorial stones have been created in recent times. ^[15]

• The Huguenot Cemetery in New Paltz has a small stone with the dates (1626-1693) and the inscription "Buried in Kingston Churchyard."
• The DuBois Family Association erected a memorial stone in Kingston in 1986 with the dates (1626-1696).
• Some of Louis and Catherine's descendants moved to Salem County, New Jersey, and a large memorial in the Old Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Daretown, Salem County, lists three generations of descendants. The memorial was likely erected in 1963.

After Louis' death, Catherine married Jean Cottin. An indenture made after her death, dated 28 January 1714, referred to "Cathrine Cottin deceased late wife of Mr Jean Cottin of Kingston … & formerly wife of Louis Dubois late of Kingston… deceased." ^[16]

Will

Louis duBois signed several wills during his lifetime. In the first, dated 13 October 1676, Lowies Du Booys and his wife Chatharina Blansjan specified that after their deaths, the entire estate would go to their children, some of whom were minors at the time. None of the heirs were mentioned by name. ^[17]

Louys du Bois, of New Paltz, Ulster County, signed his second will on 30 March 1686. Again, no names were mentioned. ^[18]

Louys du Bois, of Kingston, Ulster County, signed his third will on 27 March 1694. The will was written in Dutch, but his probate file contains an English translation. The will was proved on 23 June 1696. He made provisions for: ^{[19] [20]}

• His wife Catrina was to receive his entire estate during her lifetime. If she remarried, half of the estate was to pass to their children.
• Their children:
  • Abraham Du Boys, "eldest son"
  • Jacob
  • David
  • Solomon
  • Louys
  • Matthew
  • Children of son Isaac
  • Sarah, wife of Joost Jansen

Witnesses John Ward, S. Valleau, Wm. D'Meyer.

Executrix: His wife, Catrina Duboys

Louys DuBois signed a codicil to his will on 22 February 1695/6, and it was proved on 26 March 1696. The codicil changed some of the provisions of his will, including: ^[21]

• His land in Hurley was to be divided between his sons Jacob and Matthew, with Matthew receiving his share when he reached "his competent age."
• His sons Salomon and Louis were to receive property in New Paltz.
• His daughter Sara, wife of Joost Jansen, was to receive land in Hurley.

Research Notes

Birth and Baptism

The baptism register for Wicres does not appear to be available online at this time. When the register was examined in the 1870s, it was found to be in poor condition, with the names of Protestants cut out or mutilated. ^[22]

The records of [Wicres] have been examined, and I regret to say that, from age and bad ink and mutilation, the register is almost illegible.

The baptismal record shows that Chrétien DuBois had three children baptized at Wicres. The dates made out are the 18th June, 1622, the 13th November, 1625, and the 21st October, 1626. The names are illegible, and seem to have been intentionally obliterated. These researches were made by archivists under the direction of the consul for the United States at Lille, Mons. C. Du Bois Grégoire. In his letter of 15th July, 1875, he writes that he had visited the canton of La Bassée several times, where there are very old records, but could make nothing out, as, where the Christian names occurred, the paper was torn or cut out. He further states that the registers in the village of Wicres were also in many places illegible from age, bad ink, and from being torn and worm-eaten.

On the next page, the report gives the records, loosely translated into English. The missing or illegible sections are shown in square brackets:

1622 The xvii. June, was baptized [ ] Du Bois, son of Chrétien. Godfather, Laurent Du Bois; Godmother, Heleine de Beaussart.

1625 The xiii. November, was baptized [ ]Du Bois, son of Chrétien. Godfather, Jacques Du Bois, and Godmother, Rogeau.

1626 The xxi. October, was baptized To[ ] Du Bois, son of Chrétien. Godfather, Franchois Du Bois, and Godmother, Catherine de Marsy.

It has generally been argued that the 1626 record was for the baptism of Louis, and that the first two letters of his name, Lo, were misread as To. But in an article in the DuBois Family Association newsletter, Monte Horton has made a plausible, but hypothetical, argument that the 1622 baptism was for twins, Louis and Antoine, the 1625 baptism was for Philippe, and the 1626 baptism was for Toussaint. His interpretation fits other known information nicely, but, like all of the other attempts to make sense of these incomplete records, it involves a number of assumptions. ^[3]

The DuBois Family Association

The DuBois Family Association (DBFA) has represented this family since 1966. The DBFA website contains significant information about this family and its place in the New Netherland settlements of Kingston and New Paltz.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Marriage: Franzoesisch Reformierte Gemeinde (French Reformed Church), Mannheim, Germany, Ehebuch (Marriage Register) 1 (1652-1819), page 3. FamilySearch film #102078270, image 632 of 1094.
2. ↑ See the map excerpt attached to this profile, showing Wicres in lower left corner and Lille in upper right corner.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Monty Horton, "“The Memory of the Just is Blessed”: The Ancestry and Extended Family of Chrétien du Bois—Part III: Birthdates of Three Huguenot Children — A New Proposal", DuBois Family News (July 2012), published by the DuBois Family Association (DBFA). The newsletter is available online with membership in the DuBois Family Association. It is also available online at the WayBack Machine.
4. ↑ Wikipedia: Electoral Palatinate
5. ↑ Marius Schoonmaker, The History of Kingston, New York, From Its Early Settlement to the Year 1820, (New York, 1888), page 206.
6. ↑ Roswell Randall Hoes. Baptismal and Marriage Registers of the Old Dutch Church of Kingston, Ulster County, New York (formerly named Wilwyck, and often familiarly called Esopus or 'Sopus), (1891), page 2.
7. ↑ Ralph Le Fevre, History of New Paltz, New York, and Its Old Families (1903, second edition 1909), pages 6-7.
8. ↑ Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild: St John Baptist.
9. ↑ Französisch reformiert Gemeinde Mannheim (French Reformed Church of Mannheim), Germany: Taufbuch 1 (1651-1672), page 23. See also pages 37 and 59. FamilySearch film #102078270, image 503 of 1094.
10. ↑ Roswell Randall Hoes. Baptismal and Marriage Registers of the Old Dutch Church of Kingston, Ulster County, New York (formerly named Wilwyck, and often familiarly called Esopus or 'Sopus), (1891), page 2. See also pages 4, 6, 7, and 9.
11. ↑ Thomas Grier Evans. Baptisms from 1639 to 1730 in the Reformed Dutch Church, New York, Collections of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, volume 2 (New York, 1901), page 93. See also page 142.
12. ↑ Ralph Le Fevre. History of New Paltz, New York, and Its Old Families. (1903, second edition 1909), pages 280-281.
13. ↑ Kingston Papers, 1661-1675 Volume II: Kingston Court Records, 1668–1675 and Secretary's Papers, 1664–1675, page 445.
14. ↑ Ralph Le Fevre, History of New Paltz, New York, and Its Old Families (1903, second edition 1909), pages 11-19.
15. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #8039531 for Louis DuBois, Sr.
16. ↑ The 1714 annulment of Catherine Cottin's will: Ulster County, New York, Deed Book BB, page 325. FamilySearch film #007181495, image 189 of 569.
17. ↑ Gustave Anjou. Ulster County, N. Y. Probate Records in the Office of the Surrogate, and in the County Clerk's Office at Kingston, N. Y. Volume 1 (1906), page 34. Note: Gustave Anjou was a notorious fraud, and he created many fake genealogies, but the translations and abstracts in this book seem to be reliable.
18. ↑ 1686 will: Ulster County, New York, Deed Book AA, page 39. FamilySearch film #007181494, image 50 of 350.
19. ↑ The 1694 will of Louis DuBois: "Record of wills recorded at Albany, New York, 1629-1802": Wills, AC-AD40, 1629-1802. Folder AD4 contains the will, with an English translation. FamilySearch film #005114172, image 516 of 688.
20. ↑ Berthold Fernow. Calendar of Wills on File and Recorded in the Offices of the Clerk of the Court of Appeals (1896), page 98.
21. ↑ The 1696 codicil of Louis DuBois: "Record of wills recorded at Albany, New York, 1629-1802": Wills, AC-AD40, 1629-1802. Folder AD5 contains the codicil, with an English translation. FamilySearch film #005114172, image 521 of 688.
22. ↑ Cornelius Du Bois. Our History in Europe. From Bi-Centenary Reunion of the Descendants of Louis and Jacques Du Bois (Emigrants to America, 1660 and 1675), at New Paltz, New York, 1875, page 29.

See also:

• 1875 biography of Louis DuBois (in five parts) presented by Anson DuBois at the DuBois bi-centenary reunion.
• https://www.huguenotsocietyofamerica.org/ Huguenot Society of America (Ancestor List, D, includes Louis Du Bois).
• William Heidgerd, The American Descendants of Chrétien Du Bois of Wicres, France, 20 vols. and index, (DuBois Family Association, New Paltz, N.Y., 1968-1984). Between 1998 and 2006, the DuBois Family Association published an updated edition by Catherine M. Smith that is available online to members of the DuBois Family Association.
• Monte Horton, "The Memory of the Just Is Blessed": The Ancestry and Extended Family of Chrétien du Bois. (DuBois Family News, June 2011 – Feb 2013): Part I: "Beginnings"; Part II: "The Crispell Connection"; Part III: "Birthdates of Three Huguenot Children — A New Proposal"; Part IV: "Inlaws — The Family JOIRE".
• Charles W. Baird. History of the Huguenot Emigration to America, Volume 1 (1885), pages 187-189, 192-195.
• Jordan, John W. Genealogical and Personal History of Western Pennsylvania (Lewis Historical Pub. Co., New York, 1915, Vol 1, p. 369-372).
• Ships Passenger Lists New York and New Jersey 1600-1825, Carl Boyer III, Newhall, CA, 1978.
• DBFA: Daniel and Simon Dubois Family Papers.
• Schenectady History.
• Colonial Men and Times (Google book).
• Of whom I came : from whence I came - Wells-wise, Rish-wise and otherwise, a compilation of the genealogies of the families of: Bolling, Colquitt, Gable, Norman, Rish, Robertson, Weatherbee, Wells, Wofford with numerous related and connecting families by Zelma Wells Price (1959). 8 volumes, available through FamilySearch; see Vol. 4, p.180.
• Wikipedia: Louis DuBois

Acknowledgements

• Special thanks to Kimball G. Everingham, III, for sharing his research into the du Bois family.