French/Flemish Names Among the European Settlers of Pennsylvania (and Maryland)

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Pennsylvania and Maryland

Surnames/tags: Huguenot Palatine Migration

Profile manager: Ann Risso

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This is a collection of Wikitree profiles for settlers to Pennsylvania and Maryland with French last names, who lived in the part of the Holy Roman Empire that is now Germany before emigrating to America in the early to mid-1700’s. The hope is that by grouping these people together, maybe clues will emerge regarding the original homelands of the various families, the general time frames for their moves to Germany, the places where they lived there, and their eventual homes in the Middle Colonies.

These families were Protestant, primarily Calvinist (Reformed). Some of them came from Artois and Flanders, areas that started to see an exodus to "Germany" as early as the 1540’s, when those places were part of the Spanish Netherlands.^[1] (See also: Netherlands Seventeen Provinces & the birth of the Federated Dutch Provinces).

Note the distinction between the Huguenots and the Protestants of Artois and Flanders - two of the Seventeen Provinces. Artois and the southern portion of Flanders (the area roughly centered around Lille and Douai) were French speaking, but were part of the Spanish Netherlands until they were ceded to France by the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659 (and later in some areas). Before then, it was the iconoclastic crisis (Beeldenstorm) of 1565-68 that caused Protestants to flee, most notably because of the prosecutions of the “Council of Troubles” starting in 1567. ^[2] Another exodus, beginning in about 1625, occurred when French-speaking Protestants from Flanders were lured by the promises of German rulers such as Friedrich Ludwig (Frederick Louis), Count Palatine of Zweibrücken, and Karl I. Ludwig (Charles I Louis), Elector Palatine, who were eager to rebuild their ravaged territories following the Thirty Years War. Huguenots, on the other hand, were Protestants living in the Kingdom of France, who were persecuted by the Catholic majority there in the 16th and 17th Centuries. (See Persecution of Huguenots.)

The map of French Flanders (including Walloon Flanders) at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_French_Flanders.png shows the boundary between Artois and Flanders. The towns that were the homelands of some of the people listed below were right on the boundary between the two: Sailly-sur-la-lys, Fleurbaix, Laventie and Lestrem were in Artois (they are the towns in and around the "bump" in the middle of the northern boundary of Artois). The nearby towns of La Gorgue, Erquinghem-lys and Wicres were in Flanders. Also see this map of Walloon Flanders (the six former districts of the chatellenie of Lille) in 1690: https://www.gennpdc.net/lesforums/lofiversion/index.php?t22.html.

One of the first, and most successful, colonies in Germany was started by 58 Flemish and Dutch families (many from what is today northwestern France) in Frankenthal in 1562, led by pastor Pieter (Petrus) Dathenus.^[3] ^[4]The names of the first settlers of Frankenthal can be found in two articles from Monatsschrift des Frankenthaler Altertums Vereins (a monthly publication of the Frankenthal Antiquity Association). ^[5] ^[6]The earliest French church books for Frankenthal start in 1569. ^[7] Later records start in 1622. ^[8] Records in the Dutch church book start in 1565, and include people who came from towns in today’s northwestern France. ^[9]

Some ancestral families of the people listed here may have left their homelands starting around 1650, at the end of the Thirty Years War. French-speaking people helped to rebuild Otterberg (although it was a refugee city much earlier, starting in 1581). ^[10]. The French church books begin in Otterberg in 1657. ^[11]

Mannheim was also rebuilt, in part, by French-speaking workers, starting in about 1650. ^[12] The baptism records of the French church of Mannheim start in 1651. ^[13] ^[14]. The French marriage records start in 1652. ^[15]

Further south, starting in 1664, Billigheim and surrounding towns were populated by French people from the Pays de l’Alleu (which is made up of the towns of la Gorgue, Laventie, Lestrem, Fleurbaix and Sailly), as well as some of the surrounding towns. ^[16]^[17] See map. (Background: It had been a center for Calvinists going back to before the Beeldenstorm. In 1566, the Pays de L’Alloeu was a land without a lord (or Seigneur) because the bourgeois of Laventie, La Gorgue and Lestrem had purchased their freedom. The Calvinist leaders there met regularly in Laventie in the “Aigle d'Or” (Golden Eagle) tavern. On September 20, 1566, Catholics and Protestants of the area met to try to negotiate terms. As an outcome of the meeting, the Calvinists agreed not to construct temples in Laventie, Richebourg and Sailly; to return churches they were occupying; and to retain only a piece of land in Laventie. ^[18])

The French colonies Friedrichstal and Welschneureut, in Baden-Durlach, were founded by people from Billigheim and Mörlheim in 1699-1700. On December 10, 1699, in Carlsburg zu Durlach, the Markgraf Friedrich VII Magnus granted them a “letter of freedom,” in which they received the right to free exercise of religion in French, permanent exemption from serfdom, exemptions from taxes, etc. The founders and first colonists of these new communities included the leader Jacques Gorenflo (abt.1655-1710), his son-in-law Abraham Herlan (1675-1735), and Abraham's brother Isaac Herlan 1678-1770 (father of South Carolina immigrant Jacob Herlong (1717-)). ^[19] ^[20] ^[21]

A phrase written on a stained glass window in the Walloon church of Mannheim (in 1675) conveys a sense of the many years of journeying, and sometimes multiple homes, of these people: “Je suis voyageur et forain chez toi comme l’ont été tous nos pères” (I am a traveler and a foreigner in your house, as were all our fathers). ^[22] For some of them, the journey would end in America. "From the Southern Netherlands to America, the Long Exodus of the Huguenot Flemings and Walloons," by Francis Devos, is a good summary of their wanderings, starting about 1555 (with maps). ^[23]

Many of the American families appear to have been affluent in Germany, because they became substantial landowners shortly after arriving in their new homeland.

The person listed is the earliest known American immigrant of each nuclear family. If known (or suspected), the name of the earliest ancestor who can be traced to what is now northern France is also noted.

People whose families originally came from Alsace are not included, because the goal is to find possible relationships among families from today’s northwestern France (Nord and Pas-de-Calais).

I hope people will suggest corrections and additions.

Johan Heinrich Beyer (1708-1757) - b. Frankenthal, d. Tulpehocken, Berks Co., Pennsylvania.

Jean Jacques Bonnet (abt.1702-abt.1757) - b. Rheinland-Pfalz, lived in Friedrichstal, d. Monocacy Valley, Frederick Co., Maryland (probably).

Johann Georg (Bößhaar) Boshaar (1694-1734) - b. Zweibrucken, Pfalz, d. Leacock, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania. His grandfather, Hanß Albrecht Bößhaar (1621-1680), also lived in Zweibrucken.

Andreas (Boudemont) Putman (1716-1777) - b. Rohrbach-Steinweiler, d. Eakles Mills, Washington Co., Maryland.

Philip Boudemont (1711-1792) - b. Teuschneureut, near Friedrichstal, d. Frederick Co., Maryland.

Mattheus Bouquet (abt.1727-1794) - b. Minfeld, d. Frederick Co., Maryland. His earliest known ancestor was his great grandfather Philippe Bouquet, born about 1615 in Sainghin-en-Weppes, Pays-bas, died 10 May 1687 in Minfeld.

Peter Crepell (abt.1725-bef.1791) - b. Billigheim or Rohrbach-Steinweiler (probably), d. Frederick Co., Maryland.

Abraham Delong (abt.1702-abt.1756) - b. Magdeburg, d. Lynn Township, Northampton Co., Pennsylvania. His grandfather, Charles DeLong (abt.1645-abt.1708) was b. near la Bassee, Pays-bas and d. in Mannheim, Germany.

Pyeter Delangh (1707-1760) - b. Freisenheim, d. Maxatawny, Berks Co., Pennsylvania. His grandfather, Charles DeLong (abt.1645-abt.1708) was b. near la Bassee and d. in Mannheim, Germany.

David (DeLattre) Delauder (abt.1698-bef.1767) - b. Schifferstadt, d. Frederick Co., Maryland. His earliest known ancestor was his father, David DeLattre (abt.1655-1726), b. La Bassée, d. Schifferstadt.

Nicolaus (de Puy) Depuy (1682-1762) - b. Kingston, Ulster County, Province of New York, d. Smithfield, Northampton County, Province of Pennsylvania. His earliest known ancestor was his great-grandfather Jean De Puy, who was from the city of Arras.

Isaac DeTurk (bef.1685-bef.1727) – b. Frankenthal, d. Oley, Berks Co., Pennsylvania.

Leya (du Bois) Ferree (abt.1687-1758) – b. New Paltz, Ulster Co., New York, d. Paradise, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania. Her father Abraham (Du Bois) DuBois (1657-1731) was born in Mannheim, her mother Margaret (Deyo) DuBois (abt.1662-1731) was born in Calais, France and her husband Philip Ferree Sr. (1686-1753) was born in Steinweiler); Her ancestors Antoine du Bois (abt.1570-abt.1617) and his wife Anne (Cousin) du Bois (abt.1570-aft.1647) lived in Wicres (today in Nord, France).

Edmond (Du Chastel) Du Castel I (abt.1668-bef.1714) - b. Brakel, Duchy of Guelders (maybe), d. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He may have descended from the Du Chastel de Blangerval family, centered around Lille, in northern France.

Jacob Dundore (aka Thontheur/Tondeur other), father of Susanna (Dundore) Gerhard (1747-1830) and Catharina Elisabeth (Dundore) Schauer (1752-aft.1800) - b. Rhine area of Germany, d. Bern, Berks Co. Pennsylvania.

Daniel Ferree (1676-1762) – b. Landau in der Pfalz, d. Paradise, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania.

John (Ferree) Fiere Sr. (1685-1769) – b. Landau in der Pfalz, d. Strasburg, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania.

Philip Ferree Sr. (1686-1753) – b. Steinweiler, d. Paradise, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania.

Jean Gomber (1722-1801) - b. Steinweiler. d. Frederick, Maryland.

Georg Adam Gorenflo (1720-1801) - b. Spock, d. Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland. His grandfather Jacques Gorenflo (abt.1655-1710) probably came from what is today northern France, but not necessarily from the town of Gorenflos 80690 France.

Susanna (DeHarcourt) Bertolet (1687-1755) – b. Muhlhofen, d. Oley, Berks Co., Pennsylvania.

Johann Carle (Heÿ) Hoy (abt.1710-abt.1780) – b. Rohrbach, d. Tulpehocken, Berks Co., Pennsylvania.

Johannes Lebo (abt.1680-abt.1759) – b. Crupilly, now in Aisne, Hauts-de-France, France, d. Alsace, Berks Co., Pennsylvania.

le Dee, Jean – b. Eppstein (near Frankenthal), d. Oley, Berks Co., Pennsylvania.

Abraham Lefevre (abt.1659-abt.1733) – b. Eppstein (maybe), d. Skippack, Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania. There is evidence that his father was Theodore Le Fevre (born c. 1625) a grain worker, native of Steger, Vlaenderen (aka Estaires, Flanders, very near the Pays de l'Alleu - see map), who emigrated to Leiden by 1644 and to Frankenthal by 1656.

Anne Marie (LeFevre) Weimer (1671-1768) – b. Mannheim (maybe), d. Oley, Berks Co., Pennsylvania. There is evidence that her father was Philippe LeFevre (abt.1640-aft.1705) and that Philippe was born in or near Fleurbaix, in the Pays de l’Alleu. More research needed.

Isaac LeFevre (1669-1751) – Possibly actually born February 26, 1675 in Mannheim, d.1751 Strasbourg, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania. There is evidence that his father was also Philippe LeFevre (abt.1640-aft.1705). More research needed.

Jonas le Roux (abt.1680-abt.1760) - b, Oggersheim (near Mannheim), d. East Lampeter, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania.

Peter (Lehman) Leman (abt.1680-1741) - b. ?, died East Lampeter, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania. He may have been Swiss and his last name may have been Lehman.

Nicholaus Lesher (abt.1675-1749) – b. Lambsheim, d. Oley, Berks County, Pennsylvania.

Daniel Levan (1705-1777) – b. Amsterdam or Hockenheim (?), d. Maxatawny, Berks County, Pennsylvania.

Anna Margaretha (Massa) Gebhart (1710-1783) - b. Otterberg, d. Berks Co., Pennsylvania.

Abraham Petillion (abt.1721-bef.1800) - b. Winden, d. Germantown, Philadelphia Co., Pennsylvania. His earliest confirmed ancestor, Andre (Petilion) Petillon (abt.1616-1692), was probably from Estaires.

Philipp Petillion (1730-abt.1802) - b. Winden, d. Londonderry, Dauphin Co., Pennsylvania. His earliest confirmed ancestor, Andre (Petilion) Petillon (abt.1616-1692), was probably from Estaires.

Daniel Shuey Jr. (1704-1777) - b. Oggersheim, d. Bethel, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania.

Isaac Van Sintern (1662-1737) - b. Altona, near Hamburg (probably), d. Skippack, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. One of his maternal great grandfathers, Jan de Vos (abt.1520-abt.1630), was the burgermeister (mayor) of Hondschoote (today in Nord, France); his other maternal great grandfather, Michael van Meres (abt.1555-abt.1610), was the burgermeister of Bailleul (today also in Nord, France).

Marie Warenbuer (abt.1653-bef.1716) - b. Laventie, Pays de l'Alleu (possibly), d. Chester County, Pennsylvania.

Catherine (Weimer) Levan (1706-1768) - b. Muhlhofen or Oggersheim, d. Oley, Berks Co., Pennsylvania.

Sources

↑ Liste von wallonischen Kirchen und Gemeinden (List of Walloon Churches and Parishes) on Wikipedia at https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_von_wallonischen_Kirchen_und_Gemeinden.
↑ See Council of Troubles in Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Troubles.
↑ Beginn einer lebendigen Gemeinde Ankunft hugenottischer Glaubensflüchtlinge in Frankenthal vor 450 Jahren – Gründungsväter der Stadt (Beginning of a vibrant community; Arrival of Huguenot religious refugees in Frankenthal 450 years ago – founding fathers of the city) at http://evpfalz.de/kirchenbote/index.php?id=46&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=764&cHash=0597c9ef94137e899c9db6c979d6650c
↑ A description of the community in Frankenthal is also in Schilling, Heinz. Innovation through Migration: The Settlements of Calvinistic Netherlanders in Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-Century Central and Western Europe, at https://hssh.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/hssh/article/download/38252/34652/45205 .
↑ Die Ersten 300 Burger Frankenthals, aufgenommen 1562-1580 (The First 300 Burgers of Frankenthal, recorded 1562-1580). Monatsschrift des Frankenthaler Altertumsvereines 2. Jahrgang Hildenbrand, Kgl. Gymnasiallehrer: Published by Louis Göhring, Frankenthal.
↑ Witzel, Georg. "Beitrage zur Kenntuis der ersten Frankenthaler Burger" ("Contributions to the Knowledge of the first Frankenthaler Burgers"), Monatsschrift des Frankenthaler Altertumsvereines 2. Jahrgang Hildenbrand, Kgl. Gymnasiallehrer:Published by Louis Göhring, Frankenthal. May 1908.
↑ https://archive.org/details/ldpd_13046493_000/page/n5/mode/2up.
↑ https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSCV-P9FD-P?i=103&cc=3015626&cat=93148.
↑ https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/61229/images/1123002-00001?pId=12510654.
↑ “…numerous refugee-cities were established toward the end of the seventeenth century for Huguenots and Waldensians. These later examples were modelled on older refugee-cities, some of which dated as far back as the sixteenth century. Among the earliest were Frankenthal (1577 municipal privileges), Otterberg (1581), Freudenstadt (1597), Mannheim (1607), Glückstadt (1616), and Friedrichstadt an der Eider (1620). In total, more than forty refugee-cities were founded, most of them in the Holy Roman Empire. The settlers of these planned cities were extended robust packages of personal, economic, civil, and religious rights. Kaplan, Benjamin J. The Legal Rights of Religious Refugees in the ‘Refugee-Cities’ of Early Modern Germany. https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10043318/1/Kaplan_Legal_Rights_Religious_Refugees.pdf
↑ Familysearch at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G923-MWBW?i=6.
↑ “In 1622, during the Thirty Years' War, the city [of Mannheim] and fortress were destroyed. Reconstruction occurred under Prince-Elector Karl I Ludwig, a grandson of the city's founder. Quick completion of the construction was accomplished through an immigration of workers from France, who were specifically drawn to the city by the special privileges offered by the prince-elector, a kind of 17th-century Marshall Plan that turned Mannheim into a successful trading town.” State Palaces and Gardens of Baden-Wuerttemberg at https://www.schloss-mannheim.de/en/interesting-amusing/collections/the-planned-city-of-mannheim
↑ https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSWN-M9D8-R?i=488&cc=3015626&cat=274438.
↑ https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSWN-M9DV-Q?cc=3015626&cat=274438.
↑ https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSWN-M98X-F?i=628&cc=3015626&cat=274438.
↑ “The Pays de l’Alleu was a small district comprising the villages of la Gorgue, Laventie, Lestrem, Fleurbaix and Sailly.” Proceedings of the Huguenot Society of London, by Huguenot Society of London, Publication date 1886, p.136. https://archive.org/details/proceedingsofhug1619hugu/page/136/mode/2up.
↑ Gumbel, Theodor. Foreign Colony in Billigheim and the Surrounding Area. Published in Geschichtsblatter des Deutschen Hugenotten-Vereins (Historical newsletter of the German Huguenot Association), Magdeburg: Heinrichshofen’ sche Buchhandlung, 1894. Translated by Barbel Johnson, typed and edited by Gary Horlacher, prepared for Kenneth Craft, September 1995) (1894). Translated by: Barbel Johnson (1995). https://www.goancestry.com/forums/topic/17976-the-foreign-colony-in-billigheim-and-the-surrounding-area-by-theodor-gumbel/.
↑ Le ruisseau aux iris; blog sur l'histoire d'Escobecques at https://escobecques.wordpress.com/2017/07/28/jean-le-sauvage/.
↑ Collum, Wolfgang H. Hugenotten in Baden-Durlach. 1974 at https://badische-heimat.de/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/1974_3_hugenotten.pdf.
↑ “Den 25 Febr. 1770 verstarb alhier Isaak Herlang alhiesiger Burger. Er ward gebohren in Billichheim im Churpfalzischen den 6 9bre. 1678 und begraben den 26 Febr. 1770.” Translation: “February 25th. Isaak Herlang died here in 1770 as a local citizen. He was born in Billichheim in Churpfalzische the 6 9bre. 1678 and buried 26 Feb 1770.” Dippo, Cathryn S. Friedrichstal Church Records 1698-1812. Heritage Books. 2005. p. 328.
↑ Die Geschichte des Stutenseer Stadtteils Friedrichstal (The history of the Friedrichstal district of Stutensee) in Badische Neueste Nachrichten, at https://bnn.de/karlsruhe/karlsruher-norden/stutensee/die-geschichte-des-stutenseer-stadtteils-friedrichstal
↑ DeVos, Francis, La colonie wallonne de Frédéricia, 2007, at http://huguenots.picards.free.fr/documents/Fredericia.pdf.
↑ Devos, Francis, "From The Southern Netherlands to America, The Long Exodus of the Huguenot Flemings and Walloons," at http://huguenots.picards.free.fr/documents/Exodus.pdf.