Beeks line: Samuel Demarest 1656-1728, Immigrant

Technically, hard working David Demarest, Samuel's father, was the immigrant of the family, but Samuel was about 7 years old when he arrived in America so he also immigrated.  The difference of course, is that he had no choice in the matter, although he would certainly have chosen to come with his family had he been asked.  The Demarest family (seen in several different spelling variations) was French Huguenot, with Samuel's parents, David and Marie Sohier Demarest, having been married in the Netherlands, and Samuel and his siblings born in what is now Mannheim, Germany.  Being a Huguenot wasn't easy economically, even though physically the family was certainly safer there then they had been had the earlier generations stayed in France.  

Some of the Mannheim Huguenots began to go to New Amsterdam, where the Dutch were in control and there was no religious persecution.  The Demarest family joined this exodus in 1663, and soon moved from New Amsterdam to Staten Island and then on to New Harlem, where other Dutch and French families also had prosperous farms.  They may have thought they had finally found a congenial home, but the very next year, the English took control of the Dutch colony.  Still, the family stayed in New York until 1678, so Samuel's adolescent years were spent there.  He would have learned to farm, and he would have watched his father become a leader in the community, at one time a constable.  Lessons of good citizenship were modeled by David, both in the government, the school, and the church.  

In 1678, the Demarests moved to what was known as the French Patent, on the Hackensack River in Bergen County, New Jersey.  Two of Samuel's brothers were married, and they also moved west, to settle near their parents.  Samuel soon married Maria De Ruine on August 11, 1678.  Maria was the half sister of the wife of Jean Demarest, Samuel's older brother, so the two were well-acquainted.  

Samuel and Maria had eleven children together, so they were kept busy raising their family and planning for their future.  Samuel helped run his father's mill business, and when his father died in 1693 he received 1/3 of the mills (presumably one mill), with instructions as to what was to happen to the entire business if there was a water shortage (equal water, taking turns).  Since Samuel's home was on the Hackensack River, it stands to reason that he had a wharf there and could conduct trade for the grains at the mill, as well as produce raised at the farm, and whatever textiles the farm might have produced. 

The family originally worshiped at a French church, but when the Dutch church acquired a full time pastor, they transferred membership there.  One wonders how many languages Samuel would have spoken.  Surely he spoke French, probably Dutch (or why transfer to that church), perhaps German, and probably at least some English.  We don't know whether he could read and write in all of these languages, but he probably at least could make out legal terms, for contracts, and he may well have been able to read letters written by family members and friends in any of the above languages. 

Samuel never had an easy or secure life until his later years, when it probably still wasn't easy.  He lived in several frontier areas and there were tensions with the native Americans at various times in both New York and New Jersey.  We have no indication that he was in the militia but there is a possibility that he was. 

 Maria died in 1704 and Samuel died October 19, 1728, when seven of his children were still living.  I have seen indications that he had a will which was probated but I have not been able to locate it.  That would surely give us additional information about this remarkable ancestor.

The line of descent is:

Samuel Demarest-Maria De Ruine

David Demarest-Matie DeBaun

Samuel Demaree-Lea Demarest

Sarah Demaree-Benjamin Slot

William Lock-Elizabeth Teague

Sally Lock-Jeremiah Folsom

Leah Folsom-Darlington Aldridge

Harvey Aldridge-Margaret Catherine Dunham

Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks

Mary Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger

Their descendants