These Demarest lines are confusing, and are about to get more confusing. I recently wrote posts about the families of David Demarest, Jean Demarest, and David Demarest, three generations of men before daughtering out with David's daughter Lea. I mentioned then that Lea had married Samuel Demarest, and we'd be exploring that line next. So now we're backing up to an earlier Samuel Demarest, who is a brother to Jean and the son of David and Marie Sohier Demarest. We'll follow this line for several generations, also. And again, a caution: These names, both surnames and given names, have all kinds of variations so anyone looking at or for records needs to be on their toes, have good eyesight, and accept flexible spelling in the same family and even in records depicting the same person. I am not positive that I've sorted through all of this correctly, but it at least gives us a good starting point. Are you ready?
Samuel, as mentioned above, is the son of David and Marie Sohier Demarest, born in 1656 in Mannheim in what is not Germany, and died in 1728 in Hackensack, Bergen County, New Jersey. He married Maria De Ruine, the daughter of Simon and Magdalena van Straaten (Vanderstraaten) De Ruine. Eleven children are known to have been born to this couple, so once again, this will be a rather long post.
Their first child is a daughter, Magdalena, born in 1680 and died between 1712 and 1718, in Hackensack, New Jersey. She married Cornelius Banta, the son of Epke and Sitske Dirckse Banta. Their children are Samuel, another Samuel, Jacob, Rachel, Lea, Elizabeth, and Abram.
David was born in 1681 and died in 1760 in Hackensack. He married Matie DeBaun, the daughter of Jost and Elizabeth Drabbe DeBaun. Their children are Maria, Lea, Elizabeth, Christian, Peter, Sarah, Jacob, Rachel, Annetje, and Samuel. (Please note that the only name from Magdalena's list of children that is not repeated here is Abram. And it will get more complex as we add more cousins!) I will write more about this family in my next post.
Jacomina was born in 1686 (potential pregnancy between the two??)and died in 1728 in Monmouth, New Jersey. She married twice. Her first marriage was to Samuel Helling, or Helm, the son of Hendrik and Grietje Samuels Helling. They had three children, Susanna, Teunis, and Samuel. She naxt married Cornelius van Horn, the son of Cornelius and Margrietje Vanderburgh Van Horn. Their children are Margaret, Annetje, Cornelius, Margrita, Maria, John, Lucas, Rachel, and Daniel. Jacomina died a day after her son Daniel was born.
Judith was born in 1690 and died in 1767 in Kinderkamack, New Jersey. She married Christian DeBaun, the son of Jost and Elizabeth Crabbe DeBaun. (Demarest siblings married DeBaun siblings, so Judith's first child, Christina, is a double cousin to David's children). She next married Peter Durie, the son of Jehan and Jeanne Hessulier Durie. Their children are Cornelia, Jan, Marie, Jannete, Samuel, and Sarah.
Samuel was next, born in 1693. Don't try to keep track of all the Samuel Demarests in these two lines, unless you really want a challenge. This Samuel died in 1737 in Monmouth, New Jersey. He married Annetje Van Horn, the daughter of Cornelius and Margretje Vanderburgh Van Horn (yes, you just saw the names of those parents a few paragraphs ago. Again, siblings from the Demarest family married siblings from the Van Horn family.). Their children are Jannetje, Cornelius, Samuel, Margrietje, David, Elsie, Peter, and Daniel.
Peter was born in 1695 and died in 1774 in Orange County, New York. This may have been about 50 miles, depending on which part of each county the farms are located. He married Grietje Haring, the daughter of Cornelius and Cathalyn Flierboon Haring. Their children are Marie, Catalynthe, Samuel, Fytie, Sara, Jacob, Margretjen, John, and Vrouwtje.
Sara was born in 1697 and died in 1719 in Hackensack. She married John Westervelt, the son of Jurinen and Gieske Bongert van Westervelt. They had one child together, Jurrian. I don't know whether Sara died as a result of childbirth, but it's certainly possible.
Simon was born in 1699 and died in 1761 in Hackensack. He married Vrouwtje Haring, the daughter of Conelius and Cathalyn Flierboon Haring. (See two paragraphs above-siblings and siblings, again. So many double cousins in this family!) Their children are Samuel, Catalyntje, Cornelius, Maria, Daniel, John, David, Petrus and Jacob.
Rachel was born in 1701 and died in 1799 in Appoquinimink, Dekaware, She married Jacobus Peek, the son of Johannes and Lysbeth van Imbarg Peek. Their children are Sarah, Judith, Rachel, Samuel, Jacobus, Guysber, Rachel, David, and Annetie.
Susanna was the last daughter, born in 1703 and died in 1747 in Hackensack, New Jersey. She married Benjamin van Boskerck, the son of Laurens and an unidentified mother van Boskerck. Their children are Samuel, Lauren, Marie, and Jacomyntie. There may be more children, but these are the ones that are noted in the records I looked at.
Finally, son Daniel was born in 1706 and died in 1727 in Bergen County, New Jersey. There are no records of a spouse or children for Daniel, and it is believed that he was single when he died at the age of 21.
Samuel and Marie had about 77 grandchildren. 10 were named Samuel, and I didn't attempt to count the Maria or Rachels or other names. When we think of the Samuels I've mentioned in the previous posts, and the ones yet to come, it's easy to wonder how the families kept them all straight.
